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Pitch and Pilot: Fairfax County Innovation Challenge
Registration is now open for an innovation competition to develop smart city solutions centered on carbon neutrality & climate action.
The goal of the challenge is to find innovative solutions that improve energy efficiency, increase the use of renewable electricity, and accelerate the use of electric vehicles to shift from a carbon-based economy to a carbon-neutral community. The deadline for accepting applications is October 3, 2022, at 5pm ET.
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Workshop: Incorporating Systems Thinking within Environmental Curricula
Friday, November 11, 2022, 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Registration
Potomac Science Center
Systems thinking is often described as a core capacity for understanding sustainability and a critical skill for the 21st century. As such, this workshop is part of a George Mason University Curriculum Impact Grant-funded project that seeks to convene faculty and graduate students to examine the current state of systems thinking pedagogies and explore how they are being incorporated within two undergraduate degree programs–the BS in Environmental Science offered by the Department of Environmental Science & Policy (ESP), and the BA in Environmental and Sustainability Studies offered jointly by the School of Integrative Studies and ESP. Faculty and graduate students from other departments who teach related courses are also welcome. Workshop participants will share their own best practices in teaching students about systems and identify opportunities to integrate systems thinking within courses and throughout program curricula. The event will be held at Mason’s Potomac Science Center and will include a catered lunch for participants. The first half of the workshop (9:30-11:30 am), comprised of introductory talks and a curricular review, will be live-streamed for those who wish to attend but are not available for the full day. Please register HERE and email organizers K. L. Akerlof, Andrew Wingfield, Jeremy Campbell, Ted Chen, and Meaghan Caruso with any questions you have about the event.
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MITRE Capstones Project Portal
As part of its University Innovation Exchange (UIX) initiative, MITRE is partnering with universities to offer technical advisors and capstone project ideas that reflect real problems facing the United States government. The MITRE Capstones Project Portal is a web-based platform for university faculty and students to browse, select, and execute capstone projects with a MITRE technical advisor. There are several exciting opportunities currently on the Project Portal. You can review the full list here.
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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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Exploring Missing Middle: The Economics and Market Impact of Infill Development
- Terry L. Clower, Ph.D., Director, Center for Regional Analysis, George Mason University
- Charles Taylor, Acquisitions Manager, Classic Cottages, LLC
- Michelle Krocker, Executive Director, Northern Virginia Affordable Housing Alliance (NVAHA)
- Sandra Wood, Principal Planner, City of Portland Bureau of Planning & Sustainability
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SKYWARN Lecture
Thursday, October 13, 2022, 12pm - 2pm ET
Johnson Center Meeting Room F (No. 336)
Hosted by the Center for Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Studies, Brendon Rubin-Oster, Lead Meteorologist in the National Weather Service (NWS) Baltimore/Washington Forecast Office in Sterling, Virginia, will teach a SKYWARN class at GMU on October 13 from 12 pm to 2:00 pm in Johnson Center Meeting Room F (No. 336). The purpose of the NWS SKYWARN program is to train the public to be citizen weather spotters. SKYWARN spotters are very important during major weather events in that they provide real time ground truth about hazardous weather such as severe thunderstorms, tornado, flooding, winter hazards and other hazards that the mid-Atlantic experiences. The real time weather spotter information is used to help inform warning decisions and verify ongoing hazardous weather events.
The NWS SKYWARN class is provided free of charge to the public. Weather spotters are given a spotter ID to be used when reporting weather information to the Baltimore/Washington Forecast Office. The Baltimore/Washington Forecast Office provides watches, warnings, advisories, and forecasts for the District of Columbia, much of Maryland, the northern third of Virginia, and the eastern West Virginia panhandle.
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Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence Conference
Monday, October 24, 2022, 8am - 6:30pm ET
Mason Square, Arlington, Virginia
Registration
You are invited to George Mason University’s Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence Initiative at Mason Square. The ARIE Conference will provide a forum for higher education, industry, government, nonprofit, and other stakeholders to critically discuss anti-racism and inclusive excellence in the academy; share effective practices and resources to advance anti-racism and inclusive excellence; and amplify the visibility and impact of research, scholarship, and creative activities conducted by Mason researchers and other national scholars on anti-racism and inclusive excellence.
For more information, click here.
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Faculty Affairs-Research Development Services November Faculty Matters Workshop
We invite faculty to the next Faculty Affairs & Research Development Services Faculty Matters Workshop, How to Write Research, Scholarship, and Creative Work Statements, which focuses on effectively conveying the impact of your research, scholarship, and/or creative work for promotion, renewal, and tenure. This workshop is recommended for tenured and tenure-line faculty. Participants will have the chance to win a free book, On Writing Well by William Zinsser. The Zoom workshop is on November 1st from 1:00-2:30pm. Registration is required.
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NEW: 20th Annual People, Prosperity and the Planet (P3) Now Open: P3 20th Annual RFA
EPA’s People, Prosperity, and the Planet’s (P3) Program is seeking applications from teams of U.S. college students proposing to research, develop, and design solutions to real-world challenges that respond to the needs of people across the U.S, including those in small, rural, tribal, and underserved communities. P3 highlights the use of scientific principles in creating innovative technology-based projects that achieve the mutual goals of improved quality of life, economic prosperity and environmental protection.
Using a team approach, P3 empowers undergraduate/graduate college students to transform classroom learning through hands-on experience to create tangible solutions to environmental issues in their communities.
