Apply for Campus Climate Lab Funding

Cities are feeling the brunt of climate change but are also centers for innovation. With a population of about 45,000 and 370 buildings that span 140 acres on its campuses, BU is a city within a city. Using the BU campus as a living laboratory is an opportunity to harness the University as a testbed for innovative climate solutions, as well as help the University contribute to the broader city’s climate and equity challenges. The Campus Climate Lab seeks to advance research and catalyze our community by promoting, demonstrating, and implementing our commitment to sustainability, climate action, and equity and justice.

Project ideas can be grounded in any discipline, spanning engineering, humanities, health, social and natural sciences, communications, business, fine arts, etc. Projects can originate from undergraduate or graduate students, faculty, or staff. Projects that support the goals of the University Climate Action Plan or advance the equity and justice aspects of sustainability are especially encouraged. Projects must be grounded on the BU campus, but teams are encouraged to foster connections and impacts in neighborhoods beyond the campus (please note entities external to BU are not able to receive funding).

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? Join us for the information session and/or project brainstorming sessions over Zoom. 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. See the schedule below under timeline and register to attend.

All Campus Climate Lab research teams must include both student(s) and mentor(s). Mentors can be either faculty or graduate students. Collaboration with a BU Operations staff (e.g., Facilities Management & Operations, etc.) is necessary if there is a need to locate appropriate data and establish study sites on campus.

To help you connect with faculty mentors, we’ve highlighted IGS core and affiliated faculty by their area of research expertise.

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 Institute for Global Sustainability (IGS) community.

To be considered for funding, submit a research proposal using this proposal template by Wednesday, April 26 at 5 pm.

All proposals must be submitted as a single PDF to cclab@bu.edu. Submissions should range 2-4 pages max. 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 affiliates and BU Sustainability.

The deadline for Summer 2023 funding is Wednesday April 26, 2023 at 5 pm.

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.

Equity and justice aspects of climate change

• Identify impacts of BU waste generation on local communities
• Identify the equity and justice aspects of BU energy and material use
• Multimedia, art installation, or street theatre on the intersection of equity and sustainability
  

Climate preparedness

• Develop early warning capabilities for heat waves and air quality alerts
• Monitor indoor or outdoor air quality on the Charles River and Medical Campuses
• Identify best practices and locations for permeable pavement to reduce flooding
• Identify best practices to reduce the urban heat island effect

Direct emissions

• Research toward reducing BU energy demand by 31% by 2032
• Determine pathways to improve building efficiency
• Explore strategies to shift energy sources toward renewables
• Accurately track, manage, and report carbon sequestration on BU properties

Indirect emissions

• Improve waste stream logistics, metrics, and greenhouse gas accounting
• Develop system for real-time waste/recycling weight and composition data at the container level
• Develop Scope 3 analysis for the University’s supply chain

Funding will be commensurate with the scope of the project, with awards anticipated in the range of ~$1,000 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 $14.25/hour with no fringe. The graduate student hourly rate will be $17/hour with 9.9% fringe.

Costs related to the implementation of findings beyond the research project do not need to be included in the project budget.

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.

• Spring 2023 Campus Climate Lab project presentations:
  April 12, 2023, 1 – 2:30 pm
  BU Build Lab (730 Commonwealth Ave)
  Lunch will be provided. In order to conserve food waste, registration for the event is requried.
  Register here.
  
  
• Information and proposal development session #1 (virtual):
  Tuesday, April 18, 2023, 10 – 11 am
  Register here.
  
  
• Information and proposal development session #2 (virtual):
  Thursday, April 20, 2023, 3 – 4 pm
  Register here.
  
  
• Summer 2023 application deadline:
  Wednesday, April 26, 2023 at 5 pm
  To be considered for funding, submit a research proposal using this proposal template.

To receive updates about Campus Climate Lab and other sustainability-related opportunities geared toward BU students, join the IGS student email list.