Loy McCandless Marks Scholarship

To promote the study of tropical horticulture and landscape architecture

Level of Education

For graduate students and undergraduates

Eligibility

Open to U.S. Citizens and permanent residents who are currently and actively enrolled in a U.S.-based institution. Due to IRS restrictions, GCA is unable to fund awards for international applicants. Travel must commence within 12 months of the award.

Provisions

Provides $5000 to a well-qualified graduate student or undergraduate student specializing in tropical horticulture, botany, or landscape architecture for the purpose of studying abroad at botanical institutions.

Scholarship funds the international study of tropical horticulture or landscape architecture. This does not mean that the scholar’s study needs to take place in a tropical climate. The scholar could study in temperate regions as long as the destination is international.

Selection

Applications will be reviewed by a panel of representatives, assembled by the National Tropical Botanical Garden, from fields of tropical horticulture, botany, and landscape architecture and approved by the GCA Scholarship Committee.

History

The Loy McCandless Marks Scholarship Fund was established by the Elizabeth L. Marks Trust. Mrs. Marks was a Garden Club of Honolulu member from 1948 until the time of her death in 1996. Her trust provided “for the establishment of a scholarship fund, the income from which shall be awarded to well-qualified science majors specializing in tropical horticulture or landscape architecture to afford them the opportunity for one or two years of serious study at outstanding botanical institutions abroad."

Application Guidelines:

1. A 1-page description of your research endeavors and how the scholarship will support these endeavors.
2. A proposed itinerary along with any potential or confirmed collaborating institutions for your international study of tropical horticulture or architecture. The itinerary needs to take into account that travel must begin within 12 months of being awarded the scholarship i.e. award notification in March of a given year would require travel commencing no later than February of the following year.
3. A 1-page budget for the travel and study proposed. If additional funds are needed beyond the Marks Scholarship funding, please include an explanation of how you are planning to fund the additional expenses.
4. A 1-page CV including your contact information, degrees, dates of enrollment, and institutions (colleges and universities), and other relevant information such as work experiences of community service.
5. School transcripts, (Colleges and universities, highschool transcripts not needed)
6. Two letters of recommendation. They should include comments on your academic progress and achievement, personal qualities, and eligibility for the program you have selected. The references should be familiar with your proposed international study and itinerary and speak to your capability to achieve the proposed study. Electronic copies of the letters of recommendation must be signed by the individual writing the letter, and either attached to the submitted application or sent to scholarships@ntbg.org directly from their email.