Spring Newsletter 2020

06/25/2020

Don't miss out on new opportunaties and updates even during the summer! Make sure to check out our Spring Newsletter here. Sign up to see the newsletter in your inbox here.


Summer Funding Opportunity

06/22/2020

Recent events revealing undeniable racial disparities in police violence and COVID-19 fatality and the movements rising up to combat such injustices highlight the importance of considering the intersections of group identities in thinking about what social and environmental sustainability means. Conversations on racial disparities in health, the environment, and the justice system are critical and long overdue, and we must ensure that these conversations continue within the University of Washington community long after initial news cycles subside. The Campus Sustainability Fund and the UW Resilience Lab are calling for proposals of up to $3,000 for projects that will educate the UW community and spark dialogue about proposed solutions to environmental and societal problems that have a disproportionately negative impact on communities of color, and in particular on Black and Indigenous peoples.

Example projects could include anything from a documentary and group discussion to the creation of online resources or a public art installation. We are especially interested in proposals that address themes of police reform and accountability, environmental (in)justice, and health disparities that result from systemic and institutional racism. The 17 U.N. Sustainable Development Goals may serve as an inspiration for thinking about different aspects of intersectional sustainability that could be addressed. We prefer proposals for solutions that can be implemented at the University of Washington or in the greater Seattle area.

Application Link

Eligibility, funding, and reporting:

The application period will open on July 8, 2020, and will stay open while funding remains. All University of Washington students, staff, and faculty are eligible to apply; however, preference will be given to teams including students. Award amounts will range up to $3,000. Projects will be funded on a rolling basis. We will aim to inform applicants of their project’s status within two weeks of receiving the application. 

A brief final report must be submitted within 60 days of the project’s conclusion that:

  1. Lists supported activities
  2. Evaluates results and what was learned from the project
  3. Describes any recommendations for improvement of the project in the future
  4. Describes next steps and the potential for sustainability of the project, if applicable
  5. Accounts for project funds

Selection process:

Applications will be reviewed by committee members appointed by the UW Resilience Lab and Campus Sustainability Fund (CSF) and ultimately approved by the CSF. Proposals will be judged on:

  1. Clear and direct alignment with the UW Resilience Lab & CSF's goals of addressing racial and environmental injustices
  2. Feasibility of completing the project during Summer Quarter or early in Fall Quarter
  3. Impact on the UW community

Funding guidelines:

CSF will not fund time and labor expended by UW faculty working on CSF projects except that outside the scope of regular faculty duties. While CSF supports celebratory and recognition events, the CSF will not specifically fund food, drinks, or salable merchandise as part of project budgets. Line item requests for travel funding are not encouraged but will be considered on a case by case basis. CSF funds shall not be used for research projects unless such projects include an actionable component (e.g., recommendations that can be implemented).

Bonus points will be awarded for:

  1. Applications that include a letter of support from an appropriate administrator or other unit lead (e.g., person holding chair, dean, or VP-level roles) or letter from a faculty or staff adviser for student-led applications
  2. Projects that articulate roles for students during the genesis & implementation process
  3. Projects that prioritize considerations of accessibility including, but not limited to, (dis)ability, first language, and access to stable internet connections
  4. Projects that directly support the University of Washington’s commitments to race and equity, innovation, population health, and the UW's progress toward the UN Sustainable Development Goals

Information required:

General information
*Required

Project title*
Name of primary application contact*
Preferred email for primary application contact*
Title of primary application contact (e.g., undergraduate student, Assistant Professor, Program Coordinator)
Affiliation (department, unit, RSO, etc.)

Proposed project description

Please briefly describe your proposed project, including clearly delineated goals or aims. (500 words or fewer)*
Please briefly provide any background describing the theoretic and/or empirical justification for your proposed project. (Optional; 250 words or fewer)
Please describe how you will evaluate whether or not your project met its intended goals and created impact in the UW and/or greater Seattle community. (500 words or fewer)*

Budget

Award amount requested*
Please provide a detailed, line-item budget proposal of how the funds will be used. For each item, please start a new line in the format: Line number) Dollar amount requested; Expense title, Details. For example: 1) $250; Honorarium; Compensation for guest speaker.*
Please include a description of matching funds and/or any additional funds to support your project, if applicable. (Optional)

Other information

If you have a letter of support from an appropriate unit lead (e.g. person holding chair, dean, or VP-level roles) or a letter from a faculty or staff adviser/mentor (for student-led application), please upload it here as a PDF. (Optional)
Anything else we should know? (Optional)


Sustainability Stories: Investing in Intersectional Sustainability with the CSF

06/16/2020

Join us on June 18th, this Thursday from 12-1pm, in discussion on sustainability at the UW and the vision and plan to build intersectional and equitable climate justice.

