Faculty and students can apply for funding from the Campus as a Laboratory for Sustainability (CALS) program for research, projects or course development that engage the campus in addressing climate change and sustainable systems.
Applicants—either individuals or teams—may request research or seed grants of up to $25,000 or education/pedagogy grants of up to $10,000. A total of $75,000 is available for this round of funding. Applications are due by April 2, and the grant period is from May 15, 2018, to June 30, 2019.
CALS has funded 11 projects since January 2016, totaling $125,000. Ongoing research projects include studies of nighttime illumination on campus, the relationship between electric vehicles and smart grids, energy leakage from buildings on South Campus and water and energy performance of green roofs. Outreach and education projects include an oral history of the student divestment movement, a course that employed virtual reality to help people understand campus sustainability efforts, and compilation and dissemination of climate change rules promulgated by the federal government.
For the current competition, the CALS faculty advisory group particularly wishes to encourage proposals from disciplines that have been underrepresented in previous rounds, such as the humanities, social sciences, education and the arts. In addition, students are encouraged to apply for funding for capstone research projects or to facilitate participation in regional or national sustainability competitions.
To download the RFP, visit sustainability.syr.edu/cals/. Information sessions for prospective applicants will be held in early February, where staff will be available to answer questions about the RFP and application process. Questions can also be directed to Rachel May in the Office of Sustainability Management at 315.443.9726 or sumay@syr.edu.
About Syracuse University
Founded in 1870, Syracuse University is a private international research university dedicated to advancing knowledge and fostering student success through teaching excellence, rigorous scholarship and interdisciplinary research. Comprising 11 academic schools and colleges, the University has a long legacy of excellence in the liberal arts, sciences and professional disciplines that prepares students for the complex challenges and emerging opportunities of a rapidly changing world. Students enjoy the resources of a 270-acre main campus and extended campus venues in major national metropolitan hubs and across three continents. Syracuse’s student body is among the most diverse for an institution of its kind across multiple dimensions, and students typically represent all 50 states and more than 100 countries. Syracuse also has a long legacy of supporting veterans and is home to the nationally recognized Institute for Veterans and Military Families, the first university-based institute in the U.S. focused on addressing the unique needs of veterans and their families.
Civil and environmental engineering student teams participated in the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Sustainable Solutions and Steel Bridge competitions during the 2025 Upstate New York-Canada Student Symposium, winning first place in the Sustainable Solutions competition. The symposium was…
Chloe Britton Naime ’25 is about to complete a challenging and rare dual major program in both mechanical engineering from the College of Engineering and Computer Science and neuroscience from the College of Arts and Sciences. Even more impressive? Britton…
When Jesse Buck ’25, Isabella Chavez Miranda ’25, Lucy Olcott ’25 and Morgan Opp ’25 started as student researchers in medicinal chemist Robert Doyle’s lab, they hoped to hone their research skills. It quickly became evident this would be unlike…
On a wave-battered rock in the Northern Pacific Ocean, a fish called the sculpin grips the surface firmly to maintain stability in its harsh environment. Unlike sea urchins, which use their glue-secreting tube feet to adhere to their surroundings, sculpins…
Distinguished Professor Pramod K. Varshney has exemplified Orange excellence since joining the University as a 23-year-old faculty member. A world-renowned researcher and educator, he’s been recognized for his seminal contributions to information fusion and related fields, introducing new, innovative courses…
If you need help with your subscription, contact sunews@syr.edu.
