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Climate Action Plan Launch Event!Wednesday, April 20, 2022, 12pm - 2pm ET
Registration
George Mason University commits to be carbon neutral by 2030 with the release of its new Climate Action Plan (CAP)! The new CAP charts a path forward for Mason to accelerate its response to the climate emergency and ensure a healthy planet for all.
Join the Mason community on Wednesday, April 20, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. in the Johnson Center Atrium on George Mason University's Fairfax Campus to celebrate the launch of the new CAP! The launch of Mason's new CAP will feature:
- President Gregory Washington
- Esteemed guest speakers
- Sustainability-focused activities
- Special, plant-based food items
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Congressional Fellowship Opportunity
The Climate Solutions Foundation is launching a 12-month Congressional Fellowship Program which will provide participants an opportunity to work alongside U.S. House of Representatives staff, and to gain invaluable and practical public policy experience. This program is ideal for those interested in leveraging their expertise in order to inform policy and inspire pragmatic climate change solutions.
Fellows must be U.S. citizens and have a master's degree in a political, scientific, or climate field. The program will run from August 10, 2022 through July 31, 2023. Fellows will receive a $80,000 stipend, plus reimbursement for health insurance coverage.
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25Live Guide – Feature Your Sustainability Events
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ISE Faculty Profiles
The ISE faculty directory is a tool for you to find others with complementing expertise and for external and internal audiences to find you! If you haven’t yet submitted your research profile information for the directory, please complete your profile here.
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Film and Panel Discussion: Guardians of the Forest
Wednesday, April 13, 2022, 6pm - 8pm ET via Zoom
Registration
Guardians of the Forest is an award-winning documentary film that tells the inspiring story of the Maijuna Indigenous group of the Peruvian Amazon as they fight for their biologically rich ancestral lands and cultural survival. The Maijuna culture is sustained and nourished by their heavily forested ancestral territory, which is increasingly threatened by outsiders. After introducing and screening the film, this event will culminate in a question-and-answer session with Maijuna leaders and the film’s producer and director. This documentary film will be of broad interest to attendees as it touches on rainforest conservation, Indigenous rights and lifeways, community empowerment, human rights, and environmental justice, among other critical topics. To register for free, please visit:
Event Sponsors: School of Integrative Studies, Institute for a Sustainable Earth, Environmental Science and Policy Department, Smithsonian Mason School of Conservation, Global Affairs Program, Social Justice and Human Rights Initiative, LEAD, ACEER, Film and Video Studies Program, and the Center for Humanities Research.
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A Living Vision for the Amazon: Valuing A Most Precious Asset
Monday, April 25, 2022, 10:00am - 11:30am ET via Zoom
Registration
Join world-renowned thinkers as we explore science-based strategies for strengthening Amazonia’s resilience in the midst of accelerating environmental crises. Participants will share insights and experiences from the Science Panel for the Amazon, which in 2021 published a first-of-its-kind scientific assessment of the state of the Amazon, current trends, and recommendations for the long-term well-being of the ecosystem and its people. If implemented, the Panel’s recommendations will promote conservation as well as sustainable development of the region, with a vision of a standing forest, flowing rivers bioeconomy based on local and Indigenous knowledge, technology, and innovation
This webinar is sponsored by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network, the Institute for a Sustainable Earth at George Mason University, and the Wilson Center, and will feature special participation from Carlos Nobre (University of São Paulo), Beka Munduruku (Brazilian Indigenous Leader), Luciana Villa Nova Silva (Natura, Inc.), Jeffrey Sachs (Columbia University), and panel moderator Jeremy Campbell (Mason’s Institute for a Sustainable Earth)
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Center for Resilient and Sustainable Communities Lunch and Learn Series
The Center for Resilient and Sustainable Communities (C-RASC) is organizing a Lunch and Learn Series aimed at bringing people together from across Mason and beyond in an informal atmosphere to enhance knowledge, build collaborations, and drive research development. So, grab your lunch and join C-RASC for a range of presentations on resilient and sustainable related topics of interest. They are designed as Brown Bag Presentations with scholars internal to Mason and webinar presentations with scholars and collaborators external to Mason.
