WMU students encouraged to seek campus sustainability grant funding

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—The 2021-22 WMU Student Sustainability Grant competition, which supports student research, projects and initiatives that have the potential to advance the University’s campus culture of sustainability, is open. Applications for the fall 2021 grant allocations cycle are due on Thursday, Nov. 18, by 11:59 p.m. Awards will be announced by mid-December 2021.

Collaborators expect to award up to $32,500 this fall semester. Funding is awarded twice per school year by a committee of students appointed by the Western Student Association under the direction of undergraduate Piper Meldrum-Roy, the association's vice president for sustainability and Student Sustainability Grant Allocations Committee chair. The grant program is a collaborative effort among the association, Office of Student Engagement and Office for Sustainability.

Interested applicants can find more information on the Student Sustainability Grant website, which includes past project abstracts, competition rules, the application and program contact information.

Due to COVID-19, applicants will need to describe how their proposed research, projects or activities will comply with Western's health and safety guidelines. Technically complex or infrastructure-heavy grants typically require reviews and commitments from multiple University units prior to submission. It may not be possible for these types of grant requests to meet the fall 2021 application deadline and achieve eligibility. Applicants seeking these types of grants should target the spring 2022 application deadline in order to maximize their planning time. Spring grant applications will be due on the Thursday before spring recess 2022.

Recent grant projects have been highlighted by the University and the Western Herald:

▪ Automated hydroponics in Finch Greenhouse

▪ Aerated composting at the Gibbs House Permaculture Research & Demonstration Site

▪ Bronco Bikes rental fleet expansion (delayed due to supply chain challenges)

▪ Self-watering campus planters

The mission of the Office for Sustainability is to guide and assist the Western Michigan University community in fulfilling and growing its sustainability commitments. Through building a diverse and flourishing learning community around sustainability, we will continually explore and develop new opportunities to create a culture of sustainability and improve quality of life for all.

For more WMU news, arts and events, visit WMU News online.