C. Lamar Meek Memorial Scholarship

Scholarship Sponsored by Louisiana Mosquito Control Association

These grants are designed to offer initial funding to researchers, including graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and faculty members, for the creation of databases that will facilitate further research. They also aim to foster collaboration and leverage additional research opportunities. Typically, projects are completed within a span of 1-2 years after receiving funding. Special consideration is given to projects that are working towards solutions for mosquito-borne diseases or mosquito control issues in Louisiana. Projects that directly contribute to enhancing the public health environment in Louisiana are particularly favored.

Call for Proposals

Deadline for Proposal Submission: Every year on November 1st.

Grant Amount and Number of Awards: Grants of up to $5,000 are available for graduate students and up to $10,000 for post-doctoral students, faculty researchers, or fellows engaged in mosquito-borne disease and/or mosquito biology/control research. The total number of awards will be determined on an annual basis.

Objective: The primary aim is to support graduate students, post-graduate, and faculty researchers and/or fellows in mosquito-borne disease and/or mosquito biology/control research. These grants can serve as initial funding for researchers to establish databases for advanced research and/or to enable grantees to use data to foster collaboration and secure additional research opportunities.

Projects funded by a single award are typically completed within 1–2 years of receiving funding.

Priority is given to projects that are developing solutions to identified vector-borne disease and/or mosquito control issues in Louisiana. Projects that directly contribute to improving the public health situation and have a direct impact on mosquito control operations in Louisiana are particularly favored.

Who Can Apply: These grants are exclusively for researchers based in Louisiana. Eligible applicants include graduate, post-graduate, and faculty researchers or fellows. Collaborations with government agencies, community-based organizations, and universities are encouraged. Faculty members from both graduate and undergraduate institutions are eligible to apply.

The supporting university or organization must have the necessary accounting mechanisms to manage the funds and provide accountability reports. An authorized signature from the supporting institution, confirming support, is a prerequisite for eligibility.

LMCA encourages applications from less established researchers. Therefore, preference will be given to proposals authored and conducted by graduate or post-doctoral students.

The proposal should include the following components:

Cover Pages. The proposal must include the two Cover Pages provided by LMCA, which should contain: project title, amount requested, an abstract of 150 words or less, and an authorized approval signature from the sponsoring organization or institution.

The Narrative. The proposal narrative should not exceed five (5) typed pages -font size 12 cpi, margins (top, bottom, left, and right) must be one inch, and text in Times New Roman must be double-spaced, and include:

1. Introduction and background.
2. Rationale and approach.
3. Methods, including quality assurance and quality control where appropriate.
4. Expected outcomes and estimated completion date of research for this grant, and an estimated completion date of the entire project if different than the grant completion date.
5. Potential impact of findings and implications for Louisiana.
6. Dissemination of findings.

The Budget. The proposal must include a budget page that is no more than one (1) page in length - font size must be 12 cpi Times New Roman, margins (top, bottom, left, and right) must be one inch.

Note: Any additional documentation sent beyond the aforementioned requirements will not be included with the proposal for evaluation. This includes recommendations, references, other work, etc.

Final Report / Dissemination. Dissemination of findings will include a formal presentation on the research at an LMCA Annual Meeting.

Funding / Budget Requirements

• No part of the award may be used to pay indirect costs to the applicant’s university or affiliated organization.
• Part of the award may be used to pay student salary. However, the student salary must be directly related to the work of the project and specifically delineated in the proposal narrative and budget.
• All grant funds must be expended to support the proposed investigation.
• Reimbursement for travel related to field work is allowed.
• Supplies and equipment purchased shall become the property of the institution or organization.
• No part of the award may be used for travel to professional meetings. However, a provision to include meeting registration and mileage at the appropriate state rate, not to exceed $250, may be included within the proposal to present the project’s final report at the LMCA Annual Meeting.
• Award checks will be issued to the institution or organization sponsoring the applicant’s research.

The budget page should include the total estimated cost of the project, the amount requested from LMCA with specific budget categories for those funds, as well as sources of other funding, if applicable.

A written accountability report will be required for all funded grants to include findings and accounting of expenditures per the budget categories of the grant. Excess funds of over $100.00 are to be returned to the LMCA. Excess funds can be carried over as an extension of the grant period after an extension approval. More time may be allowed, but not more funds for the initial grant research.

Any recipient of a LMCA Operational Research Fund award will not be eligible for an additional award until a final written report has been provided to the LMCA Operational Research Committee. All recipients must agree to give a report on work accomplished at a LMCA Annual Meeting within two (2) years of receiving a research award.