EPA is looking for research in the areas of clean and healthy air, clean and safe water, safeguarding and revitalizing communities, and ensuring the safety of chemicals.
Applications may incorporate climate change and environmental justice as appropriate.
Informational Webinar: October 25, 2022 at 2 p.m. ET
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NSF launches entrepreneurial fellowships for engineers and scientists
The U.S. National Science Foundation announced a new $20 million investment in Entrepreneurial Fellowships through a multi-year cooperative agreement with Activate.org. The Activate Fellows supported by NSF will be scientists and engineers from a variety of backgrounds and regions across the U.S. who will translate research breakthroughs to new products and services with broad societal benefits.
The Entrepreneurial Fellowships will help make entrepreneurship more accessible for people in less-developed innovation ecosystems, expanding geographic diversity and increasing participation of women and others who have been traditionally underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
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Dear Colleague Letter: Critical Aspects of Sustainability (CAS): Innovative Solutions to Sustainable Chemistry (CAS-SC)
The National Science Foundation (NSF) announces the establishment of the Critical Aspects of Sustainability (CAS): Innovative Solutions to Sustainable Chemistry Program (CAS-SC), under the CAS metaprogram umbrella. The CAS-SC Program recognizes the importance of sustainable chemistry in addressing many societal challenges and aims to encourage the expansion of the Nation’s research capacity in this topic area through submissions of research proposals. Proposals that emphasize a detailed and quantitative understanding of sustainable chemistry and include industrial partnerships are of particular interest.
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WMGIC x NATO Countering Disinformation Challenge 2022
Wednesday, October 12, 2pm – 3pm EST
This challenge will be held virtually over Zoom on Friday, October 21, 2022, from 8am to 2:45pm ET (12pm to 6:45pm GMT).
During the Challenge and over seven hours, teams will work with expert mentors in one of seven streams: Russia-Ukraine War, Public Health, Climate Change: Clean Energy, Climate Change: Climate Security, Artificial Intelligence, Gender-Based Violence, and Terrorism. Mentors will help guide students as they discuss and deliberate their proposed plan of action, and have backgrounds in government, industry, academia, and other relevant disciplines.
Each plan of action will consider NATO’s existing capacity and consider what actions NATO should implement within the next 12 months. Panels of expert judges will evaluate the proposals and select one winner from each stream for a total of seven winners, who will receive $500 each. The winners will be announced at the conclusion of the Challenge in a live Zoom event/webinar from 2pm to 2:45pm ET (6pm to 6:45pm GMT).
Any undergraduate student team from a university resident in a NATO Allied or partner nation is invited to register. No prior skills or knowledge required. Student teams will receive a detailed case study prior to the start of the challenge. This event is organized by William & Mary’s Global Innovation Challenge (WMGIC) and NATO Headquarters, with support from DisinfoLab, the Whole of Government Center of Excellence, W&M Law School, and the Reves Center for International Studies.
For more information on the Challenge, please visit here.
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Sustainability and Climate Change Call for Student Research
Wednesday, October 12, 2pm – 3pm EST
Sustainability and Climate Change invites student authors and author teams at the undergraduate and graduate level, as well as those five years or less into their postgraduate level, including Ph.D. candidates, to submit viewpoints, commentaries, perspectives and original research. The Journal accepts research-based manuscripts for review as well as best practice case studies, and perspectives and commentary on newsworthy trends shaping sustainability in the culture.
Some of the focus topics for authors to consider include (but are not limited to): programs to address climate change; energy, water, and resource conservation; behavior modification programs; the impact of change agents; bringing diversity into the sustainability field; melding budget cuts and sustainability; the built environment; green workforce development; best practice case studies from higher education, nonprofits, and the private sector; and sustainable agriculture and food programs.
For more information, click here.
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2023 Next System Fellows - Applications Open!
We are now accepting application for admission to the Spring 2023 cohort of Next System Fellows. Maybe you hope for a life in which you can make a real difference in the world. You seek a career in public service, research and education, social enterprise, activism, or advocacy. You need to build your practical experience and career networks. And you also want to make a difference right now.
A Next System Fellowship becomes your Spring 2023 semester. You study with the same students. You work closely with our core faculty. You emerge at the end of the semester having completed a transformative educational process. This is the kind of college experience many of you are looking for.
Consider this opportunity and --if it feels right to you-- apply soon. Your application deadline is November 15th, but our admissions committee begins formal review of applications on October 1st. Apply here: https://fellows.gmu.edu/next-system/application
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Bird Strikes Prevention Volunteers
The Office of Sustainability’s Patriot Green Fund, led by Sarah D’Alexander, is engaged with Dr. Daniel Hanley, Dr. David Luther, and Shawn Smith, among others, in the development of strategies to reduce bird strikes and bird fatalities.
Dr. Hanley, Dr. Luther, and Shawn Smith have a unique opportunity for students to participate in community engagement at Mason’s campuses from mid-September to mid-October,
Students can support bird strike prevention by volunteering as citizen scientists! Students will travel pre-selected routes and report any observed bird fatalities in the mornings and/or evenings. Reports will be made using an application designed by Dr. Hanley, Dr. Luther, and Shawn Smith. Data from the reports will be used to help develop solutions to reduce bird strikes and bird fatalities.
Students can email Shawn Smith at ssmit28@gmu.edu and include “bird strike volunteer” in the subject line to get started.
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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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