General Sustainability Incentives Fund
General Sustainability Fund grants are awarded each fall. General Sustainability grants are for up to $3,000. Funds may be used for supplies, materials, publicity and travel costs.
The General Sustainability Incentives Fund supports research, campus-based projects, and the development of new rituals to promote sustainability 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.
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.
The Rollins Fume Hood Project
The Rollins Fume Hood Project was completed 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 with an initial cost of $61,000 and an estimated payback time of two years.
The Air Change Project
The Air Change Project came as part of Emory’s work as a Department of Energy’s Smart Labs Accelerator Partner. The project’s goals were 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. The first building on campus to implement the Smart Labs program was the Health Sciences Research Building (HSRB). The Smart Labs program was to show 5% savings in one building in the first two years and 20% in all buildings over the next 10. For this effort, Emory was awarded the Department of Energy’s Accelerating Smart Lab Award.
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.
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 in May – June. Awardees can receive up to $5,000 dollars in funding. To apply, visit this site.