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   

• APPLICATION DEADLINE: February 26, 2018
• FUNDING DISPERSAL WILL BEGIN: April 2018

• Up to five projects with a budget up to $10,000
• Up to three projects with a budget up to $25,000
• Up to one project with a budget up to $50,000

Description:

1. Faculty member or researcher
2. Student or postdoctoral fellow
3. Staff member

• APPLICATION DEADLINE: February 26, 2018 
• FUNDING DISPERSAL WILL BEGIN: April 2018

• Up to five projects with a budget up to $10,000
• Up to three projects with a budget up to $25,000
• Up to one project with a budget up to $50,000

• 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 be up to two years.
• 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)
5. Project period - Max: two years. Projects can start as early as April 2018.
6. Lay abstract - Max 150 words. This is for our website – write as if you are telling a friend.
7. Project description - 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
• Plan for how the team will work together (e.g., weekly meetings) and key contributions from each team member.
• Expected outcomes, including what metrics will be collected and what is the definition of success
• How will the student(s) learn and grow as a result of the project?
• How does the project relate to the Harvard Sustainability Plan?

• 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.

• 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.

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
• It is recommended that the staff person involved is strategic to the mission of the project.

Review Criteria:

• Projects will be evaluated by the selection committee based on the following 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.
  • 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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