The Campus Sustainability Fund is a student-run and student-funded grant program that works to support and facilitate intersectional sustainability projects on the UW campus.Our history is one that incorporates student leadership and movement. The original idea for a student led, student funded Green Fund came from a group of students in the fall of 2009. A grassroots campaign was waged across the campus collecting over 5,000 petition signatures, 100 RSO endorsements, support of faculty and student senate, and incredible institutional support. Due to this unprecedented level of student support, a $339,000 fund was established through the Student Activities Fee (SAF) for the 2010-2011 school year. In the 2018-2019 school year, we also began our partnership with the Student Technologies Fee (STF). In a given year, the CSF grant has $400,000 available in allocations. Since the 2010-2011 school year, the CSF has allocated 3 million dollars in projects, 183 projects granted, and 40 projects currently active. Through our work, we aim to cultivate students’ professional skills through project development and delivery. 

In the recent years, the CSF staff and committee has made the conscious and intentional decision to lead the CSF towards intersectional sustainability. We have committed to supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development goals and encourage project teams to align with these diverse goals in their projects. As an organization, we acknowledge that racial equity is in the forefront of sustainability and see that environmental racism is a topic many sustainability movements have failed to address and include. As a part of the evolution of the CSF, we are committed to having discussions and actions on environmental racism, racial, economic, gendered and political exclusion. We aim to work on  empowerment and equitible support for students identified as non-able bodied,  queer, stuggling with mental health,  socialy and racially distadvaatged. The CSF team particularly recognizes the disproportionate ways in which climate change affects Black communities and excludes them from being a part of sustainability efforts.  To provide more equitable support to the Black students, faculty, and staff at the University of Washington, a summer grant option will be available for students to use in order support with further equity and inclusion work. 

We are partnering with the UW Resilience Lab to issue a call for proposals soliciting projects that will educate the UW community and spark dialogue about proposed solutions to environmental and societal problems that have a disproportionately negative impact on Black and Indigenous communities. In particular, we are interested in proposals that touch on themes of police reform and accountability and environmental (in)justice (and its relation to COVID-19 vulnerability) and on solutions that can be implemented on the campus or city level.

Watch the recorded Zoom video here :  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHHll9zz8tE


CSF Virtual Office Hours

05/01/2020

The Campus Sustainability Fund now has open virtual office hours. Through these difficult times, we aim to continue to build our community and provide support for each other. The CSF offers flexible one-on-one meetings via zoom, and open ‘drop-in’ times throughout the week.  We are here to act as a resource in order to help you with your goals, ideas, and plans.

Zoom link for Monday 2:30-3:30 pm 
Zoom link for Thursday 11-12pm 

 

 


One planet, all voices; UW's 50th Earth Day Celebration

04/20/2020

The UW's 2020 Earth Day celebration has a focus on diversity, equity and inclusion. A student coalition including students affiliated with the Ethnic Cultural Center, Sustainability Credit Coalition, Campus Sustainability Fund, School of Social Work, and Program on the Environment created a grassroots digital campaign to to connect and learn from each other.

To participate, submit digital artifacts in response to the prompt “How do you engage with the Earth?” to sustainability@uw.edu or tag UW Sustainability on social media. You can submit photos, poems, links to articles, short videos, art pieces - the limit is your imagination! The idea is to connect and add to social media movements that center equity and communities of color in environmentalism. Our goal through this campaign is to highlight the work of communities of color and indigenous communities in environmentalism, and create more of an intersectional space for BIPOC students and people.

Visit the UW Sustainability page to find a list of events and other projects to encourage participation from an intersectional perspective.

