Fifteen sustainability projects will be implemented on campus over the next year thanks to $169,832 in grants awarded by the student-led advisory board of NC State’s Sustainability Fund.
Generated by a $2.50 per semester student fee, grant funding is available to NC State students, faculty and staff who submit proposals for projects that have high student impact and help the university advance sustainability.
“This Spring, the Board received grant proposals totaling over $500,000 in funding requests, making this another very competitive year for the Sustainability Fund,” said Grace Gould, the chairperson of this year’s Sustainability Fund Board.
The projects selected to be implemented over the 2024-2025 academic year are:
- Solar panels to power an automated irrigation system at the Agroecology Education Farm
- Promotion and expansion of campus pollinator habitats by student interns for the Bee Campus USA Committee
- Improved composting at Carter-Finley Stadium to divert more gameday organic waste
- Student-focused sustainability-themed events by the Eco+Pack student organization
- An Energy and Water Competition in residence halls to promote resource conservation
- A series of campus events about equity and the environment, culminating in an Environmental Justice Symposium
- Student internships to address water quality issues in North Carolina
- Microbiological research of campus compost by undergraduate and graduate students
- A lab glove recycling program in Engineering Building I
- Water bottle filler stations in Engineering Building III
- Mountain bike skills area at Lake Raleigh Woods
- Safety equipment for students in prescribed burn field training
- Community engagement and education efforts at the student-led SOL Garden on campus
- Step pools along Wolf Village Way to reduce flooding and filter stormwater runoff
- A TEDxNCState event focused on the sustainable development goals
The next request for proposals for Sustainability Fund grants will open this Fall 2024 semester. They will include:
- FastTrack Grants, which are for student-led project proposals of up to $1,000 and completed within 6 months
- Normal Grants, which are open to the entire NC State campus community for larger projects of any amount and completed the following academic year.
Applications for students to join the Sustainability Fund Advisory Board will also open this Fall 2024 semester.
Learn more about the board, grant cycles and previous projects funded by the Sustainability Fund at go.ncsu.edu/SustainabilityFund.