SNS and NordGen Forest have now selected recipients for their joint scholarship. Twelve applicants will share a total of 100,000 NOK.
The funded projects vary greatly in their purpose. What they have in common is that they all aim to advance forest seed or plant production, regeneration methods and tree breeding in a Nordic setting.
One granted project aims at visiting different organisations in Denmark, working with seed handling, seed orchards, and nurseries, to gain practical insight into the operational management of seeds and seed orchards – specifically of forest broadleaved tree species native to Sweden and Denmark. The applicant sees a growing interest in diversifying the availability of tested forest reproductive material, and wants to increase knowledge about this.
Another applicant will carry out a study focusing on understanding how Phytophthora affects the regeneration of beech and oak in forests impacted by the pathogen. The scholarship funding will cover travel and accommodation costs for fieldwork in Söderåsen National Park in southern Sweden.
Another project aims at supporting a scientific visit to Norway for analyses and idea exchange on fast, non-destructive wood density (WD) assessment in Scots pine. The visit will focus on comparing Resistograph and Microdensitometry for evaluating ring width variation and WD traits. It includes evaluating resistance measurement variations across growth rings and their correlation with WD parameters from Microdensitometry data.
Several applicants have received funding to participate in the NordGen Forest conference in Iceland in September. They will participate and contribute to the conference in various ways.
The projects will be carried out during the year, and we hope to follow up with the scholarship recipients then to learn more about the results!
Here is the full list:
• Study visit to Denmark to meet seed handlers, nurseries, and forest scientists specializing in
broadleaved tree species
• Natural Regeneration of Beech and Oak in Phytophthora-infested Soils
• Participation at the NordGen Forest Conference 2025
• Flowering as a key for the successful development of an efficient and rapid breeding of Betula pendula in Sweden
• Participation at the NordGen Forest Conference 2025: Birch at the heart of reforestation
• PhD project: Sustainable production methods from nursery to forest – effect on fungal communities and plant health
• Advancing Non-Destructive Wood Density Assessment for Sustainable Scots Pine Breeding: A Nordic Collaboration
• Assessing Weevil Damage in Silver Birch: Species Identification and Efficacy of Mechanical Protection
• Cost-efficiency and regeneration success of mechanized tree planting under boreal forest conditions
• Status and prospects for future in silver birch breeding in Sweden
• Travel grant for NordGen Forest Conference 2025
• Participation at the NordGen Forest Conference