The Fred. C. Gloeckner Foundation Research Fund (FCGFRF) | American Floral Endowment (AFE)
The Fred C. Gloeckner Foundation Research Fund (FCGFRF) of the American Floral Endowment (AFE) has announced new projects that will receive funding.
Under a new partnership announced earlier this year, the Fred C. Gloeckner Foundation joined with the AFE as a named fund to continue the mission and legacy of the Fred C. Gloeckner Foundation. Since its inception in 1960, the Fred C. Gloeckner Foundation has contributed more than $7.4 million to support floriculture research initiatives.
The new FCGFRF committee, formed by the foundation board members, will continue this legacy through AFE, awarding grants for research and educational projects in floriculture and related fields at universities, colleges, and federal research institutions in the U.S. Grants are awarded to projects that demonstrate substantial industry importance, strong scientific merit, and significant outreach with results made available to the interested public.
Additionally, the FCGFRF Committee designates projects to receive New York Florists’ Club Grants. Founded in 1887, the New York Florists’ Club served the interests of floriculture through the leadership and dedication of many respected industry and academic individuals. The New York Florists’ Club Grants are a continuing tribute to those who gave so generously of their time and resources to improve and enhance the future of our industry.
This year, the FCGFRF Committee selected the following projects totaling $134,592 to receive funding:
Fred C. Gloeckner Foundation Research Fund Grant Recipients
- North Carolina State University, Dr. Brian Whipker, North Carolina Dept. of Agriculture, Dr. Kristin Hicks, and Consumer Services, University of Kentucky, Dr. W. Garrett Owen. Establishing Comprehensive Floriculture Leaf Tissue Standards. $4,400.
- North Carolina State University, Dr. Brian Whipker and Patrick Veazie. Establishing Automated Diagnostic & Interpretation Tools for Floriculture Leaf Tissue Standards. $2,300.
- Kansas State University, Dr. Kimberly Williams. Overwatering and Nutrient Deficiency in Spring Crops: Making Connections and Defining Parameters for Greenhouse Growers. $15,880.
- Colorado State University, Dr. Chad Miller. Investigating Achimenes Propagation Protocols to Optimize and Increase Commercial Production. $12,000.
- University of California, Berkeley, Dr. Mary Wildermuth and Hang Xue. Reducing Powdery Mildew Disease and its Impact on Plant Photosynthesis. $22,000.
- University of Minnesota Dr. Stan Hokanson and Diana Lopez Arias. Development of DNA Markers Linked to Rose Black Spot Resistance Locus Rdr5: Towards a More Efficient Breeding for Disease. $18,396.
- University of Florida, Dr. Paul Fisher and Dharti Thakulla. Ensuring Water Treatment Technologies Are Compatible with Beneficial Microorganisms. $16,914.
- North Carolina State University, Dr. Brian Jackson. Aging Wood Fiber Substrates to Alleviate Phytotoxicity. $10,100.
- National Floriculture Forum. Supporting Graduate Student Participation. $6,000.
New York Florists’ Club Grants
- Cornell University, Dr. Mark Bridgen. Using In Vitro Techniques to Generate Double-Flowered Impatiens Plants That Are Resistant to Impatiens Downy Mildew. $11,602.
- University of Tennessee, Dr. Kelly Walters. Ethylene Pre-Germination Treatments: A New Technique to Improve Plug Quality and Stress Tolerance. $15,000.
To learn more about the Fred C. Gloeckner Foundation Research Fund of the American Floral Endowment, visit endowment.org/gloeckner. Applications for 2025 FCGFRF funding are due on April 1, 2025.
