Launch of Green Fund 22-23 allows students to gain funding for sustainability-related projects

The Fund provides students - regardless of their course degree or level - with the opportunity to carry out sustainability-related projects and interventions which are co-created, designed and implemented by students and University colleagues working in partnership.

Applications for grants of up to £5,000* are invited for projects which help the University’s Schools, Departments, communities or partnerships innovatively address the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals. Read more about the 17 ‘Global Goals’ and the University's commitment to the Goals.

Details

Funds will be distributed to projects through an annual grant competition, which takes place in December 2022 with project delivery at the end of June 2023. A Green Fund panel - comprising University colleagues from the Sustainability Team, CETI, Estates Department and academic areas - reviews all proposals and approves expenditure for those selected.  

It is essential that projects are formed on the basis of a partnership between students and University colleagues. Project teams must include at least one member of serving University colleague (academic, professional services or Students’ Union) and 2-4 students drawn from any taught or research programme. There must be more students than staff members in each group. Therefore, any project team must include at least 2 students and 1 colleague. 

Students who contribute to project teams will receive a bursary of £100 which recognises their efforts. The Green Fund will also pay for equipment, consumables and/or other expenses identified in the project plan.

Commitment 

Project teams must complete the Green Fund Application Form below during the application window 7-28 November 2022. The application includes a series of questions to ascertain the feasibility of completing the project before the end of June 2023, the project’s lasting impact and the connection between the project and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

If successful, the project teams will start their work in January 2023 where they’ll be expected to participate in a compulsory workshopping session with all Green Fund project teams and the Fund’s panel. Teams will also be given information regarding how to run their Green Fund project sustainably.

Project teams should be meeting regularly amongst themselves during the project. Additionally, they will attend monthly check-ins with their dedicated Green Fund mentor selected from the Fund’s panel. Panel members will also be on hand to respond to ad hoc queries in between check-ins.

Mid-way through the project in April 2023, teams will present on their project’s progress to the whole of the Green Fund panel. Teams will then present a final poster at a Green Fund event towards the end of June 2023, where all students and University colleagues will be invited along with colleagues from the Quintin Hogg Trust. 

A final report will be submitted to the Green Fund at the beginning of July 2023. This report will ask teams to evaluate their project as well as provide feedback to the Fund’s panel. A communication pack - comprising an annotated deck of project images and an abstract with one key image – will be submitted alongside the final report at which point the project will be officially completed.

How to get involved

Before the application window opens, colleagues from the Sustainability Team and CETI will host an online briefing session for all students and colleagues interested from 3-4pm on Tuesday 25 October 2022. There will also be an opportunity to workshop ideas with the Green Fund panel before the application deadline at 12pm Monday 28 November 2022. 

To attend the online briefing session on Tuesday 25 October from 3-4pm, please email [email protected] to receive a meeting invite.

*If you have a great project in mind but think it might exceed the £5,000 limit, please get in touch at [email protected] as soon as possible to discuss potential feasibility. 

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out at [email protected].

Apply to the Green Fund project by completing the form below: