Apply for Campus Climate Lab Funding
Apply for Funding
Spring 2026 funding is now closed. Get summer funding updates in the IGS student email.
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BU Sustainability, in collaboration with the Institute for Global Sustainability (IGS) and the Office of Research, invites project proposals from BU student and mentor teams to help advance sustainability and climate solutions using the BU campuses as your living lab!
Campus Climate Lab research projects support the goals of the University Climate Action Plan (PDF) by helping to decarbonize our campus, improve the sustainability of our buildings and operations, and reduce waste and scope 3 emissions. Research can be grounded in any discipline and explore various climate and sustainability topics, including resiliency, climate-related health impacts, related equity and justice issues.
How to Apply
The project proposal template and more guidelines on how to apply can be found below.
- Project mentors can be faculty, staff, or graduate students; learn more about mentor expectations.
- Projects beyond BU’s campuses will not be considered unless an integral relationship between the campus context and the broader context can be clearly demonstrated.
Getting started: Develop an idea and form a team
All Campus Climate Lab research teams must include both student(s) and mentor(s). Mentors can be faculty, staff, or graduate students; learn more about mentor expectations.
Collaboration with a BU Operations staff member (e.g., Facilities Management & Operations, etc.) is necessary if there is a need to locate appropriate data and establish study sites on campus. Teams must align on a research idea to advance climate action, sustainability, and equity and justice on campus.
Do you have an idea for a Campus Climate Lab project and need help connecting with faculty or students, finding an Operations partner, or refining your proposal? We have several resources:
- Visit our Ideas Board, a Google Sheet where students and mentors interested in CCL can collaborate, connect, and brainstorm (accessible to BU emails only).
- Visit our CCL Project Ideas List here to see if anything piques your interest!
- To help you connect with faculty mentors, visit the IGS directory of core and affiliated faculty.
- Register for our next information and brainstorming sessions! The Campus Climate Lab team will be available to help develop and refine ideas before proposals are due. Participation in the brainstorming sessions is optional and will not affect the award selection. There are no info sessions currently scheduled; however, you can take a look at recent slides that were presented and reach out to cclab@bu.edu with any questions.
Potential topic ideas
Below are a few examples of potential research themes and projects, some of which are drawn from the Climate Action Plan. These examples are intended to be illustrative – do not feel limited to these themes.
Learn more about ongoing and past Campus Climate Lab projects.
- Financial/economic analysis of educational institutions in US who have installed networked geothermal systems, catalogue the organizations
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- Cost/ton of installed capacity
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- Potential BU locations could include: West Campus/Nickerson Field & surrounding buildings; BU Medical Campus
- What are the cost implications of electrification of old buildings that are currently using natural gas, and what’s the most effective way(s) for mitigating those costs?
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- Option A: focus on brownstone buildings as a replicable model (BU has close to 200)
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- Option B: focus on CAS and STH buildings’ conversion of gas-to-steam system
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- Option C: Whole campus approach – what are various financial models the University might employ to address the costs of decarbonizing its campus buildings (i.e. self-funding, investing, outsourcing, purchasing agreements)
- What are the operational implications of electrification of old buildings?
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- Option A: focus on brownstone buildings as a replicable model (BU has close to 200)
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- Option B: focus on CAS and STH buildings’ conversion of gas-to-steam system
- What are the GHG implications for electrification of BU’s building portfolio?
- Brownstone energy efficiency & decarbonization efforts: How much energy savings/impact would different efficiency measures have?
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- Separate Energy Efficiency Measures to evaluate could include:
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- Door & Window replacement
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- Added insulation (roof & wall).
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- Replace equipment (water heaters) for high efficiency units
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- Build an energy model of a typical brownstone.
- Analyze green roof installations for the following variables and do a literature review for other research in this area (College of General Studies & 150 Riverway both have safe access that can be arranged).
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- Heat-island mitigation (collect data on temperatures at green roofs, compare to other locations)
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- Evaluate water absorption (potential process: track irrigation & rain, measure soil moisture, extrapolate water re-directed from the storm water systems)
Apply: How to submit your research proposal
To be considered for funding, please submit a research proposal using this proposal template.
All proposals must be submitted as a single PDF to cclab@bu.edu. Submissions should range 2-4 pages max. We recommend that when drafting your project plan and timeline, apply for one semester of funding only and then apply for additional funding during subsequent funding cycles. Please note that if your project includes interviewing participants or conducting focus groups, please review BU’s IRB protocol and include a plan for IRB approval in your submitted proposal.
Research awards are open to students and faculty of all BU schools and colleges. Proposals will be evaluated by a team of faculty and staff reviewers drawn from IGS and BU Sustainability.
Research teams accepted into the Campus Climate Lab will be invited to participate in a luncheon to facilitate connections and exchange ideas across the diverse teams, as well as invited to events throughout the year geared toward the sustainability and climate research community.
The summer 2026 funding proposal deadline will be announced soon.
Funding
Funding will be commensurate with the scope of the project, with awards anticipated in the range of ~$1,000 to up to $10,000 per year. Project duration can range from one semester up to one year.
Allowable expenses include student salary/stipend, research supplies, analytical costs, and publication/dissemination costs. For parity across projects, the undergraduate student hourly rate will be $15/hour with no fringe. The graduate student hourly rate will be $20/hour with 11.6% fringe.
Costs related to the implementation of findings beyond the research project do not need to be included in the project budget.
Please note that in accordance with BU’s Student Employment Office, students will need to complete an I-9 form with the faculty’s home department within 2 days of the project start date in order to be compensated for their work.
For more information regarding the funding process, please contact cclab@bu.edu.
Anthony Janetos Climate Action Prize
Students who participate in the Campus Climate Lab and successfully complete the requirements will be eligible for the Anthony Janetos Climate Action Prize. This prize honors and continues the legacy of Professor Anthony Janetos, who chaired the 2017 Climate Action Plan Task Force, leading to the creation of the University Climate Action Plan and the Campus Climate Lab.
This recognition will be awarded annually each spring to the student or team of students involved in a project through the Campus Climate Lab that is judged to have successfully advanced climate action each year at BU and beyond.
Timeline
Key events and deadlines for the summer 2026 funding cycle will be announced soon.
