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Oak Spring Garden Foundation

Annual Giving
$0.2M
Grant Range
$1K - $0.0M
Decision Time
2mo

Oak Spring Garden Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $209,012 (2024)
  • Total Assets: ~$295 million
  • Decision Time: 1-2 months after application deadline
  • Grant Range: $800 - $10,000 per award
  • Geographic Focus: International (no geographic restrictions)
  • Application Deadline: May 31 annually (opens February 14)

Contact Details

Address: 1776 Loughborough Lane, Upperville, VA 20184

Website: www.osgf.org

Email: programs@osgf.org (for residency and fellowship inquiries)

Application Portal: osgf.submittable.com/submit

Overview

The Oak Spring Garden Foundation (OSGF) was established in 2014 to honor the horticultural legacy of Rachel "Bunny" Lambert Mellon and opened to researchers and scholars in 2016. With assets of approximately $295 million, the foundation operates on a 1,776-acre estate in Upperville, Virginia, preserving Mellon's residence, gardens, and the renowned Oak Spring Garden Library. OSGF's mission is to inspire and facilitate scholarship and public dialogue on the history and future of plants, including the art and culture of plants, gardens, and landscapes. The foundation emphasizes three core values: Theory + Practice (combining scholarly research with hands-on application), Underrepresented Voices (promoting diverse perspectives), and Interdisciplinarity (integrating sciences, humanities, and social sciences). Since 2018, OSGF has expanded its fellowship programs and in 2024 launched the Oak Spring Plant Science and Plant Conservation Sabbatical Awards to further support emerging leaders in plant-related fields.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Fellowships ($10,000 each, awarded annually):

  • Eliza Moore Fellowship for Artistic Excellence - Supporting artists whose work focuses on plants and landscapes (application: February 14 - May 31)
  • Fellowship in Plant Science Research - For advanced graduate students, post-docs, and beginning faculty in organismal plant biology (application: February 14 - May 31)
  • Stacy Lloyd III Fellowship for Bibliographic Study - For early-career scholars researching the history, art, and culture of plants, gardens, and landscapes (application: February 14 - May 31)
  • Fellowship in Plant Conservation Biology - For outstanding early-career practitioners working on plant and landscape conservation (application: February 14 - May 31)

Sabbatical Awards ($10,000 each, three awarded annually):

  • Oak Spring Plant Science and Plant Conservation Sabbatical Awards - For advanced graduate students, post-docs, faculty, or established scientists; includes 2-3 month residency on the estate (application deadline: July 15)

Residency Programs:

  • Interdisciplinary Residency - $2,000 for 5-week residency or $800 for 2-week residency; awarded annually to approximately 40 individuals at various career stages
  • Botanical Artist Residency - $1,000 for 1-4 week residency during spring bloom season
  • Perennial Residency - For returning residents building on previous work

All applications are submitted through a single portal at osgf.submittable.com on a fixed annual deadline (rolling basis not available).

Priority Areas

OSGF supports work related to:

  • Plant science research and organismal plant biology
  • Plant conservation and biodiversity
  • Botanical art and artistic exploration of plants and landscapes
  • Bibliographic and historical research on plants, gardens, and landscapes
  • Interdisciplinary approaches connecting plants to culture, history, and human well-being
  • Leadership development in environmental and horticultural fields
  • Underrepresented voices and diverse perspectives in plant-related disciplines

What They Don't Fund

The foundation explicitly states they do not accept unsolicited requests for funds outside of their structured fellowship and residency programs. OSGF is an operating foundation focused on individual awards rather than institutional grants.

Governance and Leadership

President

Sir Peter Crane - Renowned botanical researcher and evolutionary plant scientist who previously served as Director of the Field Museum in Chicago, Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (UK), and Dean of Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. His work focuses on plant diversity, fossil history, conservation, and use.

Board of Directors

W. Taylor Reveley III (Chairman) - Former 27th president of William & Mary College and dean of William & Mary Law School; JD from University of Virginia; clerked for Supreme Court Justice William J. Brennan Jr.; serves on boards of Princeton University, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Lewis W. Bernard - Former Chief Administrative and Financial Officer of Morgan Stanley & Co.; founding Vice Chairman of Central Park Conservancy Board; founder and chairman of Classroom Inc.; Chairman of American Museum of Natural History; former Chair of Finance and Investment Committee at Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Dorothy Robinson - Former Yale University Vice President and General Counsel (retired 2016); led Yale's in-house legal team for three decades; board member of Swarthmore College.

Rebecca E. Duseau - Co-founder of Adamas Partners, LLC (hedge fund manager) with 25+ years investment experience; MBA from Amos Tuck Graduate School; BA from Tufts University.

Julia A. Reidhead - Chairman and President of W.W. Norton & Company (first woman to lead the firm); former Vice Principal Editor of Norton Anthologies for 30+ years; Chair of Association of American Publishers; board member of National Book Foundation.

Lisa W. Hess - Former Chief Investment Officer of Loews Corporation with 40+ years finance experience; Harvard University graduate; MBA from University of Chicago; board member of TIAA and TIAA Bank.

Marcia Marsh - Former Chief Operating Officer of World Wildlife Fund (WWF-US); former Price Waterhouse tax partner and VP for Government Transformation at Partnership for Public Service.

Michael Donoghue - Evolutionary biologist; Sterling Professor Emeritus at Yale University; former Director of Peabody Museum of Natural History and Yale's Marsh Botanical Garden; published 300+ scientific papers; mentored 50+ graduate students and postdoctoral associates.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Application Portal: All applications are submitted through osgf.submittable.com/submit

Application Requirements:

  • Resume/curriculum vitae (not to exceed two pages)
  • 200-300 word statement describing current body of work, creative projects, scholarship, or research
  • 200-300 word statement explaining how the work relates to OSGF's mission
  • Work samples (specific requirements vary by program)
  • For international applicants: translations of work samples if not in English

Single Application: There is one application for all Residency and Fellowship programs; applicants select which program(s) they wish to be considered for. No application fee is required.

Application Periods:

  • Fellowships and most residencies: February 14 - May 31 (11:59pm EST)
  • Sabbatical Awards: Opens in spring, closes July 15

Decision Timeline

Review Process: Applications undergo a multi-round review by OSGF staff, residency and fellowship alumni, and external selection committees comprising alumni, practitioners, and administrators working in relevant fields.

Notification: Applicants are typically notified 1-2 months after the application deadline. For example:

  • Sabbatical Awards (July 15 deadline): Notifications sent September 13
  • Short courses and other programs: Approximately 1 month after deadline

Fellows Announcement: Annual fellows are publicly announced in early January for programs beginning later that year.

Success Rates

The foundation does not publicly disclose overall acceptance rates or total number of applications received. However, known selection numbers include:

  • Fellowships: Each of the four fellowship categories typically awards 1-2 fellows annually (in 2024, OSGF doubled the number of fellows per discipline)
  • Interdisciplinary Residency: Approximately 40 individuals selected annually
  • Sabbatical Awards: Three awards made annually

Given the prestigious nature of the fellowships ($10,000 awards) and the rigorous multi-round review process, these are highly competitive opportunities.

Reapplication Policy

The foundation does not publicly state explicit policies on reapplication for unsuccessful applicants. The FAQ notes that residents cannot defer their awards, but does not address whether unsuccessful applicants may reapply in subsequent years. For clarification, contact programs@osgf.org.

International Applicants

  • Eligibility: Open to international applicants with no geographic restrictions
  • Language: English fluency required; OSGF does not provide translators or interpreters
  • Visa: Selected international residents are responsible for procuring their own visas
  • Non-discrimination: OSGF supports individuals regardless of race, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, religion, marital status, creed, abilities/disabilities, or socio-economic status

Application Success Factors

Selection Criteria

Applications are scored based on three primary categories:

  1. Quality of work samples - Demonstrated excellence in current practice or research
  2. Potential of applicant - Capacity to develop work in new and meaningful ways
  3. Connection to OSGF's mission - Clear relationship between applicant's work and the foundation's focus on plants, gardens, landscapes, and the natural world

What Makes a Strong Candidate

According to OSGF, strong candidates are "individuals who convey a unique lens or line of research to better understand plants, gardens, landscapes, and/or the role that plants play in the environment and humankind's relationship to the natural world."

The foundation specifically looks for applicants who:

  • Demonstrate a current interest in plants, landscapes, and gardens, or more broadly, the natural world and humankind's place in it
  • Convey a unique relationship with, or perspective on, the natural world
  • Are "practitioners who are serious about developing their work in new and meaningful ways"
  • Can articulate how their work aligns with OSGF's three core values: Theory + Practice, Underrepresented Voices, and Interdisciplinarity

For the Plant Conservation Biology Fellowship specifically, successful applicants must also "indicate a clear and timely need for the Fellowship."

Examples of Recent Fellows (2025)

Stacy Lloyd III Fellowship for Bibliographic Study:

  • Marlis Hinckley (PhD candidate, History of Science, Johns Hopkins University) - Research on gardens in early Spanish Empire

Fellowship in Plant Science Research:

  • Samantha Rosa (PhD candidate, Biological Sciences and Ecology, University of Maryland) - Community-driven plant biology and conservation; background as classroom teacher
  • Cade N. Kane (Plant physiologist, PhD from Purdue University) - Water dynamics of woody plant buds using time-lapse imaging

Fellowship in Plant Conservation Biology:

  • Kinsey Reed (PhD candidate, Plant & Soil Science, West Virginia University) - Grassland plant diversity and interaction with livestock grazing on soil health in Appalachia

These examples demonstrate the foundation's interest in early-career researchers who combine scientific rigor with practical applications and show connection to real-world conservation or educational challenges.

Foundation's Approach to Diversity

OSGF explicitly honors Rachel "Bunny" Mellon's influence during an era when women held marginalized positions. The foundation actively promotes "Underrepresented Voices" as one of its three core values, seeking diverse perspectives and inclusion in all programs.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Mission Alignment is Critical: Articulate a clear, specific connection between your work and OSGF's mission regarding plants, gardens, landscapes, and human relationship with the natural world. Generic environmental statements won't suffice.

  • Demonstrate Unique Perspective: The foundation values applicants who bring a distinctive lens or approach. Highlight what makes your perspective on plants/landscapes different or underrepresented.

  • Show Interdisciplinary Thinking: OSGF explicitly values work that bridges sciences, humanities, and social sciences. If your work integrates multiple disciplines, emphasize this connection.

  • Theory + Practice Matters: Demonstrate how your work combines scholarly research with hands-on application or real-world impact, mirroring Bunny Mellon's engagement with both library and garden.

  • Early-Career Focus for Fellowships: Fellowships target early-career practitioners specifically. Residencies are open to all career stages, offering options for more established practitioners.

  • Work Sample Quality is Paramount: With quality of work samples as one of three scoring criteria, invest time in selecting and presenting your strongest, most relevant work.

  • Be Concise and Specific: With word limits of 200-300 words for statements, every word counts. Be precise about current work and connection to mission rather than general or aspirational.

  • International Applicants Welcome: Geographic diversity is embraced, but ensure English fluency and be prepared to handle visa requirements independently.

References

Information accessed December 2025

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