Michigan Turfgrass Foundation Research Grant Guidelines
Mission Statement
The mission of the Michigan Turfgrass Foundation is to work in partnership with Michigan State University, supporting ongoing programs in research, education and extension in the area of professional turfgrass management that will benefit all individuals who manage turfgrasses or derive pleasure from the results of such management.
Based on this mission statement, the awarding of research grants is an important function of this Foundation. The following sets of criteria are utilized to award research grants. All criteria are equally weighted. Research requests do not have to meet all criteria but those that meet multiple criteria will be viewed more favorably.
Research Criteria
- Collaborative projects involving multiple turf faculty and faculty from other disciplines
- Research leading to timely peer reviewed publication
- Projects targeted to research priorities identified by the turf industry
- Projects that are innovative and support cutting edge thinking.
- Research that creates partnerships with other funding sources
Protocol for Grant Requests
On an annual basis the MTF Board of Directors working with the Research Planning Committee will establish both applied research needs and develop longer-term basic research goals. These research needs and goals will be finalized at the September Board of Director’s meeting and summarized as an attachment to the MTF call for proposals.
Most research grants will be approved at the December Board of Director’s meeting. Certain grants may be delayed subject to fund raising activities.
Renewal of Grants
Research grants are awarded for multiple years based on the timeline listed in the initial grant request. Grants will be renewed each subsequent year based on demonstrated progress towards the research goal and after a progress summary is reviewed by the faculty member’s research committee. Renewal of ongoing grants will also take place at the December Board of Director’s meeting.
A faculty member wishing to stop funding of an ongoing grant should state this in writing along with the reasons why funding should be suspended. This should be submitted prior to the September Board of Director’s meeting.
Support Funding
In addition to research grants, the MTF recognizes that money may also be requested to pay for activities that support a research, teaching, or extension effort in turfgrass, but are not activities that can be allocated to a particular research project. Each year at the September Board of Director’s meeting, the MTF Board will allocate a budget for support funds.
Support funds may be requested to complement an ongoing program of teaching, research or extension when all other sources of funding have been exhausted. The request for funds must state in writing the purpose of these funds, the sources of other related outside funds, the efforts made to seek additional funds, and the impact these funds will have on the mission of the MTF.
Support fund requests must be submitted to the faculty member’s research committee or directly to the MTF Board of Directors prior to the December Board of Director’s meeting.
This is the link for the latest issue of Futures magazine, the publication of the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station. It is mostly focused on turf, and tells a great story. This is what the Michigan Turfgrass Foundation is all about.
2008 MTF Research Priorities -
Agronomic, Environmental and Economic
After much discussion and member input, the MTF Board of Directors deemed the following subject areas research priorities to receive funding from MTF in 2008.
Water Movement and Nutrient and Pesticide Fate
Surface water quality:
Phosphorus loading in surface waters
Phosphorus movement off established turf areas
Nitrate movement in established turf
Assessment and tracking tools for nutrients and pesticides
Nutrient and pesticide BMP’s
Water Quantity, Land Use, and Climate Change
Storm water retention systems suitable for irrigation of turf
Integrating turfgrass areas into land-use planning
Assessing and maximizing carbon sequestration in turfgrass systems
Cool season turfgrass adaptation to potential climate change in Michigan
Turfgrass Breeding and Genetics
Biotic Stresses: Disease resistance, especially dollar spot and snow mold
Insect resistance, especially for white grubs
Abiotic Stresses: Heat & cold tolerance
Shade tolerance
Wear tolerance
General low-input turfgrasses
Establishing seed production in Michigan
Integrated Pest Management
European chafer and Japanese beetle management
Weather-based IPM systems
Tools & templates to implement IPM programs
Management of Fairy Ring
Granular pesticide alternatives to liquid (spray application) of pesticides
(efficacy and environmental impact and fate)
Bio-based Products, Alternative Fuels and Energy Conservation
Bio-diesel and bio-lubricants and fluids
Ethanol production from turfgrass clippings, pelletizing clippings, and fuel
cell technology for turf management equipment
Education, Job Training and Career Development
Curriculum development to teach turf in K-12 & Agri-science programs
Turf as a model to teach math & science
Develop strategies to meet current labor shortages & supply labor for
future growth:
Migrant issues
Recruitment of women and minorities
Workforce training
MTF Grant Final Proposals - 2007
Grant Proposals are as follows:
Kevin Frank - $25,000.00 plus $5,000.00 support
• Nitrogen & Phosphorus Leaching
• Winterkill recovery
• Developing Phosphorous Recommendations
• Extension Support
Joe Vargas - $26,500
• Proposal on Disease Resistant Bentgrass
Suzanne Lang - $25,000.00
• Cold Tolerance & Carbohydrate Metabolism
• Organic Control of Broadleaf Weeds
Thom Nikolai - $3,000.00
• Root Zone Soil Testing versus Leaf Tissue Testing
Dave Smitley - $17,800.00
• Management of Key Insect Pests on Golf Courses, Lawns, Sod Farms, Athletic Fields
Trey Rogers - $24,000.00 (not present)
• Not going to do the originally proposed project (Effects & Fate of Pre-Plant applied Phosphorous on Kentucky Bluegrass).
• The new proposal is Sand-Capped Built-Up System for High Traffic Areas.
Ron Calhoun - $21,000.00 (not present)
• Weed Research
Jim Crum – withdrew request
David Gilstrap - $2,500.00
• This is a carryover from his 2006 project which was not completed.
Grant Funding 2007
| Name | Research | Support |
| Ron Calhoun | $18,100.00 | $2,400.00 |
| Kevin Frank | $25,000.00 | $5,000.00 |
| Suzanne Lang | $ 9,500.00 (organic weed control) | $ 500.00 |
| Thom Nikolai | $ 3,000.00 (request from Founders Society) | |
| Trey Rogers | $22,500.00 | $1,000.00 |
| Joe Vargas | $26,000.00 | |
| Dave Gilstrap | $ 2,500.00 | |
| Dave Smitley | $10,000.00 (no earthworms) | $3,000.00 |
$ 1,800.00 (request from Founders Society) |