Grants to bring sustainability to campus

UK’s first Sustainability Challenge Grants, totaling $100,000, have been awarded to seven projects that will attempt to build sustainable food systems and bus stops on campus, as well as increase the amount of planted trees and revive a community garden.

The funds will be awarded during the Tracy Farmer Institute’s Sustainability Research Showcase at the Hilary J. Boone Center on Monday, according to the Challenge Grant webpage.

The funds were supplied by the office of the executive vice president for finance and administration, the Student Sustainability Council and the office of the vice president for research, sustainability coordinator Shane Tedder from the Office of Sustainability told the Kentucky Kernel in September.

The executive vice president for finance and administration’s office contributed half of the funds, Tedder told the Kentucky Kernel, and the vice president for research’s office and the Student Sustainability Council each contributed one-quarter.

The goal of the grants was to create multidisciplinary teams to work on increasing sustainability while also advancing economic vitality, according to the Challenge Grant webpage. By the Oct. 15 deadline, 22 teams had requested about $450,000 for projects.

Of those teams, the Development of Sustainable Bus Stops, Campus Tree Initiative and Empowerment for North Limestone Neighborhood Sustainability projects each received about $18,000 in funding.

The Arboretum Drive BioSwale Demonstration project and Cultivating Place for a Sustainable Community: Revitalizing the Shawneetown Community Garden each received $15,000.

Big Blue Impact: Making Sustainability Visible received $10,000 in Challenge Grant funds and the University of Kentucky Food Summit received almost $7,000.

Staff Report