Spring Semester Schedule:
Dr. Rebecca Sutter, George Mason University “Cross-Sector Collaboration with the Public Health Department”
Dr. Brie Haupt, Virginia Commonwealth University “Cross-Sector Collaboration with the Public Health Department”
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Retail's Sustainability Imperative
Thursday, April 14, 2022, 1:30pm - 3:00pm ET
Registration
On Thursday, April 14th, at 12 noon ET, the Center for Retail Transformation will host a panel discussing the imperative facing retailers to address issues in sustainability.
Sponsored by Microsoft, and part of our transforming retail series, this panel features experts who will engage in a candid 360-degree conversation on the challenges facing retailers as they seek to improve their sustainability footprint from a retailer, supplier, solution provider, and consumer perspective. There will be a focus on practical steps retailers can take to improve their sustainability initiatives.
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Interactive Workshop Series: Planning for a Productive Summer
Monday, April 18, 2022, 1:30pm - 3:00pm ET
Registration
Faculty Affairs and Research Development Services will host the final interactive workshop of the semester. This workshop, facilitated by three Mason faculty members, will focus on identifying and making plans for achieving those (sometimes) elusive summer goals. We encourage you to attend and please share broadly with your colleagues. Registration is required, please use this link. We look forward to seeing you!
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Mason Vision Series: Living Native American Histories Across Generations
Wednesday, April 20, 2022, 7pm - 8pm ET
Registration
The next installment of the Mason Vision Series will be held from 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, April 20, and feature Gabrielle Tayac, historian and activist scholar, who will discuss Living Native American Histories Across Generations.
Native America holds histories encompassing millions of people, spanning thousands of years, and shaping present-day societies. Too often rendered exotically remote and stereotyped in popular presentations, accessing indigenous realities can require unlearning as a prerequisite to learning. Creating a dynamic applied approach to methodologies uplifting community-based Native knowledge holders as partners in scholarship, Dr. Gabrielle Tayac engages with research to link public understandings with indigenous voiced teachings. This work also minds the interests and reciprocities that American Indian communities seek to protect and restore knowledge disrupted through centuries-long colonial policies. In her presentation, Dr. Tayac will consider acknowledgment, right relationship, and the ways that Mason is at the forefront of developing public history as a community-engaged scholarly practice.
The Mason Vision Series will be live streamed through GMU-TV. Participants will have the opportunity to engage in the discussion by submitting questions via email (GMUProv@gmu.edu) or Twitter by using #VisionSeriesMason. To RSVP, click here.
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Democratizing NOVA Summit
Saturday, April 23, 2022, 10am - 4:30pm ET
Johnson Center, Dewberry Hall, George Mason University at Fairfax
Registration
It’s time to gather the energies and initiative of the many people of northern Virginia who are working to build a regional community, economy, and politics that are truly inclusive, democratic, equitable, and sustainable.
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From Great Ideas to Global Impact: A Talk with Andrew Byrnes
Leveraging experiences from his decades-long career in the private and public sectors working alongside innovators and entrepreneurs, Byrnes will offer insights on leadership, building highfunctioning teams, engaging policymakers, and other critical stakeholders, and navigating existing and emerging regulatory regimes and challenges. There is no cost to attend, but preregistration is required.
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NEW: NSF Strengthening American Infrastructure (SAI)
Strengthening American Infrastructure (SAI) is an NSF Program seeking to stimulate human-centered fundamental and potentially transformative research aimed at strengthening America’s infrastructure. Effective infrastructure provides a strong foundation for socioeconomic vitality and broad quality of life improvement. Strong, reliable, and effective infrastructure spurs private-sector innovation, grows the economy, creates jobs, makes public-sector service provision more efficient, strengthens communities, promotes equal opportunity, protects the natural environment, enhances national security, and fuels American leadership. Achieving these objectives requires the integration of expertise from across all science and engineering disciplines. SAI focuses on how fundamental knowledge about human reasoning and decision-making, governance, and social and cultural processes enables the building and maintenance of effective infrastructure that improves lives and society and builds on advances in technology and engineering. Successful projects will represent a convergence of expertise in one or more SBE sciences deeply integrated with other disciplines to support substantial and potentially pathbreaking, fundamental research applied to strengthening a specific and focal infrastructure.
General inquiries regarding this funding opportunity should be sent to NSF-SAI@nsf.gov.
- Anticipated Type of Award: Standard Grant Estimated
- Number of Awards: 35 Up to 10 Planning Grant Awards, up to 15 Research Grant Awards, and up to 10 Conference Awards.
- Anticipated Funding Amount: up to $10,000,000 pending the availability of funds and quality of proposals.
- Deadline: May 05, 2022
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NEW: COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH ACTION – Systems of Sustainable Consumption and Production
The Belmont Forum is pleased to announce the launch of the joint Collaborative Research Action (CRA) on the theme of Systems of Sustainable Consumption and Production. The call launched on 16 Feb 2022 with a closing date 10 May 2022. Current patterns of global development, based on continuous extraction and exploitation of natural resources are unsustainable. An urgent societal transition to systems of sustainable consumption and production (SSCP) will be necessary to reach a sustainable equilibrium. This announcement is intended to inform interested individuals and groups of the research funding opportunity focused on the co-development of science and stakeholder-based approaches to attain SSCP.
Proposals must be submitted as a group, or “Research Consortium” to be deemed eligible for this call. Research Consortiums require three or more consortium participants, representing at least three different countries, each requesting support from at least three participating funding organizations. Proposals submitted by a Research Consortium should include a strong and deliberate linkage between the societal and environmental aspects within Global Change to ensure that they meet the Belmont Challenge for international transdisciplinary research by providing knowledge for understanding, mitigating, and adapting to global environmental change.
This call aims to support activities spanning 3 years. All call documents and the submission portal are posted on the Belmont Forum Grant Operations website: BFgo.org. Additional information on this call and participating funders can be found here.
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Dear Colleague Letter: Design for Sustainability in Computing
This recently issued Dear Colleague Letter (NSF 2022-60) Design for Sustainability in Computing encourages the submission of novel and high impact proposals that advance sustainability in all aspects of computing to the CISE Core programs (NSF 21-616). The DCL invites transformative, cross-disciplinary and potentially clean slate approaches to enable sustainability across all levels of the entire computing stack from hardware to networking to software applications. Proposals should consider diverse notions of sustainability and propose suitable metrics for quantifying impact. Traditional energy efficiency and power savings methods alone are not in scope for this DCL. Computing techniques for sustainability in other fields are not in scope for this DCL. This DCL seeks ambitious and forward-thinking proposals on Design for Sustainability in Computing along multiple dimensions that go beyond energy efficiency.
This DCL neither constitutes a new competition nor a new program. Rather, interested proposers should prepare and submit proposals in accordance with the instructions in the CISE Core program solicitation (NSF 21-616) and the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG). Additionally, to call attention to responsiveness to this DCL, the Project Summary should include "SustainabilityDCL" in the keyword list. Proposals submitted to this DCL will count towards the proposal limits imposed in the CISE Core program solicitation.
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ORAU-Directed Research and Development (ODRD) Program Call for Proposals
Directed Research and Development (ODRD) program is a research and development program that supports collaborations between Oak Ridge Associated Universities researchers and faculty at member universities. George Mason University is a member of Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) and this funding opportunity is only open to the ORAU members. Led by ORAU subject matter experts and leveraging the talents and expertise of member universities, ODRD projects strengthen and expand the scientific and technical capabilities of both parties.
