General Sustainability and Social Justice Incentives Fund
General Sustainability and Social Justice Fund grants are awarded each fall. General Sustainability and Social Justice grants are for up to $3,000. Funds may be used for supplies, materials, publicity and travel costs.
The General Sustainability & Social Justice Incentives Fund supports research, campus-based projects, and the development of new rituals to promote sustainability and social justice on Emory’s campuses. Creative proposals are welcomed that seek new knowledge, support new behavior patterns, and foster cultural change. Faculty, staff, and students from Emory University and Emory Healthcare are eligible to apply. Projects that are centered on the social justice facets of sustainability or highlight the social justice impacts of their project or research are encouraged to apply.
The 2024-2025 Incentives Fund applications are CLOSED and will reopen in May 2025. Thanks to all who applied!
Green Lab and Green Office Incentives Funds
Green Lab and Green Office grants are awarded each fall. Certified Green Offices or certified Green Labs can receive up to $5,000. Funds may be used for supplies, materials, publicity and travel costs.
All faculty, staff, and students at Emory – including Emory Healthcare and Oxford College – are eligible to apply for funding. Team applications are encouraged. All student applications must include approval from a faculty advisor.
The 2024-2025 Incentives Fund applications are CLOSED and will reopen in May 2025. Thanks to all who applied!
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Emory’s faculty, staff, and students have the best ideas for implementing sustainable innovations in work spaces, classrooms, outdoors, and even behind walls! By supporting these ideas through funding, Emory reinforces the notion that everyone can make a difference on campus and in the community.
Sustainability Revolving Fund
The Sustainability Revolving Fund Working Group oversees Emory University’s $1.5 million revolving fund dedicated to funding energy and water efficiency projects that pay a return over time. Those funds are re-invested to finance future projects. The Working Group is composed of administrators from Emory’s Campus Services, Finance, Development, and Sustainability Offices. Projects reach the Working Group after being vetted by the Energy Task Force composed of staff, students, and faculty.
- Inquiries to finance energy and water efficiency infrastructure projects that will reduce fossil fuel use, lower greenhouse gas emissions, reduce potable water use, and avoid rising energy and water costs should be directed to emorysustainability@emory.edu.
- In October, members of the Energy and Water Task Force will review applications and select grantees.
The Rollins Fume Hood Project
The Rollins Fume Hood Project was completed last October with an estimated cost of $85,000. The project replaced the Biology Department’s 24 constant volume fume hoods located in the O. Wayne Rollins Research Center with modern variable air volume fume hoods. These new hoods generate energy savings through decreased exhaust needs while providing a safe work environment. The payback time is estimated to be six years
The Quad Exterior Lighting Project
The Quad Exterior Lighting project has an estimated cost of $45,000. The project is estimated to have a payback time of 6.6 years. This project retrofits 160 pedestrian poles and seven street-lighting poles with LED technology lamps. The project resulted in a 77% reduction in energy usage around the Emory historic quadrangle and Math & Science building telescope. The exterior environment will appear ‘brighter’ after the retrofit due to a cooler color temperature, a higher color rendering index, and full cutoff fixtures reducing wasted up-lighting.
Reducing Building Cooling Costs Project
The Reducing Building Cooling Costs Project is located in the Woodruff Memorial Research Library’s West Wing. The West Wing has three supply fans: two which serve the West Wing except for the Division of Animal Resources (DAR) zone, and a third smaller fan serving only the DAR. Previously, the air going to the rest of the building needed to be over-cooled by 5 degrees Fahrenheit to maintain temperatures in DAR. The Sustainability Fund project added a secondary cooling coil dedicated to the DAR zone, allowing the building to stop over-cooling the air to the rest of the West Wing. This project was completed in October with an initial cost of $61,000 and an estimated payback time of two years.
The Air Change Project
The Air Change Project is expected to be completed by the end of the year in the Health Sciences Research Building laboratory. As part of Emory’s on-going efforts as a Department of Energy’s Smart Labs Accelerator Partner, Facilities Management is actively pursuing optimized air change rates in its labs to ensure occupant safety while minimizing energy use. Originally approved as a revolving loan fund project, Emory’s in-house commissioning team has determined they can complete the project with their internal staff, freeing up the loan fund for additional projects. The project’s goals are to lower the lab air changes on the first, second, and third floors from 8 to 6 when occupied and from 6 to 2 when unoccupied. Cost savings are estimated at $110,000 per year in energy use with a payback time of less than one year.
Other Funding Opportunities
Emory University hosts many grants and funding opportunities for students, staff, and faculty related to sustainability, health, and well-being.
Health Emory Well-being Champion Mini-Grant
Emory’s Health and Well-being team promotes an inclusive approach to holistic well-being, positively impacting employee financial stability, emotional and mental wellness, physical health, social and community connections, and career growth.
Their network of Well-being Champions plays a crucial role in Healthy Emory’s mission. The Healthy Emory Well-being Champion Mini-Grant aims to enhance departmental capacity in physical activity, healthy eating, stress management, sleep education, social well-being, and diabetes prevention.
To apply for this mini-grant, you must be a Well-being Champion. If you are interested in applying for this grant, but are not currently a Wellness Champion, you can easily join the network. Learn more.
To apply for the Well-being Champion grant and receive up to $500 in funding, click here. The application window will open on June 17, 2024 with applications due on July 22. Awardees will be announced in September, 2024.
EmWELL Microgrant Program
EmWELL microgrants are designed to support innovative initiatives focused on the well-being of Emory’s healthcare workforce. This funding will support ongoing or new evidence-based initiatives that have the potential for sustainability and scalability. Projects could support workplace culture, the nature of the work teams do, or aspects of personal resiliency.
Woodruff Health Sciences Center (WHSC) employees, including Emory Healthcare, all health sciences schools, Winship, and the Primate Center can apply for this grant. The application window will open on June 17, 2024 with applications due on July 22. Awardees will be announced by August 30, 2024. Awardees can receive up to $5,000 dollars in funding. To apply, visit this site.