The purpose of the Research Fund is to provide funding to individuals, organizations, and /or educational institutions involved in apicultural research which will benefit South Carolina Beekeepers through improved knowledge and techniques. Grants may be made to completely fund research projects or to supplement existing projects. It is the intent of the Executive Committee of the South Carolina Beekeeper Association will fund the grants of the chosen individuals and/or organizations that are committed to well-designed projects and financial accountability.

This committee is chaired by the President-elect and is responsible for promoting the SCBA Research Grant initiative and collecting grant requests. The President shall nominate an additional member of the Board of Directors, and the Executive Committee shall approve up to five (5) members to serve on the Research Grant Committee. Grants awarded by the SCBA will be restricted to research-related projects.  The committee will review grant requests and may seek input from external sources prior to finalizing the grant awards.

*The Grant Committee members shall serve a three-year staggered uneven terms. Members will be rotated off every year as their two-year term expires.

• Develop and conduct an annual needs assessment to be used by the Grant Committee in determining research priorities.
• Develops guidelines for grant proposal applications.
• Receive written proposal applications for funding requests from potential researchers.
• Evaluates and approves research proposal applications and funding requests.
• The Grant Committee shall be responsible for approving or denying funding requests and shall notify applicants of their decision.
• Funds shall be dispensed at the discretion of the Grant Committee.
• The Grant Committee shall provide the Executive Committee and the Association membership an annual report of research projects approved along with a financial report.

• Potential grantees must complete the Research Grant Application defining the purpose and scope of the proposed research to include expected benefits to the South Carolina beekeepers.
• Potential grantees must demonstrate an ability to design and implement a research plan that clearly describes the purpose of the proposal, how the research will be conducted, and how the results will be conducted, and how the results will be measured.
• Potential grantees will be required to submit a budget outlining how the funds will be used and to provide financial reports as required by the Grant Committee.
• Upon completion of the research project, grantees will be required to present their findings to the South Carolina Beekeepers at the summer conference.
• Grantees must comply with all applicable local, state, and federal rules, regulations, and laws.

Grant application is a downloadable pdf form with editable fields to be filled out and returned electronically to: SCBA.Research@gmail.com.

1. The Grant Committee at the Executive Committee meeting in November will determine the total amount of money that will be awarded.
2. The Grant Committee will take Grantee’s proposals and reduce the proposals to no more than the top 3 or 4.
3. The call for proposals should be distributed to the membership and interested parties by email from the SCBA. Return applications by no later than March 15, 2021.
4. Grant Committee will receive, review, and evaluate proposals, selecting a winner and notifying them by April 1, 2021.
5. Funding will begin at this time with checks written by the Association Treasurer. The amount of the funds given in one year’s time will be $5,000.