The Office of Sustainability is charged with promoting sustainability research and education on the UW–Madison campus and creating intersections between UW–Madison campus operations and the research and education enterprises that promote sustainability. The SIRE award program was created to support this mission and to stimulate innovation in research and education related to sustainability on the UW–Madison campus.
2015 SIRE Award Program
• SIRE Research Initiation (SIRE-RI)
SIRE-RI is a seed award program intended to nurture research ideas that can subsequently be developed into larger, extramurally-funded initiatives. This intent is coupled directly with the campus objective of responsible stewardship of resources, as articulated in the Campus Strategic Framework.
2015 Information
Focus: Zero Waste
Award: There is no limit to the proposed budget, however only proposals that meet criteria with adequate budget justification will be awarded.
Proposal Deadline: 4:00 p.m. on December 15, 2014
Award Duration: Awards will begin on January 20, 2015, and run through December 31, 2015, unless negotiated otherwise with the Office of Sustainability.
Proposals are welcome from all disciplines and interdisciplinary proposals are encouraged. For the 2015 award program, proposals that address the following areas of zero waste will be given priority:
- minimization of campus disposal volume/costs and maximization of reuse
- identification of options that provide maximum return for recycling waste streams
- purchasing practices
- end of life alternative uses
- waste of economic and human resources
• SIRE Educational Innovation (SIRE-ED)
SIRE-ED awards are intended to foster new curriculum and educational opportunities as articulated in the Campus Strategic Framework. Development of new courses, modification of existing courses, and development of new pedagogical tools for sustainability-related education are of interest. Online and distance-delivered courses as well as courses that can be incorporated into the Sustainability Certificate curriculum are of particular interest.
2015 Information
Focus: Sustainability Certificate curriculum
Award: There is no limit to the proposed budget, however only proposals that meet criteria with adequate budget justification will be awarded.
Proposal Deadline: 4:00 p.m. on December 15, 2014
Award Duration: Awards will begin on January 20, 2015, and run through December 31, 2015, unless negotiated otherwise with the Office of Sustainability.
Proposals that fit into the framework of the Sustainability Certificate and engage first- and second-year students are preferred. Courses that incorporate the following themes are of particular interest:
- human decisions and their impacts on natural ecosystems
- value generation and use in relation to energy, resource, technology, and demand
- sustainability issues addressed at local, regional, and global perspectives
- influence of public policy on decisions
- analysis, design, and policy decisions in relation to climate change adaptation and mitigation.
QUESTIONS?
Questions regarding the SIRE award programs should be directed to Craig Benson.