New horticultural award offered

Press, 11 July 1980, Page 16

New horticultural award offered

A $3OOO travel award in horticulture will be made every two years by the McKee Trust, of Nelson. The award, offered for the first time this year, was announced recently by the trust secretary and Public Trustee, Nelson, Mr 11. D. Kirton.

The grant will provide an opportunity for a New Zealand resident employed in some field of horticultural advisory service, horticultural science or horticultural production, processing or marketing, to undertake study or investigation which will contribute to the advancement and benefit of horticulture in New Zealand. The study may be done in New Zealand or overseas.

Applicants must - have sufficient study and experience to justify an expectation that they will make a worthwhile contribution to the industry. Applications are to be made to the Secretary, McKee Trust, P.O. Box 441, Nelson, before August 1..

Applicants should state explicitly the nature of their projects, what horticultural fields are expected to benefit and how

the knowledge gained would be made available to individuals and organisations in those fields. The McKee Trust already funds several post - graduate scholarships — three in geology worth S9OO to $lOOO each annually, and two in horticulture worth $750 — one each at Massey University and Lincoln College. An annual grant of $l2OO is also offered annually to a university lecturer in geology for a tour of Australian mining centres. The selection panel for the horticultural travel award will be: chairman, Mr P. K. McCliskie, chairman of the Horticultural Export Development Committee; Mr F. R. McKee, trustee; Dr Maxwell Gage, retired professor of geology; and a specialist to be co-opted as required. The successful applicant must begin his or-her project within nine months from the announcement of the award, return to New Zealand within a year of departure if the study is overseas, reside in New Zealand after completion of the project, and submit to the trust within three months of completion of the project a full report.