Office for Sustainability Education Undergraduate Studies

Offers multiple funding opportunities for research in environment, climate and sustainability.

Available to students and faculty.

AVPR Announcements

This grant supports projects fostering collaboration between academic researchers and community partners to address real-world issues and enhance societal impact.

Available to faculty with at least 0.5 FTE.

CBR Partnership Formation Grant

Annually awarded to three faculty members for outstanding research achievements. Funds support research or creative projects that improve and enrich human conditions.

Faculty with at least five years at the University of Utah are eligible.

Distinguished Research Awards

This award supports faculty scholarly activities such as writing, curating, performing, creating, or designing. Funds provide one semester of full release time at full salary.

Available to career-line and tenure-line faculty with at least 0.5 FTE.

Faculty Fellow Awards

This page provides links to 12 federal agencies and foundations offering energy-related funding opportunities.

Available to all students and faculty.

Energy Futures Funding

This grant supports creative research and scholarly publications. Eligible publications must be peer-reviewed, publicly analyzed, and contribute new knowledge, technologies, methods, or materials.

Available to tenure-line and career-line faculty with at least 0.5 FTE. Adjunct faculty can join applications as co-PIs.

Faculty Small Grant Program

This grant supports innovative research with the potential to attract extramural funding. Certain activities are ineligible, as outlined in the VPR Budget Guidelines.

Available to tenure, career, clinical, or equivalent faculty with at least 0.75 FTE.

Research Incentive Seed Grant

Supports water-related research, technical assistance, and education projects. Examples of funded projects are listed for 2025.

Funding for these projects comes from the Environmental Protection Agency via federal 319 grants.

Open to any individual meeting project requirements.

NPS Funding

This page provides links to 12 federal agencies and foundations offering water sustainability funding opportunities.

Available to all students and faculty.

Peak Water Funding

This fund supports the purchase, repair or upgrade of research instrumentation. There are four eligibility categories detailed in the link below.

Available to tenure-line and career-line faculty with at least 0.75 FTE.

Research Instrumentation Fund

This grant supports innovative responses to challenges in extreme environments, addressing both environmental conditions and improving population safety in resource-scarce settings.

Available to faculty with at least 0.5 FTE. Project teams must include at least three faculty or research scientists from two different colleges. Inclusion of postdoctoral, graduate, or undergraduate students is highly encouraged.

RAC Grand Challenge

Supports sustainability projects addressing energy, water and carbon challenges in Utah, Nevada or Arizona. Projects must produce innovative solutions.

Funding is provided by community partners and stakeholders.

Open to any individual meeting project requirements.

SWSIE Innovation Grant

This grant supports research on the fundamental processes of climate change as well as climate policy and opportunities. Projects already receiving funding from other sources are not eligible. Proposals must focus on a new research direction with potential to generate extramural funding.

Available to tenure-line and career-line faculty in residence at the University of Utah.

Wilkes SEED Grant

This grant fosters interdisciplinary research collaborations. The FY25 theme is “Women Across the Lifespan: Health, Technology, and Society,” but all disciplines are encouraged to apply.

Available to tenure-line and career-line faculty with at least 0.75 FTE.

1U4U Collaborative Grant