September 1, 2017, by sustainablenottingham
£100k awarded to sustainability projects
If you have a great idea for a sustainability-related project but need funding to make it happen, the Environment Initiative Fund may be the solution!
Each year, the University’s Sustainability and Environment Committee awards around £100,000 to student or staff-led sustainability projects. Applications are now open for 2017/18.
In the 2016/17 academic year 14 bids were submitted to the Environment Initiative Fund, with 10 projects receiving funding – ranging from £500 to £40,000. The descriptions below of 2016/17’s projects offer an insight into the breadth of sustainability work on campus, but also demonstrate the diversity of student societies, professional services and academic departments with an interest in sustainability.
Health, Food and the Environment exploratory workshop – to engage local stakeholders in developing innovative learning resources to support undergraduate teaching in the Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences on the topic of food, health and sustainability. Read more about the initial workshop
Wortley Hall Close passive house – to retrofit a domestic house on University Park campus to meet passive house standards, benefitting tenants and also offering a demonstration site as part of the Department of Architecture and Built Environment’s Creative Energy Homes project.
Overall winner of #BeastofUoN photo competition
#BeastsofUoN photo competition – to run a competition as a focal point for those interested in the biodiversity of our outdoor spaces, highlighting the wellbeing benefits of our campuses and encouraging people to explore these spaces. Working with student group CropUp Gallery to exhibit photos allows us to illustrate the wildlife and high quality of the University’s green spaces as captured by students and staff. View the winning photographs
Biodiversity internship – to train an internship student in aspects of biodiversity management, including monitoring techniques and habitat valuation assessments, to establish a robust baseline for habitats on University Park. Members of the SU Conservation Society and Friends of University Park will also be trained to carry out surveys of selected species.
Santander Cycles bid – to provide support in submitting a bid to the Santander Cycles Competition for setting up a smart hire scheme on campus for short-term bike hire.
Environment & Social Justice Week – to promote the ESJ Week organised by Nottingham Pro Bono and Sustainability societies, in collaboration with other ESJ Network societies. A range of informative and engaging events took place throughout the week, aiming to enhance students’ awareness and understanding of sustainability and broader environmental and social justice issues, and encourage sustainable lifestyle changes.
Improving and promoting recycling facilities in libraries – to make recycling easier in Hallward Library and Djanogly Learning Resource Centre by providing recycling bins that are fit for purpose, consistent in design and signage with facilities within cafés and common areas across the University, and promote a pleasant study environment.
NET Positive supplier engagement tool – to access information on the sustainability actions of over 700 of the University’s suppliers through a tool that supports supplier development and good practice and will enable the University to demonstrate how suppliers, particularly SMEs, are responding to the challenge of eradicating Modern Slavery.
Bitesize RLO suite – to run a ‘storyboarding’ workshop as the first stage in developing a suite of three linked reusable learning objects (RLOs) related to health, food and the environment.
Sustainable Development Goals scoping exercise – to undertake a desktop study of the University’s current position – across teaching, research and operations – in relation to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
If these projects have inspired you to submit an application, the form and submission deadlines for 2017/18, along with tips on making a strong application, are available from http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/sustainability/getinvolved/eif.aspx.
(It’s worth noting that the Cascade fund also offers grants for student-run projects, which could be used as match funding.)
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