As of Feb. 26, University of Wisconsin Registered Student Organizations can begin applying for grants to pursue environmental projects through the Student Green Fund.
The $80,000 total allotment of student segregated fees for the fund was approved through the Associated Students of Madison Student Council earlier this month. A campus-wide email was sent out Wednesday from ASM detailing the purpose of the fund and providing students the outlet to apply.
Chair Will Mulhern said he predicted a lot of groups will apply to use the grant at a Sustainability Committee meeting Wednesday.
“I’ve heard back from a lot of people,” Mulhern said. “I’m thinking there are going to be a lot of applications.”
According to the standing rules, RSOs must provide detailed information on their project, including what quantifiable results the funding will lead to, the proposed budget for plans and a letter of recommendation from either a UW-Madison faculty or administrative staff member.
The fund’s standing rules outline six areas of sustainability on campus the grants aim to focus on: energy efficiency, water efficiency, food systems, transportation, ecological restoration and waste reduction.
The deadline for submitting applications is March 30.
Applications for two student positions on the Green Fund Advisory Boards are also being accepted. The seven-person board will review the requests for grants and decide which groups will be eligible to receive funding. Students interested in the position can send in a resume and cover letter by March 5.
Aside from Green Fund discussion, committee members also unanimously voted to support a resolution from Climate Action 350 UW at the meeting.
Climate Action 350 UW aims to inform the public, specifically the university, on the climate risks associated with fossil fuels, and to urge UW-Madison to cease investment in fossil fuel companies.
Theresa Arrate, a representative with the divestment movement, noted that the group does not expect the university to immediately halt relations with the organizations in question, but rather hopes to see a gradual distancing within the coming years.
Arrate cited the university’s mission to “ensure the survival of this and future generations and improve the quality of life for all,” and said by investing in companies associated with fossil fuels, the university is contradicting its outlined mission.
“We’re talking about our futures,” Arrate said. “We believe that those investments and the mission are not in alignment at all.”
The resolution will be heard before Student Council members at its next meeting March 12.
The committee also decided to delay the date of the third Sustainability Fair to April 27, due to setbacks with scheduling a keynote speaker. The fair, which will take place in the Education Building from 6:30-8:30 p.m., will focus on sustainability pertaining to food waste.
