November 15, 2021

The Environmental Collaboratory is pleased to announce afunding opportunity made possible by a generous donation from The Glenmede Trust Company. The details are outlined below:

Objective: Support regionally focused research that will contribute to increased sustainability, resilience, or knowledge of local communities with regards to climate change or other environmental impacts.

About: The Environmental Collaboratory (TEC)

The world is facing environmental catastrophe, and time is running out. Over the last half-century alone, our species' unsustainable way of life has initiated a sixth extinction, advanced widespread environmental degradation, and changed the climate of the entire planet. The consequences are escalating and intensifying, while the most vulnerable among us are bearing the brunt.

More than a place or a narrow theme, The Environmental Collaboratory is a groundbreaking approach that unites Drexel, the Academy, and communities of need in a shared endeavor to sustain our planet and mitigate its degradation. From the Latin collaborate — to work together — The Environmental Collaboratory will leverage the extensive human capital of both Drexel and the Academy in ways that effect meaningful, measurable, and scalable impact. Bringing faculty, staff, students, partners, and the public together, it will coordinate, develop, integrate, and resource research, education, civic engagement, and public programming to solve problems and shape culture. In doing so, it will also drive and catalyze curricular innovation — a crucial measure of The Environmental Collaboratory's success. It will achieve these outcomes by focusing on three key areas:

• Use-Inspired Research: It will initiate, facilitate, and promote interdisciplinary, use-inspired research that creates novel solutions to real-world environmental problems. Faculty, staff, and students will collaborate with external groups in mutually beneficial partnerships that are grounded in scholarship and consistent with Drexel and the Academy's roles and missions.
• Civic Engagement: It will identify research questions in reciprocal partnerships with communities; engage communities in the research process; devise, incubate and deliver implementation strategies with communities; share outcomes with a wider audience; shape beliefs and values through public programs and campaigns; and erode the power dynamic that commonly characterizes the relationship between "academia"and "community."
• Internal Community Building: It will build an internal community at Drexel, acting as a place for interested faculty, staff and students to gather, connect and engage with these issues.

About: Glenmede

The Glenmede Trust Company was founded in 1956 for one purpose — to serve in perpetuity as Trustee and Administrator of The Pew Memorial Trust, the initial funding source for the nonprofit now known as The Pew Charitable Trusts. Stewardship encompasses all aspects of how we operate, from our responsibility to our clients, to our employees and to the communities we serve. Glenmede and its employees are committed to giving back to the communities where we live and work.

Award: $20,000 to be spent within one calendar year of award date

Eligibility: Open to all Drexel University faculty (Co-PI's can be professional staff)

Additional Awardee Products/Requirements: A print-ready white paper to be written within 30 days of the conclusion of the 12-month engagement for use by the PI(s), Drexel and the sponsor. Co-production with the sponsor of 2 short-form "thought" pieces, each around two pages in length to be promoted by the sponsor through their preferred communication channels. Quarterly progress meetings with a formal presentation at the conclusion of the engagement. An open invitation to join for one year the Glenmede Sustainable & Impact Advisory Board which will meet two times per year.

Budget Restrictions: This award can not be used to support summer salary, but a portion can be proposed for course relief with the written approval of relevant department heads and dean. Student support is an eligible budget item, but the PI is responsible for all sponsor engagement.

How to apply for Research funds:

Submit a proposal via the Drexel University Funding Portal no later than Monday, November, 29 2021 at 5:00pm. Proposals should include the following sections, and sections 1 through 4 should be no more than 3 pages in length total:

1. Research/Scholarly Activity team (faculty members/professional staff)
2. Participation of external partners, if any (practitioners/community members/community-based organizations)
3. Project description 
   a. Introduction/rationale
   b. Potential impact
   c. Innovation
   d. Approach
4. Budget justification
5. Budget Template
6. Biosketch/CV for all project team members (not required for community members)
7. Letter of support from department/unit head(s)

Questions? Please email fundingportal@drexel.edu