Scholarships

APPLICATIONS DUE 1 JUNE

The program established in 2023 in honor of the late Coach Vince Dooley from the University of Georgia offers a valuable opportunity for Juniors or Seniors in 2 or 4-year agricultural science or horticulture programs. Here’s a breakdown of the key details:

Purpose: To honor Coach Vince Dooley and provide students with networking and employment opportunities within the IPPS (International Plant Production Society) community.

Eligibility: Open to Juniors or Seniors enrolled in agricultural science or horticulture programs at 2- or 4-year colleges/ universities.

Benefits:

• Full coverage for registration, hotel, and travel (either actual flight costs or mileage reimbursement).
• An additional $250 for spending money.
• Accommodation in a shared room with other scholarship winners.

Requirements:

• Attendees must bring their resume to the conference.
• Introduce themselves during the Question Box session.
• Articulate why they are a strong candidate for employment.

Conference Details:

• A three and a half day event.
• Includes two full days of bus tours visiting area nurseries, public gardens, and greenhouse operations.
• Educational program with short presentations.
• Previous meeting papers and tour highlights are available on the IPPS website.

This scholarship provides a significant opportunity for students to gain exposure and make connections in the horticultural industry, while also celebrating Coach Dooley’s legacy.

Applications will be reviewed by the Coach Vince Dooley Scholarship Committee. Results will be provided to potential awardees at least 30 days prior to the annual meeting.

Application Deadline: June 1

APPLICATIONS DUE 1 JUNE

This award is open to employed or self-employed nursery/green industry professionals.

The purpose of the Margie Jenkins IPPS Conference Scholarship Award is to enable individuals who are employed or self-employed in the nursery/green industry to attend an International Plant Propagators Society – Southern Region of North America (IPPS-SRNA) meeting for their first time. The award will cover full registration, which includes the educational programs, tours and banquet. Travel and lodging expenses are not included. 

Margie Jenkins was a long-time member of the IPPS-SRNA – who started her nursery/green industry career later in life. She became a mentor for everyone and was deeply passionate about plants. Under her leadership, the Jenkins Farm and Nursery enlarged and prospered, and “Ms. Margie” became recognized as a botanical authority across the Gulf States. She was a frequent guest speaker and lecturer at nursery and botanical organizations. She received awards from many nursery associations and was the first woman to be inducted into Louisiana’s Department of Agriculture Hall of Distinction. Ms. Margie was passionate about mentoring – and introducing new plants to the green industry. She exemplified the IPPS motto: “To Seek and Share”

Criteria

• Must be employed or self-employed in the nursery/green industry.
• Award will be presented to an individual who has never attended an IPPS-SRNA conference.
• Preference is for awardees to be local from the region where the annual meeting takes place.
• Required: Application form (below), plus recommendation letter from employer or customer.
• Deadline: June 1; annual IPPS-SR Conference normally occurs in October.
• Recipients to write a short summary of their Conference highlights to post along with their photo on the SRNA website.

Contact: Donna Shealy Foster, Secretary/Treasurer scplant@bellsouth.net

APPLICATIONS DUE 1 JUNE

Purpose:
The Vivian Munday Young Horticulture Professional Scholarship was created to provide financial assistance to young horticulture professionals and students interested in attending the IPPS Southern Region Annual Meeting. A “young horticulture professional” is defined as an individual with less than five years of work experience in the horticultural field.

Scholarship Benefits:
Waiver for registration, tours, and hotel accommodations for the annual meeting.

Work Requirements:
In exchange for financial assistance, scholarship recipients will complete various hands-on work assignments during the event. These tasks will assist the local site chairperson in ensuring that the educational program and tours run smoothly.

Examples of work assignments include:

• Assisting with the plant auction
• Staffing the registration desk
• Helping the audio/visual technician during educational sessions

Assignments will be scheduled to allow recipients to attend most meeting events. Upon arrival at the annual meeting, recipients will report to the local site chairperson for their assignments.

