Chapter Cooperative Research Program

Steps for Proposal Development

The purpose of the Chapter Cooperative Research Program is to cooperate with Chapters to fund applied, agronomic, environmental or regulatory research to address problems that have been identified by Chapter members as a significant local issue.

The checklist below was developed to help Chapters identify their research needs and work with university scientists to submit proposals on issues most important to Chapter members.

• Chapter members should list the agronomic, environmental and regulatory problems they face throughout the year.

• There is a tendency to focus on the issues present at the time Chapter members meet to discuss research needs and overlook problems that occur at other times of the year. It is helpful to list the seasons of the year and identify the problems that arise during each season to be sure all potential research needs are identified.

• Determine the number of courses affected by the problem identified and the severity of the problem in your area. For each problem identified, determine the number of courses affected by the problem out of the total number of courses in your area. For example 20 out of 75 affected by the problem. Estimate the severity of the problems identified by using a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being a minor inconvenience some years to 5 being a major problem every year.

• Consult with the Green Section agronomist who serves your area and local turfgrass scientists for their input on problems observed and the extent and severity of the problems.

• Once the agronomic, environmental and regulatory problems have been identified, prioritize the list and reach a consensus on the top two or three problems that need solutions through research. Prioritization can be based on many factors including extent of the problem, severity of the problem, lack of effective solutions to address the problem, etc.

• For each of the top two or three problems that were identified, determine the general type of solution you are seeking.

• The prioritized list of problems should not change greatly from year to year. While new problems will emerge from time to time, if the list changes dramatically each year more thought and analysis is needed to clearly identify and prioritize the top problems facing superintendents.

• Meet with a turfgrass scientist in your area to discuss the top two or three problems that were identified and the general solution to the problems being sought.

• In conjunction with the turf scientist, determine which problem to address through a research proposal submitted to the GCSAA Research Grant Program.

• Please keep in mind there are limitations faced by turfgrass scientists that must be considered. Examples include time, suitable research facilities for the project, expertise in the problem identified for research and professional advancement.

• Golf course superintendents can contribute to several important sections of the proposal including the rationale for the research/description of the problem, benefits of the research to superintendents and treatments. Offer your ideas to the scientist in these areas.

• Well before the deadline for submission, review the proposal and offer input for improvement.