Award overview
Funding level: Up to $5,000 per award (3-4 awards expected in FY26)
- Each award will include a $1,000 stipend per student, with a max of 4 students/team.
- Each team can request up to $1,000 in operational expenses to accomplish their project (e.g. materials, equipment, travel, etc.)
- Projects should be completed and funds expended by the end of FY26 (June 30, 2026).
This initiative provides funds to empower student teams, working with faculty mentors, to develop and execute projects that address modern-day environmental challenges or seize environmental opportunities in collaboration with community partners.
The goal is to provide students with hands-on experiential learning opportunities that connect their academic training with practical application, while also building sustainable community partnerships and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, especially across the School of the Arts, School for the Digital Future and School of the Environment.
Examples
Below, we provide a few examples to help get your creative juices flowing. These examples are not meant to be directive or exhaustive, but rather to provide some additional context for the type, scope and scale of projects the School of the Environment is envisioning.
Artistic and scientific collaboration for environmental awareness
A team of students from the School of the Arts and the School of the Environment collaborate with a local conservation group to create public art installations that highlight the impacts of climate change on local ecosystems, using scientific data for accuracy.
Example use of funds: Materials for art installation, travel to community sites, stipends for student artists/researchers, marketing materials for public engagement.
Digital storytelling for community resilience
Students from the School for the Digital Future and the School of the Environment partner with a government agency to develop interactive digital tools (e.g., virtual reality experiences, data visualizations) that educate the public on hazard mitigation strategies for specific environmental risks in the region.
Example use of funds: Software licenses, specialized equipment for digital content creation, community workshop space rental, travel to community meetings.
Community-based water quality monitoring and data visualization
An interdisciplinary student team from the School of the Environment and the School for the Digital Future works with a community organization to establish a water quality monitoring program, designing user-friendly dashboards and mobile applications to share real-time data with residents.
Example use of funds: Water testing kits, sensors, software development tools, transportation for field work, community outreach materials.
Sustainable design for urban green spaces
Students from the School of the Arts and the School of the Environment collaborate with the City of Boise to design and implement a sustainable landscaping project in an urban green space, focusing on native plant species and water conservation, with community input gathered through workshops.
Example use of funds: Plant materials, landscaping tools, workshop supplies, stipends for student designers/researchers.
Eligibility
- At a minimum, at least one student must be enrolled in a School of the Environment program (i.e. Environmental Science, Environmental Studies, Geosciences (undergraduate or graduate), or Masters of Environmental Management). Otherwise, open to any current Boise State University students.
- Proposals must be submitted by an individual student or a team of students, with a faculty mentor (or mentors) identified.
- Proposals must include collaboration with a community partner.
- Proposals must align with one of the School of the Environment thematic areas described after this section.
- Proposals involving students and faculty from the School of the Arts, School for the Digital Future and School of the Environment are highly encouraged.
School of the Environment thematic areas of investment
- Adaptation to climate change and hazard mitigation
- Critical minerals
- Ecosystem and species conservation
- Sustainable energy transitions
- Water, science and society
Proposal requirements
- Project title and participants: Provide a brief but descriptive title and a description of who will be involved.
- Student(s) name(s), faculty mentor(s) and the community partner(s)
- Project description (maximum of 500 words):
- Outline of the project activities (e.g., community-based research, service-learning project, public engagement campaign, digital product development)
- How the project aligns with a specific School of the Environment thematic area(s)
- Anticipated outcomes and how success will be measured/determined
- Budget request (up to $5,000) with a justification for the requested funds (maximum of 200 words). The justification should include a description of how the funds will be used (e.g., materials, travel, software, stipends for students) as well as a brief rationale for why the funds are proposed to be used in the proposed way.
- Letter of support from faculty mentor(s): A brief letter endorsing the student team and project.
- Letter of support from community partner(s): A brief letter confirming their willingness to collaborate on the proposed project.
Deliverables
- A final report that includes a description of the project activities and associated outcomes.
- Participation in storytelling efforts supported by the School of the Environment and assistance with disseminating project outcomes through School of the Environment communication channels (website, social media, events).
- A year-end budget report including a description of all expenditures.
Application process and submission guidelines
The fellowship may be used to fund salary for the project and the purchase of project-specific equipment, research materials and travel.
Funds cannot be used to pay for summer or fall school tuition or related programmatic fees.
Deadlines
- Proposal submission: Proposals must be submitted by October 15, 2025.
- Award notification: All applicants will be notified of award decisions by November 1, 2025. Funds will be made available shortly thereafter.
- Use of funds: Funds must be expended according to the stipulations of this funding initiative.
- Reporting outcomes: Project outcomes must be reported to the School of the Environment Director within 6 weeks of project completion.
Application instructions
- Submit proposals via the School of the Environment Director Awards application form.
- Include letters of support from your faculty mentor(s) and community partner(s) as attachments within the application form.
Evaluation criteria
Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
- Relevance to School of the Environment thematic areas of investment: Alignment with School of the Environment’s mission and key education, research, and engagement themes.
- Innovation and impact: Novelty and/or potential efficacy of the approach and the expected impacts.
- Interdisciplinary collaboration: Degree to which the project fosters cross-disciplinary partnerships, particularly between the School of the Arts, School for the Digital Future and School of the Environment.
- Feasibility: Clear, achievable outcomes with a realistic budget and timeline, and strong community partnership(s).
Contact information
For further questions or clarification, please contact:
Kevin Feris
Director, School of the Environment
Email: kevinferis@boisestate.edu