February 02, 2011

Green Fund applications are due by March 11

by Christi Mathis

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- If you’ve got an idea to make Southern Illinois University Carbondale more “green” or sustainable, here’s your chance to make it happen.

The SIUC Sustainability Council’s Green Fund Committee is now accepting applications for Green Fund monies. There is about $160,000 available for projects in the summer/fall 2011 funding cycle, according to Ryan Klopf, chairman of the Sustainability Council.

The revenues come from the $10 per semester fee implemented during the fall 2009 semester due to a student-led initiative. Any SIUC student, faculty, staff, registered student organization, department or office can apply for a project grant.

Green fund projects should enhance campus sustainability, reduce the University’s impact on the environment and society and include educational, outreach and research components. Funds can’t pay faculty or staff salaries and involved campus units must give approval to the project.

Preference goes to projects with significant student involvement or leadership, those that can obtain matching funds, those having the most benefit to the SIUC community for the lowest cost, and projects that are collaborative, involving more than one unit or department.

Applications are due no later than midnight March 11 by e-mail to greenfund@siu.edu. Find the complete application details and guidelines online at http://sustainability.siuc.edu/greenfund.

The Green Fund last month allocated $209,811 toward a dozen sustainability projects on campus, providing grants to continue preliminary work for a wind turbine construction project, convert cooking oil to fuel and cattle feed, produce vegetables for dining halls, install stations to refill reusable water bottles and much more. In all, the Green Fund has assisted 37 projects with about $486,800 in grants.

For more information about the Green Fund, e-mail greenfund@siu.edu or contact Klopf, a doctoral plant biology student at 618/453-3209 or by e-mail at rklopf@gmail.com.