#OnePlanetAllVoices

 


2020 Resilience and Compassion Seed Grants

04/15/2020

Announcing The 3nd Annual 

Resilience and Compassion Initiative Seed Grants!

For the second consecutive year in partnership with the Campus Sustainability Fund, the UW Resilience Lab awards seed grants to support resilience and compassion building initiatives that foster connection and community. These small grants support impactful activities, programs, projects, and/or applied research that align with the goals of UW Resilience and Compassion Initiatives:

  • To cultivate kindness, compassion, and gratitude toward each other and ourselves.
  • To engage hardships, setbacks and failures with compassion and vulnerability, and as rich opportunities for learning and growth.
  • To foster connectedness, belonging and community.
  • To illuminate the connections between group or personal identities (cultural, racial, ethnic, gender, etc.) and the sustainability of the UW community and environment.

We acknowledge that COVID-19 has fundamentally altered our ability to interact with our friends, family and UW community. The emotional, physical and financial implications of the pandemic have touched each and every one of us in our community. In these difficult times with an uncertain future we invite you to join us in thinking creatively of how we as a community can create innovative approaches to foster resilience, sustainability and compassion for our Husky Community. The Seed Grant application is open April 15th - May 18th. Details about the grant process can be found at the following link: 2020 Seed Grant Application

 

 


CSF Winter Newsletter 2020

02/26/2020

Don't miss out on new opportunaties and updates! Sign up to see the newsletter in your inbox here and check out our Winter Newsletter here


Call for Engineering Volunteers for Precious Plastics

02/26/2020

Precious Plastics (PP) is building a small-scale DIY plastics recycling workshop in the Maple Hall Area 01 Maker Space. The workspace will consist of four machines that shred, melt, compress, and mold used plastic, so it can be transformed into 3D printing filament for creating usable products. We are on the look for experienced students with some engineering background to help continue to run this project! Watch a short video on PP here.
If you are interested, please reach out to CSF Outreach Coordinator, Fotima Ibrokhim at uwcsf@uw.edu 


Funding Cycle 3 is now open for submissions!

02/12/2020

The Funding Cycle 3 (FC3) is now open for submissions!
The Letter on Intent (LOI) window is now open until March 1st. Full proposal is due on April 15th.

Apply here.


Student Sustainability Forum

12/27/2019

The Sustainability Curriculum Coalition (SCC) and the CSF, with support from UW Sustainability, invite you to join the Student Sustainability Forum on January 27th in the Intellectual House from 6-8pm.

This is an opportunity for students to provide input for the comprehensive Sustainability Plan that will be published Earth Day 2020. The plan provides a critical opportunity to push the University’s commitment to sustainable practices further than ever before by setting goals for the next five years. It will incorporate action items that highlight academics, engagement, planning, and operations (transportation, water, energy, etc).

In order for the plan to be successful and meaningful, student input is vital! Please join us to partake in discussion and deliberation to create a list of demands & actions you wish to see in UW’s upcoming Sustainability Plan.

Come by for a night of collaboration, fun and food. Your voice is important in building a sustainable future at UW campus and beyond. RSVP here.

If you are interested in volunteering, please contact CSF outreach coordinator Fotima Ibrokhim at uwcsf@uw.edu .


Fall Newsletter

12/17/2019

Don't miss out on new opportunaties and updates! Sign up to see the newsletter in your inbox here and check out our Fall Newsletter here


Funding Cycle 3 will begin February 1st in support of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

12/17/2019

The CSF supports the UN Sustainable Development Goals and encourages project teams to align with these diverse goals. Our upcoming Funding Cycle 3 Letter of Intent (LOI) application window is open between February 1st and March 1st. 

For more information on our Funding Cycle process, criteria, and past funded projects, visit our website "How to apply." If you have any questions or would like to talk more about developing your idea, reach out to csfproj@uw.edu

The CSF has 3 Funding Cycles during the academic year — there will be another opportunity to apply next quarter. See more information on our yearly deadlines here


Fall event: Celebrating Diversity in Sustainable Food Systems

Celebrating Diversity in Sustainable Food Systems
09/18/2019

In partnership with the Student Food Cooperative (SFC) and many other student groups, the CSF is excited to announce our Fall event: "Celebrating Diversity in Sustainable Food Systems." Both the SFC and the CSF are committed to working toward intersectional sustainability here on campus, which will be reflected in this event. This is intended to be a welcoming and empowering space where diversity is valued and represented through many different cuisines with food sourced from local farms. 

