Brief Description:

The Harvard Campus Sustainability Innovation Fund supports projects that use Harvard’s campus or the neighboring community as a test bed for envisioning and piloting innovative solutions to sustainability challenges, including, but not limited to, climate and health.

1. Faculty member or researcher
2. Student or postdoctoral fellow
3. Staff member (should be relevant to the application)

• APPLICATION DEADLINE: Monday, February 24, 2020
• FUNDING DISPERSAL WILL BEGIN: April 2020

• Up to three projects with a budget up to $10,000
• Up to one project with a budget up to $25,000

Description:

1. Faculty member or researcher
2. Student or postdoctoral fellow
3. Staff member (should be relevant to the project)

• APPLICATION DEADLINE: Monday, February 24, 2020
• FUNDING DISPERSAL WILL BEGIN: April 2020

• Up to three projects with a budget up to $10,000
• Up to one project with a budget up to $25,000

• Successful projects will aim to have an impact on operations and decision-making at Harvard’s campus, but should also provide scalable solutions that can be applied to other organizations or lead to a commercialized venture.
• Projects must map directly to at least one of the goals, standards, or commitments in the Harvard Sustainability Plan, organized around the five core topics of emissions and energy, health and well-being, campus operations, nature and ecosystems, and culture and learning.
• Projects from any discipline are welcome (e.g., the arts, humanities, sciences, business, law, policy, design, health, philosophy, and engineering).
• Grantees will be required to submit an impact summary and a simple financial report at the end of the project period.
• Grantees and their projects will be showcased in a public forum.
• Projects periods can last for up to two years, with a start date of no earlier than May 2020.
• Multi-disciplinary projects are encouraged.
• Grants are non-renewable, but there are no limits on the number of times an individual or team may apply for funding. Past awards winners may apply for new projects or a continuation of their past project only if it significantly differs from the project that was previously funded.
• Funds will be dispersed to the faculty member or staff member by way of a cross-validated Harvard account, and will be managed locally at that School.

Application Information:

1. Name of Proposal
2. Project leader (name, role, contact information)
3. Project team (names, roles, contact information)
   All teams must include at least one faculty member or researcher, one student or postdoctoral fellow, and one staff member.
4. Financial administrator (name, contact information)
   This should be the person who will be managing the funds (e.g., the faculty member’s financial contact). For proposals from Harvard Business School - if you have any questions, please contact David Havelick or Leah Ricci.
5. Project period
   Max: Two years. Projects can start as early as May 2020.
6. Lay abstract (max 150 words) 
   This is for our website—write as if you are telling a friend about your project, including what sustainability challenge you are addressing.
7. A project description of no more than three pages, 11 point font, single spaced, 0.5 inch margins. Graphics are not included in the three-page limit. This should include the following:
• What is the sustainability challenge this project addresses?
• What (if any) research has already been conducted to assess the problem and/or to test the proposed solution on-campus or elsewhere? 
• Project plan and methods, including a general timeline and plan for how the team will work together (e.g., weekly meetings)
• Expected outcomes, including what metrics will be collected and definition of success
• How will the student(s) learn and grow as a result of the project?
• How does the project relate to the Sustainability Plan?
8. Bibliography
   Not included in the three page limit
9. Detailed budget - DOWNLOAD TEMPLATE
   This should include the % gift assessment fee (if that exists at your School), fringe costs if applicable for wages/salary, and any other costs associated with the project. You should work with your financial administrator, grants manager, and/or Human Resources to ensure that all appropriate costs are included.
10. Budget justification - DOWNLOAD TEMPLATE
    A short description of why each budget item is necessary for the project is expected. If other funding is available/secured for other parts of this project, please describe.
11. Letter(s) of recommendation and/or collaboration.
    This is not a requirement, and should be uploaded as a single PDF even if you have multiple letters.

Eligibility Criteria:

• Faculty member or researcher
• Primary, secondary, and adjunct faculty are eligible
• Researchers need to have a full-time appointment at Harvard.
• Student or postdoctoral fellow
• Only full-time registered Harvard undergraduate and graduate students are eligible. If the student’s graduation date precedes the project end date, a contingency plan must be outlined in the project plan to ensure continuity.
• Postdoctoral fellow appointments should be at least as long as the project period. If the appointment will end before the end of the project period, a contingency plan must be outlined in the project plan to ensure continuity.
• Staff member
• The staff person should be strategic to the mission of the project.

Review Criteria:

• Impact
• It is recommended that teams define key performance indicators (KPIs) and/or other metrics of success in the project plan.
• Innovation
• Creative projects that leverage new strategies and technologies are preferred.
• Scalability
• Projects that have the ability to scale across the University, to other institutions, to the surrounding community, or even globally following completion are preferred.
• Connection to the campus and/or local community
• Successful projects will have a direct connection to the Harvard campus or surrounding community. Projects should be using the campus or local community as a test bed to pilot new strategies or technologies or to gain new insights.
• Connection to the Sustainability Plan
• Make sure your project aligns with at least one of the goals, standards, or commitments from the Harvard Sustainability Plan.
• Intellectual merit
• Successful projects will advance understanding within its own field or across fields to a substantial level.
• Project team
• All team members should be integral to the project mission. In the project plan, teams must include a clear plan for how the team will work together throughout the project period and the key contributions of each team member. If you anticipate a team member leaving Harvard before the end of the project, you should include your plan to replace them to ensure continuity.

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