The FY23 research areas are Climate and Environment, Health Equity, and Future of the STEM Workforce. Proposals are due in June 2022, and must be submitted by ORAU staff. Awards are made in August. Projects run October 1 – September 30.
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Virginia Sea Grant Funding Opportunity: $1M for collaborative research on water adaptation and resilience-enhancing innovations
This call seeks university capacity to partner with the private sector, collaborate on R&D, assess both the impact the innovation had on improving adaptation and resilience of a coastal waterfront property and validate the full extent of the business products’ performance, and potentially work directly with the company on product development. The SIQs should speak to both the university’s interests and experience in collaborative research (e.g., research partnerships with the private, public or non-profit sectors, product development) and the capacity (human resources, facilities, programs and expertise, policies, etc.) to conduct the specific research on flood management, protection of buildings and properties, and water quality maintenance in a coastal rural context. Learn more about this opportunity here.- Funding source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
- Anticipated funding amount: $1,000,000
- Deadline: Statement of Interests & Qualifications: March 31, 2022
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Department of Energy Funding Opportunity: Deploying Solar with Wildlife and Ecosystem Services Benefits (SolWEB)
This funding opportunity will award $10 million for innovative solutions and strategies that maximize benefits and minimize impacts to wildlife and ecosystems from solar energy infrastructure. DOE is interested in projects that will produce results with broad relevance to solar stakeholders by establishing methods, technologies, models, best management practices, or resources that facilitate ground-mounted photovoltaic energy generation, including utility-scale and community solar, or concentrating solar-thermal power that is compatible with surrounding wildlife. DOE is also interested in assessing and optimizing ecosystem benefits that solar energy facilities can provide, such as soil formation, pollination of food crops, and carbon sequestration. These research activities will help reduce barriers, costs, and timelines for the deployment of large-scale solar energy necessary to meet the Biden Administration’s goals for achieving a decarbonized electricity sector by 2035. Learn more about this opportunity here.- Funding source: U.S. Department of Energy and other funding sources
- Anticipated funding amount: $10,000,000
- Deadline: April 11, 2022
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Environmental Health Sciences Core Centers
This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) invites grant applications for Environmental Health Sciences Core Centers (EHS CC). As intellectual hubs for environmental health science research, the EHS CC is expected to be the thought leaders for the field and advance the goals of the NIEHS Strategic Plan. The Core Centers provide critical research infrastructure, shared facilities, services and/or resources, to groups of investigators conducting environmental health sciences research. An EHS CC enables researchers to conduct their independently-funded individual and/or collaborative research projects more efficiently and/or more effectively. The overall goal of an EHS CC is to identify and capitalize on emerging issues that advance improving the understanding of the relationships among environmental exposures, human biology, and disease. The EHS CC supports community engagement and translational research as key approaches to improving public health.- Funding source: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
- Anticipated funding amount: Up to $3,400,000
- Deadline: April 14, 2022
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NSF Civic Innovation Challenge
The Civic Innovation Challenge (CIVIC) is a research and action competition that accelerates the transition to practice of foundational research and emerging technologies into communities through civic-engaged research. By addressing priorities at the local scale that are relevant across the US, CIVIC is laying the foundation for a broader and more fluid exchange of research and technology capabilities and civic priorities through joint partnerships involving civic stakeholders and the research community. CIVIC funds projects that pilot state-of-the-art solutions over 12 months, following a six-month planning phase, and have the potential for lasting impact in the partnering community as well as the potential to be scaled and implemented in other communities.
- Funding source: National Science Foundation
- Anticipated funding amount: Stage 1 Planning Grants up to $50,000, Stage 2 Full Awards up to $1,000,000
- Deadline: Stage 1: May 5, 2022, Stage 2: February 1, 2023.