Join us Friday, October 11th from 4-7pm at the HUB lawn for great food, music, and opportunities to engage with us! This is a celebration of inclusivity within sustainability at the University of Washington.

If you and or your organization would like to get involved, contact the CSF Outreach Coordinator Fotima Ibrokhim here and sign up here to volunteer on the day of the event! 

RSVP on Facebook

For more on the term "Intersectionality" see this article featuring Kimberlé Crenshaw by the Columbia Law School. For more on the link between social justice and sustainability, check out this great podcast here.


Summer Newsletter

08/12/2019

Don't miss out on new opportunaties and updates even during the summer! Make sure to check out our Summer Newsletter here.  Sign up to see the newsletter in your inbox here.


CSF Awards $486,394 to 47 projects in 2018-2019

07/25/2019

The Campus Sustainability Fund has completed its allocations for the 2018-2019 academic year. The CSF received 80 proposals for Projects, Mini-grants, and Seed Grants. The total request at the Letter of Intent phase was nearly $800,000. The CSF awarded a total of $486,394 to 47 total projects: 13 projects larger than $1000, 18 Mini-grants, and 15 Seed Grants. Student Technology Fee (STF) funding awarded to the CSF helped partially or fully fund 5 projects, totalling $200,000. This is the largest number of projects the CSF has funded yet. Since 2010, the CSF has awarded more than $3 million to 183 projects.

The upcoming Fall Funding Cycle ’s Letter of Intent is due September 1st. For more information, visit deadlines page.

Below is the list of 2018-19 projects:

Funding Cycle 3: Funded June 2019 

3D Bin Displays: $2,412

Kinetic Light-up Crosswalks: Phase 1: $28,100

Ethnoforestry: Applying and integrating a new model of ecosystem sustainability on campus:$48,694

Native Gardens at UW Farm: $14,405

Presence: $3,039

Reusable Containers in Dining Hall: $40,000 (STF)

Grounds Electric Bikes: TBD, ($107, 584 tentatively) (Partial STF)

Grounds Compost Budget Amendment: (Grinder Funding): $3,811

Funding Cycle 2:Funded March 2019 

Africa Now 2019 Conference: $13,200

Vocal Theater Works Principle: Hydrogen Jukebox:  $6,000

Funding Cycle 1: Funded December 2018

Life Sciences Building Rooftop Solar Array- Supplementary: $100,000 (STF)

University of Washington Precious Plastics: $20,796 (Partial STF) 

Electric Mailbike Budget Amendment (Repair Lift Funding): $3,100

Mini-grants: 

Rebound: The Bounce Back Used Notebooks Deserve: $405

Black Student Union Legacy Soiree: $1,000

TEDxUofW: $1,000

Creating a Sustainable Night Market: $1,000

Double DIP Conference: $1,000

2019 Global Leadership Summit: $840

A Green New Deal: Panel Discussion: $750

Creating a Sustainable Night Market: $1,000

Eat Local Seattle Food Fair: $1,000

Habitat Snags Outreach: Increasing the Urban Forest Health on Campus: $1,000

Healthy building certification for the UW Tower – education and demonstration :$999

Khmer New Years Show 2019: $560

Native Greenroof Sculpture: $775

Pac-12 Sustainability Conference Student Registration Funding: $490

Steam Condensate Reclamation - Feasibility Study: $400

Taiko Kai Spring Concert: $500

Resilience Seed Grants: Funded June 2019

Diversity Include Disability: $2,390

QTPOC Healing in the Outdoors: $2,000

Capillaries: The Journal of Narrative Medicine: $750

Many Voices: A Storytelling Toolkit for Community-based Oral History Projects: $1,675

Mapping for the Wellbeing of UW: $750 

Resilience and Urban Sustainability in Public Writing Partnerships: $3,000

Neah Bay Telling Our Stories: Imagining Our Futures: $3,000

RepairCycle: $3,000

A Retreat to Build Faculty Capacity for Mindful Leadership: $2,999

Women in Applied Mathematics Mentorship Program: $1,400

Indigenizing Urban Seattle Podcast: $861

Resilience and Compassion @ Odegaard Pop-Up Events: $700

Healing spaces heat map: $750

eBook of the stories and experiences of students of color at UW: $1,450

Trauma informed mindfulness training: $1,100

Self-compassion workshop pilot for first year students who are also parents: $1,500


Spring Newsletter

05/14/2019

Stay in the loop by checking out our spring newsletter! Get updates on projects and also learn more about the students behind the CSF. Sign up to see the newsletter in your inbox here.


