Grants & Convening Event for Area of Excellence and Opportunity in Sustainability and Climate Resilience

Submissions due by May 25, 2023
Convening Event on June 8, 2023

Want to participate in a collaborative process to address climate change and sustainability?

The Environmental Collaboratory (TEC)’s Climate Hub transdisciplinary grants program will engage collaborative teams of faculty, students, and staff through a phased process. Anyone who teaches, learns or works at Drexel University can participate in TEC’s Climate Hub transdisciplinary grants program. A total of $200,000 is available to award four or more transdisciplinary teams over the two-year funding period.

The Climate Hub grants program begins with the submission (500 words or less) of an idea for a research, creative, or scholastic endeavor that will further catalyze Drexel’s Area of Excellence and Opportunity in Sustainability and Climate Resilience.

Submissions can be:

an idea for a project that’s been swirling around in your brain
an intersection between your work and climate and sustainability that you’ve wanted to bring your expertise to
an area of research or scholastics that you think Drexel should invest in and necessary steps and activities based on student interest and aligned with market trends

Following the submission of ideas, The Environmental Collaboratory will invite submitters and others interested in joining a team to an in-person convening to share ideas and collectively coalesce around an initial set of projects. Initial funds will be available to support the team formation and project development phase which will begin in the fall of 2023. This is an opportunity to receive support for the project formation process by garnering input from peers, gain new perspectives from your colleagues from across the University and collaboratively develop projects over time.

The first convening of participants will be held on Thursday, June 8 from 2:00 to 3:15 p.m. prior to the summer term, with a second convening to be held in the fall to advance team formation and project ideas.

Draft idea submissions, due by May 25, 2023, can be from an individual or an initial team. To submit an idea and/or register as a participant for the June 8 convening, or to just indicate your interest in staying informed about the process, fill out this form. Attendance at the convening on June 8 is not required to submit an idea.

Priorities

Submitted ideas should address the following priorities:

Crossing disciplinary boundaries
Creating new connections across academic and administrative units
Opportunities for active and/or experiential learning that helps students develop knowledge, skills and values key to future impact
Inclusion of community knowledge and expertise through mutually beneficial partnership
Creative and non-traditional endeavors that align university expertise, resources and academic outputs with issues related to climate change and sustainability
Inclusion of diverse voices and perspectives
Alignment with student interest and recognized as a significant area to advance just climate transition
Potential to scale at levels meaningful to the work
Alignment with the imperatives of the University’s Strategic Plan: Drexel 2030 Designing the Future and the Areas of Excellence & Opportunity initiative

Offerings

Over the two-year funding period, beginning in the fall of 2023 and concluding in the spring of 2025, the Climate Hub grant program will be shaped by the input and experience of participants. The Environmental Collaboratory professional staff and other dedicated administrative support will provide:

Project grant funding, including start-up funds of up to $10,000 with additional funding up to $40,000 per team
Administrative support to help schedule meetings, develop timelines, perform necessary outreach, etc
Thought partnership within a supportive community, and communications and networking within and across faculty teams and across campus and beyond
Facilitation and support for seeking grants and other types of future funding, as well as permanent homes for projects and/or project activities on campus

Key Dates

May 25 – Deadline to submit an idea and/or RSVP to the June 8 convening (attendance at the June 8 convening is not required to submit an idea)

June 8, 2 – 3:15 p.m. – Initial convening of submitters and interested participants to explore ideas and potential teaming opportunities

With questions, please email environmentalcollab@drexel.edu.