FAIRFAX, Va. — The National Pest Management Association’s (NPMA) charitable organization, the Pest Management Foundation, issued a solicitation for grant proposals related to the management of structural pests and pests in urban and suburban environments.  
 
Any submission deemed worthwhile by the Foundation will be eligible for a grant of up to $35,000.Eligible entities include, but are not limited to institutions of higher learning, non-profit organizations, for-profit businesses, and individuals. 
 
While the solicitation lists specific project ideas, the Foundation is interested in any proposal that pertains to the management of pests in structures and urban and suburban environments.  The Foundation recently funded research published by Cornell University, University of Kentucky, and Spokane Falls Community College researchers on the effectiveness of yellowjacket trapping, the efficacy of residential mosquito control, and various methods of controlling the black widow and hobo spiders. The Foundation also supported the World Health Organization’s recently published research on the public health significance on public health pests, and is funding ongoing research on the efficacy of canines as bedbug detectors, the significance of an emerging invasive ant species in the Southeastern U.S., the odorous house ant, and cobweb management as a strategy to control urban spiders.
 
“Our main intent is to generate the submission of numerous different proposals,” said NPMA Technical Services Director Jim Fredericks.  “We recognize that there are countless valuable research ideas and issuing anything too prescriptive could preclude many worthy proposals.  We look forward to carefully reviewing any and all proposals.”
 
The deadline for submissions is Friday, February 17, 2012 and the target for identifying a worthwhile applicant is by the end of April. The solicitation is available at www.npmapestworld.org/support/foundation.cfm.  Questions and proposals should be directed to Jim Fredericks at jfredericks@pestworld.org or (703) 352-6762.