Carbon reduction grants ($1,000-$25,000) are intended for practical, measurable projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions across Oregon State University operations and activities. This grant program is open to students, faculty and staff and is administered by the Faculty Senate Carbon Commitment Committee (C3) in partnership with the OSU Sustainability Office, using funding generously provided by Facilities Planning and Management. For student-only mini-grants (up to $200) from the Sustainability Office, please visit this page.
FY26 Grant Cycle Timeline
- The application portal opened October 1, 2025
- Proposals due: November 15, 2025 (11:59 p.m. PT)
- Awards announced: January 23, 2026
- Earliest estimated project start: February 2, 2026
- Download Call for Proposals
Program Overview
The program accelerates OSU’s path to carbon neutrality by investing in short, high-impact projects that reduce carbon emissions at OSU. It empowers bottom-up ideas and activities from students, faculty, and staff, channeling their creativity, expertise, and passion into practical actions that make a measurable difference. Projects may combine operational improvements, technology, and behavior change. What matters most is a clear, defensible reduction in emissions.
• Funding available: Up to $50,000 total in FY26
• Awards: $1,000–$25,000 each
• Project length: Up to 12 months (extensions considered case-by-case)
• Who can apply: All current OSU employees and students (student-led teams must include an OSU employee advisor)
Background and Purpose
In 2007 OSU signed the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment (now the Carbon Commitment) and set a goal of carbon neutrality by 2025. In 2018 the Faculty Senate formed the Carbon Commitment Committee. In June 2024, the Faculty Senate passed a resolution to accelerate carbon emissions reduction at OSU (link here), which led to the creation of a dedicated fund supporting carbon-reduction projects initiated by students, staff and faculty. This program operationalizes that commitment.
Eligibility
- Open to all current OSU employees and students.
- Proposed activities must have a direct connection to reducing OSU’s climate impacts and align with university objectives. Student wages are an eligible expense with grant funds, but faculty and staff wages are not.
- The project lead must be able to spend funds within OSU systems (index/account required).
Review criteria & selection
• Climate Impact (40 pts): expected reductions; persistence of savings; cost-effectiveness; scope alignment
• Feasibility & Readiness (25 pts): realistic plan; milestones; risks/mitigations; required approvals; 12-month deliverability
• Outreach & Replicability (20 pts): education value; audience reach; clarity of artifacts; potential to scale/replicate
• Team & Partnerships (15 pts): skills match; unit buy-in; student involvement
Cross‑unit collaboration and first‑time applicants will be considered positively in final decisions. Projects submitted by students and projects that involve students will be given funding priority.
Resources and Templates
• Call for Proposals (PDF)
• Budget Template (XLSX)
• Printable Flyer (PDF)
Contact
Email: [email protected]