Safe Arborist Techniques Fund
Safe Arborist Techniques Fund supports researchers developing arborist techniques, equipment, and hazard identification methods to make climbing, rigging, and other tree work safer.
Funder: Tree Research and Education Endowment Fund
Due Dates: October 15, 2026 (Full submission) | Mid-to-late December 2026 (Award notification)
Funding Amounts: Up to $15,000 per award; projects completed within two years of initial disbursement
Summary: Supports research and development on arborist techniques, equipment, and hazard identification to make tree work safer.
Key Information: Only applicants with an approved Letter of Intent may submit a full application; grants to individuals are excluded.
Description
The Safe Arborist Techniques Fund is a joint program of the Tree Research and Education Endowment Fund (TREE Fund) and the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA). Established in 2015, it supports research and development that creates safer working environments for arborists. Its focus includes techniques and equipment used in climbing, rigging, and working on trees, alongside methods for identifying potential hazards.
The program welcomes qualitative and quantitative research across a wide range of academic and technical disciplines. Past projects have examined biomechanical risks during rigging, load distribution in tree removal, climbing systems and rope diameters, safety standards, and tree-to-powerline clearance requirements. TREE Fund seeks findings that can benefit both scientific and practitioner communities and eventually become freely and widely available.
