Resolution I. Establishment of the Ted Stiles Memorial Award for Ecological
Research & Conservation. Approved on 4/4/08.
Purpose:
The purpose of this resolution is to establish the Ted Stiles Memorial Award for
Ecological Research & Conservation to be funded annually, at least in part, by Ecology &
Evolution Graduate Student Association. This award is in honor of our beloved friend,
colleague, and mentor, Dr. Ted Stiles, and will benefit the ability of current and future
Ecology & Evolution graduate students to pursue their research interests. The award will
follow the general requirements and will be subject to the same overall acceptance
criteria and selected by the same faculty committee as the Graduate Program in Ecology
& Evolution’s Academic Excellence Fund Awards.
The recipient of the Ted Stiles Memorial Award for Ecological Research &
Conservation will be selected from the pool of approved grant proposals for the Graduate
Program in Ecology & Evolution’s Academic Excellence Fund Awards by the same
faculty committee that approved those proposals, on the basis of their proposed
research’s potential contributions to ecological conservation- whether that be of
biological populations, species interactions, biodiversity, ecosystem functions, open
space, etc. The call for grant proposals will encourage students to specifically include a
compelling case for the potential conservation value of their planned research in their
proposal to be considered for this award.
Ecology & Evolution Graduate Student Association’s annual contribution to the
Graduate Program in Ecology & Evolution’s Academic Excellence Fund will be no less
than $500 and shall not exceed $1000. The exact amount will be determined by the
formula outlined below in the section outlining Fiscal Responsibilities. The Ecology &
Evolution Graduate Student Association, nor any member thereof, shall participate in, or
attempt to influence the selection of the award recipient. Ecology & Evolution Graduate
Student Association involvement in the award is solely limited to being its primary
grantor.
Schedule of Responsibilities:
The Ecology & Evolution Graduate Student Association Officers are responsible
for ensuring that the Graduate Program Director includes the description and purpose of
the Ted Stiles Memorial Award for Ecological Research & Conservation in the Graduate
Program in Ecology & Evolution’s annual call for donations. The Ecology & Evolution
Graduate Student Association Officers will also cooperate with the Graduate Program
Director in guaranteeing that the annual disbursement of funds from the Ecology &
Evolution Graduate Student Association Treasury to the Graduate Program in Ecology &
Evolution’s Academic Excellence Fund is in keeping with the deadlines established by
the Program in Ecology & Evolution’s annual call for donations.
Fiscal Responsibilities:
Ecology & Evolution Graduate Student Association’s annual contribution to the
Graduate Program in Ecology & Evolution’s Academic Excellence Fund will be no less
than $500 and shall not exceed $1000. The Ecology & Evolution Graduate Student
Association Treasurer is charged with accurately assessing the annual donation amount
for the Ted Stiles Memorial Award for Ecological Research & Conservation. The exact
amount shall be determined by the following formula which assesses the Ecology &
Evolution Graduate Student Association’s profits based on its total monetary assets
(checking + savings + any other liquid assets) on for the entire calendar year preceding
March 1 of the award year (i.e., from March 1, 2007 to March 1, 2008):
Ecology & Evolution Graduate Student Association Donation = [(TMA - TMA0)*.67]
(rounded to the nearest dollar)
, where
TMA0 = Total Monetary Assets on March 1 (preceding year)
TMA = Total Monetary Assets on March 1 (award year)
Should this formula result in any amount less than 500, the disbursement will
automatically become $500. Likewise, should this formula yield any amount greater than
1000, the disbursement will automatically be set at $1000.
The Ecology & Evolution Graduate Student Association Treasurer will be
responsible for procuring a receipt of donation annually describing the Ecology &
Evolution Graduate Student Association’s contribution to the Graduate Program in
Ecology & Evolution’s Academic Excellence Fund to track expenditures relative to the
Ted Stiles Memorial Award for Ecological Research & Conservation. Following the
selection of the award recipients for the Graduate Program in Ecology & Evolution’s
Academic Excellence Fund Awards, the Ecology & Evolution Graduate Student
Association Treasurer shall be responsible for noting the actual disbursement amount
awarded in that year to the Ted Stiles Memorial Award for Ecological Research &
Conservation by communicating with the Program Director.
If for any reason, Ecology & Evolution Graduate Student Association’s entire
annual donation is not disbursed from the Graduate Program in Ecology & Evolution’s
Academic Excellence Fund, including a situation in which no proposals meeting the
criteria of the Ted Stiles Memorial Award for Ecological Research & Conservation or in
which an awardee was rewarded a reduced amount, those remaining funds are to be
considered “Rollover” and part of the following year’s donation. The donation formula
will be used as normal to determine Ecology & Evolution Graduate Student Association’s
additional donation for the subsequent year. In “Rollover” years, however, for each
individual “Rollover” year, the amount rolled-over from the preceding year will be
subtracted from the minimum and maximum donation limits of $500 and $1000,
respectively, as follows:
Maximum Donation Limit Rollover year = 1000 – R
Mimimum Donation Limit Rollover year = 500 – R
, where
R = Rollover Amount from preceding year
The Minimum Donation Limit in any rollover year is $0 if the Rollover Amount from the
preceding year is greater than $500. This mechanism ensures that the maximum amount
of Ecology & Evolution Graduate Student Association money held by the Graduate
Program in Ecology & Evolution’s Academic Excellence Award shall never exceed
$1000.
Automatic Repeal Mechanism:
This resolution will automatically be repealed should the Graduate Program in
Ecology & Evolution’s Academic Excellence Award faculty committee fail to select a
Ted Stiles Memorial Award for Ecological Research & Conservation in three consecutive
years. The Ecology & Evolution Graduate Student Association President will then
proceed to secure unused Ecology & Evolution Graduate Student Association donations
from the Graduate Program in Ecology & Evolution’s Academic Excellence Award Fund
by petitioning the Program Director.