On a damp, grey day in mid-April, the Trustees of the Eva Crane Trust gathered in Bath, UK, for their annual face-to-face meeting. While the weather was subdued, the atmosphere among Trustees was anything but, as they faced a packed agenda and the challenging task of reviewing another bumper crop of grant applications.
Each application underwent careful scrutiny using the Trust’s rigorous criteria, including originality, scientific merit, and innovation. As ever, only a select few could be funded. Successful applicants are required to submit regular progress reports and share outcomes through publications, media, or video outputs.
For this round of submissions the Trustees committed over £83,000 to six outstanding scientific projects:
- Dr Jorge Gutierrez-Merino, University of Surrey, UK: Unveiling the Probiotic Bacteria of the Honeybee
- Dr Ivo Roessink, Wageningen Environmental Research, Netherlands: CHESS – Clean Hives Enable Smelling Solutions
- Heleen Van Ransbeeck, Ghent University, Belgium: The Impact of the Yellow-legged Hornet on Colony Development of Honeybees (Apis mellifera) and the Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) via Innovative Monitoring Technology
- Christopher Noroozi, University of Sheffield, UK: Probabilistic Tracking of Bumblebees Across the Landscape Using a Novel Archival Tag
- Dr Oliver Prys-Jones, Independent Researcher, UK: Genetic Origin and Time Course of Colonisation of Iceland by the Heath Bumblebee (Bombus jonellus) After the Last Ice Age
- Dr Irene Constantini, University of Florence, Italy: 3D Investigation of Cytoarchitectural Toxic Effects of Micro- and Nano-plastics on Honeybee Brains – BEEBRAIN
The Trustees take pride in supporting high-quality research that advances global understanding of bees and pollinators. Looking ahead, the next round of grant applications closes on 1 June, with awards capped at a maximum of £5,000. The Trustees note that additional larger grants (up to £30,000) are unlikely to be offered again this year.
For more information on the application process and grant guidelines, please visit Apply for Funding
Retirement of Trustee
Other notable news from the meeting was the retirement of longstanding Trustees Penny Walker. Penny joined the Trust in 2011, bringing with her decades of experience and dedication. Notably, she worked closely with Dr Eva Crane from 1973, playing a significant role in the preparation of Eva’s publications and developing an extensive knowledge of her work.
Penny also took responsibility for maintaining and managing the Bee Boles Register, now a valued feature of the Trust’s website: Bee Boles Register. Her careful stewardship of this resource has helped preserve an important part of beekeeping history.
In recognition of her many years of loyal service, Penny was warmly thanked by the Trust and will continue her association as an Honorary Member. [Picture: Penny Walker with Dirk de Graaf.]
Watch This Space…
Following the meeting, Vice Chairman Prof Dirk de Graaf took the opportunity to interview Chairman Richard Jones about his memories of Dr Eva Crane and the enduring significance of the Trust. This personal and fascinating conversation offers a unique insight into the legacy of Dr Crane and the Trust’s continued mission. The interview will be available soon on our website: About Eva Crane.