CSF Committee Graduate Student Position Open

05/07/2019

The CSF is currently seeking applicants for a spring quarter 2018-2019, and 2019-2020 ASUW Committee representative. This is an exciting opportunity for students to get involved in the decision-making process of CSF grants along with gaining skills in leadership, budgeting and understanding of grant-making. We hope to see you apply and continue your impact on sustainability efforts on campus!

All undergraduate students are encouraged to apply! Application closes on April 17th, 2019 at 11:59 PM. E-mail Kyle McDermott @ csfcoord@uw.edu with any questions. 

Apply here!


CSF Awards over $144,000 to 9 projects in first 2 Funding Cycles of 2018-2019!

04/17/2019

In 2018-2019, the CSF has received 30 project applications and over $600,000 in funding requests. In our first 2 funding cycles, we awarded $139,996 to 4 large projects and $4,405 to 5 mini-grants. At the moment, the CSF committee is in the process of reviewing 10 applications from Funding Cycle 3 and we will soon finalize the total of funds granted for the 2018-2019 school year!

Here is some more information on the projects funded during Funding Cycle 1 and 2 this year:

 

Funding Cycle 1: Funded December 2018

(2 projects totaling $120,796)

_____

Life Sciences Building Rooftop Solar Array- Supplementary  

Awarded amount: $100,000

UW- solar is collaborating with Perkins+Will and UW-Biology to install a 100 kW solar array on the roof of the new Life Sciences Building.  With the help of solar array and its generation of 105,00 kWh of energy per year, the LSB will reduce its’ carbon footprint by nearly 80 metric tons of CO2e each year. The funding was made possible through a partnership with UW’s Student Technology Fee (STF).

University of Washington Precious Plastics

Awarded amount: $20,796

Precious Plastics is creating a closed-loop upcycling system here on campus. The team is working on creating an on-campus workspace in Area 01 located in Maple Hall, where they will provide machines that create material for usable products, such as 3-D printing filaments from used plastic. The project will also will provide raw material to arts and science students for 3D printing, construction projects, and as a sculptural medium along with an opportunity for research in the fields of material and mechanical engineering, waste management policy, sustainability, industrial design, communications, and business development.

 

Funding Cycle 2: Funded March 2019

(2 projects totalling $19,200)

_____

Africa Now 2019 Conference

Awarded amount: $13,200

Africa Now’s  second annual conference will bring awareness to current issues from the content, inspire Black students and professionals to join the movement of sustainable, afrocentric, African development. The conference will provide the insights, knowledge, and resources necessary to envision sustainable ways to improve their communities in Seattle, in Africa, and across the Diaspora.

Vocal Theater Works Principle: Hydrogen Jukebox

Awarded amount:  $6,000

School of Music students will be performing Philip Glass’s modern opera Hydrogen Jukebox on April  26-27 2019. The Musical Theatre piece features a setting of Allen Ginsberg’s poetry, and presents issues of social and environmental justice and sustainability along with themes of environmental degradation, social injustice, and negative impacts of war.

Mini Grants: (FC1 & FC2)

Rebound: The Bounce Back Used Notebooks Deserve:

Awarded Amount : $405

Campus Rotaract Club’s innovative alternative to waste is to collect used notebooks at the end of each quarter to be disassembled and rebound into new notebooks. After disassembling all of notebook parts, papers of similar sizes will be grouped and then using aluminum screw posts and covers made of recycled materials, new notebooks are created. The recreated notebooks will be freely distributed at the start of the next quarter for their second lives in assisting student learning.

