NYU Announces Sustainability ‘Green Grant’ Recipients for 2008

NYU’s Sustainability Task Force recently announced its 2008 Sustainability “Green Grant” recipients. The task force, now in its second year, received 57 proposal submissions and awarded $160,000 in grants to 23 projects, an increase of over 40 percent from last year. The projects will help the University reduce environmental impacts, engage the community, and advance research and educational goals. 

      “Based on the success of last year’s awards, we are excited to announce this year’s winners,” said Efrain Azmitia, professor of biology and co-chair of the task force’s Sustainability Fund Committee. “The originality and scope of the projects is evident and will help to place NYU among the leaders of the national green campus movement.”

      The winning projects encompass a range of sustainability issues, from the food we eat (Community Garden Project), to the energy we use (GreenLight System), from the waste we produce (Composting Initiative), to the way we get around the campus (Bike Share Pilot Program). They also cover a mixture of strategies—from resource conservation and efficiency to outreach, communication, academic curricula, and research.  

      The proposals were each evaluated on their likely impact on the campus environmental footprint, ability to be self-sustaining or institutionalized after initial funding, and feasibility and potential for successful implementation. 

      “Through the previous round of Green Grants, we saw how a little idea with some seed money could emerge into an initiative with the potential to transform the campus,” said Jeremy Friedman, project administrator, NYU Sustainability Task Force. “This year, I believe some of our projects will reach beyond the campus to have a meaningful impact on the broader NYC community and beyond.”

      For more information on the winners and the task force, go to www.nyu.edu/sustainability.