Event Overview:
The IPPS Southern Region Annual Meeting typically spans three and a half days, featuring:

• Two full days of bus tours to area nurseries, public gardens, and greenhouse operations
• An educational program with short presentations
• Past papers and tour highlights are also posted on the IPPS website

Eligibility:
All horticulture students and young professionals with less than five years of work experience are eligible to apply for the Vivian Munday Scholarship.

Application:

• Applications are due by June 1st. 
• The Vivian Munday Scholarship Committee will review the applications, and results will be communicated to awardees at least 30 days before the annual meeting
• Complete the application form below and submit it to Donna Shealy Foster, Secretary/Treasurer, IPPS Southern Region at scplant@bellsouth.net.

TITLES DUE 15 AUGUST

PAPERS DUE 1 SEEPTEMBER

About: “The Charles Student Research Competition” has been named in honor of Dr. Charles Gilliam, former Professor of Horticulture at Auburn University, and Mr. Charlie Parkerson, originator of the student competition. 

Celebrating Excellence in Research: This competition provides students with a unique opportunity to showcase their research while connecting with some of the most respected nursery and green industry professionals in the Southern United States. The IPPS Southern Region offers four annual awards to recognize outstanding original research focused on horticultural crop production in the southern USA.

Eligibility and Presentation Opportunities: Graduate and undergraduate students from universities, junior colleges, community colleges, and four-year institutions are eligible to participate. Selected students will present their research through oral or poster presentations during the meeting. Previous participants have shared their research on a wide range of horticulture production topics, including macro and micropropagation, rooting hormones, new substrates, herbicide runoff, weed and insect control, flowering, plant nutrition, water relations, and much more.

Important Dates:

• Research paper titles due: August 15
• Full papers due: September 1

Each year, four students will be selected for oral presentations and four for poster presentations, offering them the chance to engage with leading experts and gain valuable feedback on their work.

Awards:

• First place: $1000
• Second place: $500
• Third place: $250
• Fourth place: $200

These awards are designed to recognize and reward the top student paper presenters at the event. It’s a fantastic opportunity for students to not only showcase their research but also to engage with some of the leading growers in the Southeast, expanding their professional network.

Additional Benefits:

• The 4 selected oral presenters and up to 4 selected poster presenters will each receive a $500 travel grant to support their participation.
• The first 7 students (4 oral presenters + 3 poster presenters) will have their student registration fees waived, making it even easier to take part in this exciting event.

We encourage students to take full advantage of this opportunity to present their work, gain valuable feedback, and further their academic and professional growth within the horticultural community.

Click below to submit your title (DUE 15 AUGUST) and paper (DUE 1 SEPTEMBER)

Additional Information: For detailed submission requirements, please refer to the cover letter and guideline document for the Student Research Competition.

APPLICATIONS DUE 1 JUNE

IPPS Exchange Programs offered by the Southern Region North America 

• Eligibility: Open to IPPS-Southern Region members who are 35 or younger or new to the industry.
• Application deadline for all scholarships is June 1.
• See below for application form

European Region Exchange NEXT CYCLE 2026

• PASSPORT NECESSARY
• The selected participant will be awarded a $2,000 scholarship to cover travel expenses and incidentals. 
• Conference costs will be covered by the European Region. 
• The Exchange Representative will attend the European Region Annual Meeting, present a 20-minute talk, and submit a paper for the European Region IPPS proceedings based on their plant production experience.
• The following year, the participant will present another 20-minute talk and submit a paper at the Southern Region Annual Meeting, sharing their experience as the Exchange Delegate.
• Exact travel dates will be established by European Region Host and Scholarship Awardee.

North American Exchange Program ACTIVE IN 2027

• A new exchange scholarship supported by all three North American Regions. 
• The selected participants will attend the Eastern or Western Region meetings. 
• The $1,000 scholarship given to 2 different candidates is be used for travel and hotel expenses. 
• Conference costs will be covered by the hosting region.