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Partnerships for Innovation
The Partnerships for Innovation (PFI) Program within the Division of Industrial Innovation and Partnerships (IIP) offers researchers from all disciplines of science and engineering funded by NSF the opportunity to perform translational research and technology development, catalyze partnerships and accelerate the transition of discoveries from the laboratory to the marketplace for societal benefit.- Funding source: National Science Foundation
- Anticipated funding amount: Up to $550,000
- Deadline: July 13, 2022
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NSF Critical Aspects of Sustainability (CAS): Innovative Solutions to Climate Change
This Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) encourages the science and engineering communities to develop forward-thinking research that will demonstrably aid in the Nation's goal of reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions and developing approaches for adapting to the change that is already occurring. CAS: Innovative Solutions to Climate Change is a call to action that encourages the submission of certain types of proposals to appropriate existing NSF core programs to lay the foundation for disciplinary and interdisciplinary research and to answer fundamental questions related to novel approaches and solutions to climate change.- Funding source: National Science Foundation
- Anticipated funding amount: Up to $100,000
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2022 Earth System Observations & Modeling Graduate Symposium
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Spring Resiliency Academy
The Spring 2022 Resilience Academy is a free opportunity for students to learn about resiliency efforts at the local, state, and federal levels. Students can register as a "Special Guest" with the codes below for no cost. Attendees have the option of registering for all sessions at once or they can select individual sessions from the series.
May 12th - Session 3: Ecosystem Services: Green Infrastructure Utilized
Register for Session 3
Students can use code: RA2022S3SG to get free registration for Session 3 - Ecosystem Services: Green Infrastructure Utilized
June 9th - Session 4: Infrastructure & Buildings: Transportation Progress Report
Register for Session 4
Students can use code: RA2022SGS4 to get free registration for Session 4 - Infrastructure & Buildings: Transportation Progress Report
Cost: $25/session or $75 for all sessions; Students and Resilient Virginia Members are free
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CREF Compost Research Scholarship
Deadline: April 15, 2022
The Compost Research & Education Foundation (CREF) is offering scholarships to undergraduate through PhD students, studying at a college or university in the US, interested in doing a compost-related research project. The scholarship is for $4,000, and also includes an invitation to present research findings at a US Composting Council Annual Conference during a CREF research session.
The goal of this scholarship is to bring assistance to students doing compost-related research and to spark interest in future careers in the composting industry.
Learn more about the scholarship requirements and to apply: HERE.
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2022 Spotlight on National Park Resources in the National Capital Region
This year’s Spotlight features 16 speakers and up to 30 posters highlighting science and scholarship from 12 National Capital Region (NCR) parks. Resource specialists and cooperators from as far as Nebraska will describe their work and findings. Each presentation is 10 minutes, with 5 minutes for audience questions. Some of the diverse topics you will hear about at the 2022 Spotlight include:
- Grassland bird management in National Battlefield Parks
- Topo-bathymetric lidar acquisition for the Potomac River corridor
- The Power of Mushttp://ann_gallagher@nps.govic and Memory: Fisk Jubilee Singers and the Underground Railroad
- Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) habitat
- Dragonflies along the tidal freshwater Potomac River
- Artifacts of War, Sites of Resistance: The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Collection
- Water Quality Monitoring: Clean Water Awareness and Citizen Science
- The Loop Trail “Quest”: Analyzing Decision-making of Park Visitors
To join us for any or all of the presentations, please register for Spotlight using this form. Once registered, you will receive information about how to access the Teams platform for the event and the final schedule of presentations. The Spotlight is a biennial event coordinated by a multidisciplinary Steering Committee and supported by NCR’s Urban Ecology Research Learning Alliance, Cultural and Natural Resource Advisory Teams, and the Resource Stewardship and Science Directorate.
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The Institute for a Sustainable Earth (ISE) aims to connect members of the Mason community with others across the Mason community–and with other communities, policy-makers, businesses and organizations–so that, together, we can more effectively address the world’s pressing sustainability and resilience challenges.
The ISE Newsletter provides up-to-date information on conferences, funding opportunities, and research pertaining to environmental science and sustainability. The biweekly newsletter aims to facilitate information sharing among researchers, practitioners, and relevant local, national, and international organization.
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