Plant Sciences
Botany, also called plant science(s), plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek word βοτάνη (botanē) meaning "pasture", "grass", or "fodder"; βοτάνη is in turn derived from βόσκειν (boskein), "to feed" or "to graze". Traditionally, botany has also included the study of fungi and algae by mycologists and phycologists respectively, with the study of these three groups of organisms remaining within the sphere of interest of the International Botanical Congress. Nowadays, botanists (in the strict sense) study approximately 410,000 species of land plants of which some 391,000 species are vascular plants (including ca 369,000 species of flowering plants), and ca 20,000 are bryophytes.
Botany originated in prehistory as herbalism with the efforts of early humans to identify – and later cultivate – edible, medicinal and poisonous plants, making it one of the oldest branches of science. Medieval physic gardens, often attached to monasteries, contained plants of medical importance. They were forerunners of the first botanical gardens attached to universities, founded from the 1540s onwards. One of the earliest was the Padua botanical garden. These gardens facilitated the academic study of plants. Efforts to catalogue and describe their collections were the beginnings of plant taxonomy, and led in 1753 to the binomial system of Carl Linnaeus that remains in use to this day.
In the 19th and 20th centuries, new techniques were developed for the study of plants, including methods of optical microscopy and live cell imaging, electron microscopy, analysis of chromosome number, plant chemistry and the structure and function of enzymes and other proteins. In the last two decades of the 20th century, botanists exploited the techniques of molecular genetic analysis, including genomics and proteomics and DNA sequences to classify plants more accurately.
Modern botany is a broad, multidisciplinary subject with inputs from most other areas of science and technology. Research topics include the study of plant structure, growth and differentiation, reproduction, biochemistry and primary metabolism, chemical products, development, diseases, evolutionary relationships, systematics, and plant taxonomy. Dominant themes in 21st century plant science are molecular genetics and epigenetics, which are the mechanisms and control of gene expression during differentiation of plant cells and tissues. Botanical research has diverse applications in providing staple foods, materials such as timber, oil, rubber, fibre and drugs, in modern horticulture, agriculture and forestry, plant propagation, breeding and genetic modification, in the synthesis of chemicals and raw materials for construction and energy production, in environmental management, and the maintenance of biodiversity.
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Scholarships for Plant Sciences Majors
Edith Nourse Rogers STEM ScholarshipU.S. Department of Veterans Affairs |
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award Up to $30,000 |
deadline Varies |
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DescriptionThe Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship is available to military veterans and their dependents who are pursuing studies in STEM fields. You must be a recipient of the Post-9/11 GI Bill or Fry Scholarship to be eligible for this award, which acts as an extension to expiring benefits of those programs. View Scholarship Details |
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Bess Heflin FellowshipUniversity of Texas at Austin, Office of Graduate Studies |
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award $19,000 |
deadline Varies |
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DescriptionThe Bess Heflin Fellowship is open to graduate students at the University of Texas at Austin. You must be studying one of the following programs: plant biology or botany, nutrition, ecology, evolution and behavior, economics, zoology, history, microbiology, cell and molecular biology, government, anthropology, sociology, psychology, biological... View Scholarship Details |
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Diversity in Food and Natural Resources ScholarshipUniversity of Minnesota, Twin Cities |
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award Up to $15,000 |
deadline Varies |
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DescriptionThe Diversity in Food and Natural Resources Scholarship is available to students entering the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. You must be enrolled in the College of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resource Sciences. You must also demonstrate a contribution to diversity, high academic achievement, leadership and community involvement to be... View Scholarship Details |
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J. Albert Finkel and Irma Jane Finkel ScholarshipHeritage Fund - the Community Foundation of Bartholomew County |
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award Up to $20,000 |
deadline Varies |
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DescriptionThe J. Albert Finkel and Irma Jane Finkel Scholarship is available to students from Bartholomew County attending Purdue University. You must be enrolled in the School of Agriculture to be eligible for this award. View Scholarship Details |
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Potato LEAF ScholarshipPotato Leadership, Education, and Advancement Foundation (Potato LEAF) |
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award $10,000 |
deadline June 13, 2025 |
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DescriptionThe Potato LEAF Scholarship is available to graduate students who are conducting research for the benefit of the potato industry. Selection is based on academic achievement, leadership abilities, potato-related areas of graduate study, benefit to the U.S. potato industry/commercial value, extracurricular activities, and grades. View Scholarship Details |
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Farmer Lee Jones ScholarshipThe Trotter Project |
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award $10,000 |
deadline May 15, 2025 |
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DescriptionThe Farmer Lee Jones Scholarship is available to students majoring in agriculture. You must have a minimum 2.5 GPA to be eligible for this award. View Scholarship Details |
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Massachusetts Flower Growers Association ScholarshipUniversity of Massachusetts at Amherst - Stockbridge School |
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award Up to $6,000 |
deadline May 15, 2025 |
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DescriptionThe Massachusetts Flower Growers Association Scholarship is available to students enrolled at Stockbridge School. You must be a resident of Massachusetts, be majoring in horticulture and demonstrate academic merit to qualify for this award. View Scholarship Details |
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Debbie Lewis Scholarship for Women in WineUnited Sommeliers Foundation |
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award $5,000 |
deadline June 25, 2025 |
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DescriptionThe Debbie Lewis Scholarship for Women in Wine is open to female students who are pursuing wine education/certification in wine-related fields. Preference is given to students in the following programs, but other programs are also considered: Court of Master Sommeliers Advanced or Masters Candidates, WSET Diploma or Masters Candidate, Undergrad... View Scholarship Details |
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LDEI Impactful Change ScholarshipLes Dames d'Escoffier International (LDEI) |
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award $5,000 |
deadline May 16, 2025 |
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DescriptionThe LDEI Impactful Change Scholarship is available to female full-time students who are pursuing a degree from an accredited educational institution in culinary or pastry arts education, food systems or agriculture/farming, hospitality management, dietetics and/or nutrition or the beverage industries. You must be at least 21 years of age and... View Scholarship Details |
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Dr. Gregory D. Bossart Memorial ScholarshipOne Health Commission |
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award $5,000 |
deadline July 31, 2025 |
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DescriptionThe Dr. Gregory D. Bossart Memorial Scholarship is available to graduate students. You must be majoring in wildlife biology, epidemiology, veterinary, medical, public health, basic or social sciences, or other post - graduate program focusing on the interconnection between people, animals, plants, and their shared environment using a One Health... View Scholarship Details |
Plant Sciences Related Majors
- Pre-Veterinary Studies
- Animal Sciences
- Veterinary/Animal Health Technology/Technician and Veterinary Assistant
- Agricultural Business and Management
- Agriculture
- Equestrian/Equine Studies
- Food Science and Technology
- Horse Husbandry/Equine Science and Management
- Animal Health
- Animal Training
- Veterinary Anatomy
- Agricultural/Animal/Plant/Veterinary Science and Related Fields
- Large Animal/Food Animal and Equine Surgery and Medicine
- Horticultural Science
- Agricultural Communication/Journalism
- Agronomy and Crop Science
- Agricultural Economics
- Agricultural Animal Breeding
- Veterinary Medicine
- Agribusiness/Agricultural Business Operations