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Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
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DEPARTMENT OF BOTANY

The Plant Press

From The Plant Press, Vol. 29, No. 1, January 2026.

Call for applications: The 2026 Department of Botany Travel Awards

Department of Botany Travel Awards are presented annually to support the resident study of collections in the United States National Herbarium, with preference given to students working on tropical plants. Typically, about four awards are made. This year, awards will be for six weeks, with a stipend of $6,000.

Fern Herbarium with Visitors
Visiting botanists in the US National Herbarium at the National Museum of Natural History, June 2015. (photo by Eric Schuettpelz)

José Cuatrecasas Award. This award commemorates the late Dr. José Cuatrecasas, who was associated with the USNH for over fifty years. He dedicated his career to the study of the high elevation flora of northern South America, and he monographed or revised a variety of Neotropical angiosperm genera.

Lyman B. & Ruth C. Smith Award. This award is intended to provide career development opportunities for young scientists. The fellowship was created to honor the legacy of the late Dr. Lyman B. Smith and his wife Ruth C. Smith. Dr. Smith, former Curator of Botany at the USNH, monographed several Neotropical angiosperm families and contributed to several flora projects of South America; his wife’s support was instrumental in his success.

Harold E. Robinson & Vicki A. Funk Award. This award is restricted to the study of Asteraceae. It honors the late Dr. Harold E. Robinson and Dr. Vicki A. Funk, both former Curators at the USNH who devoted most of their careers to understanding the systematics and phylogeny of this large and diverse family, especially in the Neotropics.

Applications must be submitted through the Smithsonian Academic Appointment System (SOLAA), accessible at https://solaa.si.edu. A curriculum vitae, a short (two-page) proposal, and a letter of support are required. Complete applications must be received no later than 15 February 2026. Applicants will be notified of the decision made by the selection committee by 15 March 2026 and awardees are expected to visit by 15 March 2027. For additional information, please contact Eric Schuettpelz (SchuettpelzE@si.edu), travel awards committee chair.