Sustainability Innovation Grant

The Sustainability Innovation Grant empowers Caltech community members (students, post-docs, staff, or faculty) to transform creative ideas into tangible sustainability solutions. This program recognizes that community members are at the forefront of sustainability innovation and campus partnerships. Recipients of this grant will receive seed funding up to $2,000 to support community-led projects that address environmental challenges, promote sustainable practices, and create a lasting positive impact on our campus and local community.

• Only Caltech students, post-docs, staff, or faculty may submit a project application.
  • Team lead must be a student, post-doc, staff, or faculty in good academic standing
  • Individual students, student teams, or registered student organizations can apply.
  • At least one team member must remain involved throughout the project period.
• Projects must directly address sustainability and create a lasting positive impact on our campus and/or local community. Preference will be given to projects that:
  • Demonstrate a reduction in Caltech's environmental impact.
  • Are cost-effective.
• Project costs paid by Caltech Sustainability are not to exceed $2,000.
• Budgets must include links to all items being purchased, with details of vendor.
• Projects must have received written approval of support from Sustainability Programs Evaluation Committee prior to any grant funding being used.
• Projects must have education, publicity, and outreach considerations.
• Projects must be able to be evaluated and followed up on after funding is dispersed. If the project may have ongoing benefits such as annual cost savings, the project submission must include information regarding recording and reporting these benefits to the Sustainability Programs Evaluation Committee.
• Granted project funds should be spent over a maximum period of 12 months.
• Projects must not duplicate existing campus programs without significant innovation.

Grant funds may not be used for the following:

• Personal compensation or stipends for student applicants.
• Travel to conferences or events unrelated to project implementation.
• Fundraising activities or donations to other organizations.
• Projects that benefit off-campus commercial entities

1. Please type your responses in each section.
2. Save your application as a pdf with the following format: YYMMDD_PROJECTNAME
3. Send your application to the Sustainability Programs Evaluation Committee ([email protected]) with the subject title in the following format: SUSTAINABILITY INNOVATION GRANT: PROJECT NAME
   1. Remember to include any letters of support (optional but encouraged).
4. If you would like to schedule a meeting to discuss your application, please email [email protected].
5. Applications are considered on a rolling basis until all grant funding is allotted.