Spring Grants

These projects were funded during our Spring grant cycle, where projects receive more than $5,000 for projects that take between one to three years to complete. 

Healthy Bears Take the Stairs

Project Description

Healthy Bears Take the Stairs is a health and sustainability campaign in University Hall (U-Hall) that aims to reduce electricity consumption by promoting taking the stairs instead of elevators, and to increase physical activity among those who work and study in U-Hall by making the experience of taking the stairs more appealing, while simultaneously engaging the wider university community in healthy behavior.

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Way to Go! Social Marketing Alternative Transportation Program

Project Description

Social marketing experts state that changing people’s travel behavior to alternative modes requires regular marketing to target audiences that make the desired behavior (ie. riding a bike or carpooling with a fellow graduate student) fun, popular, and easy. By branding the current Parking & Transportation program under one name, addressing gaps in knowledge through new technology, and conducting both online and in-person outreach, the project's aim is to shift the current Single Occupancy Vehicle (SOV) rate (ie.“drive alone” rate) from 42% to 41%. Parking...

Greener UC Berkeley Fleet 

Project Description

Greener UC Berkeley Fleet will establish a pilot car sharing program for campus fleet vehicles within Residential and Student Service Programs (RSSP). Results of this pilot initiative will be used to evaluate potential for more widespread implementation of carsharing technology in U.C. Berkeley’s vehicle fleet. Additionally, two electric bicycles will allow employees (including student employees) to take short trips to campus by bicycle rather than with a fleet vehicle.

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Student Organic Garden Association Summer Intern Program: Phase II

Project Description

Phase two of this internship program seeks to extend the impact of full-time garden management beyond summers and into the academic year so as to increase SOGA Garden’s fresh produce donations for the UC Berkeley Student Food Pantry, in addition to its educational offerings.

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Project Application

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Student Parent Association for Recruitment and Retention (SPARR) Food Donations Program

Project Description

This project aims to combat food insecurity while promoting a zero waste policy, by implementing, via SPARR, a Food Donations program that delivers donated food items to student parents 4 times weekly at the UC Village. Since 2012, this program has revealed the astonishing amount of families struggling with food insecurity, as well as the emotional, psychological, and academic impacts this issue creates.

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Expanding Zero Waste in Residence Halls

Project Description

This project will implement a comprehensive zero waste system in the Clark Kerr Campus, Foothill, and Stern residence halls. By installing recycling and composting systems as well as a strong educational campaign, this project will provide residents with the capacity, motivation, and awareness to sort their waste and minimize landfill waste.

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Green Lab Supplies and Equipment Award Program

Project Description

The Green Labs Program was created to improve sustainability practices in research labs on campus under the Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Sustainability. Green Labs is trying to expand the fund to include the cost for promotion of the program, along with the purchase and promotion of green lab products by offering awards and subsidies to labs that participate and become certified.

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Pedal Power Bike Share

Project Description

Nature Village has been organizing monthly Sunday bike rides for residents for the past two years. The trips introduce residents to fun and safe bike rides in the Albany area, which are accessible for children, and help educate residents about basic safety measures for East Bay cycling. Nature Village has also partnered with BicyCAL at these events to teach residents about bicycle maintenance. A bike share program would further Nature Village’s efforts to promote sustainable transportation, and increase accessibility of this transportation option to less...

Developing a Greener Ceramic Art Facility: Energy, Material, Curriculum

Project Description

The UC Berkeley Art Practice Department will implement a two-part focus in creating a greener and more sustainable Ceramics facility: by seeking matching funds to upgrade its aging facilities by purchasing an energy-efficient kiln, re-oriented staffing time as a result of the kiln upgrade and funds to support green/recycling materials and curriculum within all ceramics classes. Together, this leveraging of equipment, material process, and curricular integration is a crucial part in conveying to the next generation of artists the impact of their material production...

Climate Vulnerability Assessment

Project Description

The Climate Readiness Institute and the Office of Sustainability and Energy propose to partner to craft a detailed assessment of the campus’ vulnerability to future climate change impacts. The project will proceed in two phases. In the first phase – Initiating Assessment and Developing Vulnerability Report – the team will set up an advisory committee and engage a graduate student to craft a Vulnerability Report. The project team also proposes having other students assist with some of the more detailed data gathering for the Report, by seeking out class projects in...