Letters from chapters in support of research proposals

The following guidelines have been developed to help in the preparation of letters from Chapters in support of research proposals:

• All letters are due at GCSAA Headquarters on Wednesday, November 26, 2008.

• A letter must be received for all Chapter Cooperative Research Program proposals.

• A Chapter officer who is a superintendent must write the letter.

• The Research Task Group carefully reviews all letters and the information in the letter plays an important role in making funding decisions.

• If two or more chapters are cooperating to fund a proposal, each letter submitted in support of the proposal should be unique. It is not helpful to the chapter or the committee to receive duplicate copies of the same letter.

• The Research Task Group relies on the integrity of the Chapter officer writing the letter to express their honest opinion of the value of the proposed research to superintendents.

• The letter should indicate the number of golf courses in the area or region impacted by the problem the research is designed to address. As an example, 43 out of a total of 94 golf courses are affected by the problem.

• The letter should indicate the severity of the problem. As an example, the problem is a minor inconvenience some years or the problem is troublesome and needs special attention most years or this is a devastating problem and needs considerable effort to manage every year.

• Describe the benefits superintendents would realize if a solution to the problem is discovered.

• If the Chapter is providing funding for the project, state the total funding to be provided and the amount of funding to be provided each year if the project will last more than one year.

• Letters can be submitted via e-mail to Clark Throssell, Ph.D.,  cthrossell@gcsaa.org  and copied to Noel Hall, nhall@gcsaa.org or mailed via U.S. Postal Service to:
  
  Noel Hall
  GCSAA
  1421 Research Park Dr.
  Lawrence, KS 66049-3859