Black Student Union Legacy S Soriee

Awarded amount: $1,000

This is a annual celebration banquet that centers excellence within the black communities both the University of Washington and the greater Seattle area. This year, the celebration featured live music, performances, honoraria, keynote speakers, catered dinner, and more.The Black Student Union recognized ten minority students from high schools all around the greater Seattle area and encourage their attendance to the University of Washington. The event also fundraised to provide scholarships to underrepresented students at UW.

TEDxUofW

Awarded amount: $1,000

TEDxUofW Conference is one of the largest events on campus hosted annually by the TEDxUofW registered student organization. The event will host inspiring speakers which provide them with a platform to share their passions. With the CSF’s contribution, we hope to reduce the price of admissions in order to make the event more accessible for more student.

Creating a Sustainable Night Market

Awarded amount:$1,000

The Taiwanese Student Association hosts the annual night market, and each year this group works towards implementing a more sustainable event. This year they are focused on implementing a water refill station along with providing attendees with reusable water bottles.

Double DIP Conference

Awarded amount:$1000

Double Dip Conference is hosted by the Diversity in Psychology RSO. This event was catered toward high school students who identify as people of color, or who come from disadvantaged backgrounds, and are underrepresented in psychology and mental health professions. The conference helped familiarize students with life at the University of Washington and highlighted the importance of people like them pursuing psychology and bringing forward diverse perspectives to the field.


Announcing 2019 Resilience and Compassion Seed Grants

04/01/2019

Announcing The 2nd Annual Resilience and Compassion Initiative Seed Grants!

The Campus Sustainability Fund has teamed up with the UW Resilience Lab this year to offer Resilience and Compassion Seed Grants.

The focus will be on the interconnectivity between the UN Sustainable Development Goals with a focus on the "Good Health & Well-being" goal as it relates to resilience at UW. The CSF & Resilience Lab recognize that social & cultural resilience and equity are the building blocks of a sustainable environment — and are excited to offer focused funding resources this year to help catalyze projects in this area.

What would compassion-in-action look like to you? How might you center themes of diversity, equity and inclusion in addressing social sustainability & resilience at UW?

Funding Details:

Please spread the word about this exciting opportunity by sharing this message with your colleagues and classmates!

See 2017-2018 Seed Grant Awards HERE

Application Link


CSF Announces Updated Annual Funding Cycle

09/20/2018

The CSF has changed its funding model to make funding more accessible for applicants earlier in the academic year. We now have a spring/ summer Letter of Intent (LOI ) window for project applicants looking to start their projects in the beginning of the academic year with a full proposal. Project applicants must submit an LOI during any quarter and a full proposal within the following two quarters, allowing more time for project teams to develop their projects, and receive required approvals between the LOI and Full Proposal stage. 

We are very excited to announce this new funding cycle model and believe it will provide students additional opportunities to get involved and greater efficiency by aligning our funding cycle with the academic year. 

 

The CSF will accept proposal applications three times per Academic Year:

 

FC1 (Autumn)

FC1 LOI Window: May 1st - September 11th (Spring Week 5 - Summer Week 12) Autumn Full Proposal Deadline: October 15th (Week 4)

Full Proposal Presentations: (Week 5 - 6)

Committee Deliberation: (Week 7 - 8)

 

FC2 (Winter)

FC2 Winter LOI Window / Deadline: Nov. 1st - Dec. 1st (Autumn Week 5-10)

Winter Full Proposal Deadline: January 15th (Week 3)

Full Proposal Presentations: (Week 4 - 5)

Committee Deliberation: (Week 6 - 7)

 

FC3 (Spring)

FC3 Spring LOI Window / Deadline: Feb. 1st - Mar. 1st (Week 5 - 9)

Spring Full Proposal Deadline: April 15th (Week 3)

Full Proposal Presentations: Week (4 - 5)

Committee Deliberation: (Week 8)

 

Project LOI’s are now being reviewed on a rolling basis and will be reviewed the same quarter that they are submitted so that approved LOI’s may submit a Full Proposal as early as the next quarter.

 

Small Projects (<$1000)

Rolling deadline. Apply at any time.
Please include in your LOI a detailed budget and timeline.

If you have any questions about LOIs, projects, or the CSF in general, please contact us.