Steinbrenner Environmental Education Development Grants (SEED)

The Steinbrenner Institute provides small grants to CMU students, staff and faculty for the development or enhancement of formal and informal environmental education programs. Applications are accepted on a ‘rolling’ basis and the maximum amount of a SEED grant is $2,500.

Applications will be evaluated using and should comply with the following criteria:

• Eligible activities include course development, projects, workshops, or events
  
• Students must be involved in the program
• Provision of some level of matching funds must be demonstrated

Grantees will be required to write an article for a future SEER newsletter and present a poster about their program at the annual Steinbrenner Institute poster session.

*Due to the volume of requests for SEED grants, and limited funds available, support for participation in conferences or requests for computing services are not eligible.

2013-2014 SEED Grants Include:

• Support of the Carnegie Mellon University Solar Splash delegation (CMUSS)
• Support for Project Greenlight who are "developing an information system that automates artificial light sources to enhance comfort and reduce energy consumption"
• Support of a research project examining the evolution of past Pennsylvania natural gas policy and discussions involving its environmental impacts.  This research will be contributing to a larger project involving the past environmental impacts of natural gas development on the region.
• Support of Engineers without Borders summer research project investigating plastic thatch roofing

2010-2011 SEED Grants:

• Support of the 'Engineers Without Borders' Northeast Chapter conference
• Robert Cavalier, College of Humanities and Social Science, Department of Philosophy – project on a National Deliberative Poll on Climate Change and Public Policy
• Support of Carnegie Mellon student participation in Engineering Sustainability 2011 Conference in Pittsburgh
• Support of Carnegie Mellon student and faculty participation in AASHE 2011 Annual Conference in Pittsburgh

2009-2010 SEED Grants:

• Support of Carnegie Mellon team to attend and present at the AASHE conference
• Support for a group of 30+ undergraduate students to attend PowerShift Conference in Washington
• Support for participation of 3 graduate students in COP-15, the 2009 UN Climate Change conference, Copenhagen
• Support for Solar Splash team for 2010 competition
• Support for the 'Faces of Globalization' environmental film project

2008 SEED Grants:

• Mark Fuge (undergraduate student), Carnegie Institute of Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering—Carnegie Mellon Solar Splash Team (overview, presentation)
• Melissa Cicozi, College of Fine Arts, School of Design—C02 Reduction Posters: How one person can make a difference in global warming
• Robert Cavalier, College of Humanities and Social Science, Department of Philosophy—A Deliberative Poll on Climate Change
• John Soluri, College of Humanities and Social Science, Department of History—A Preliminary Assessment of the Impact of U.S. Market Structures and Preferences on the Ecology of Salmon Farming in Southern Chile
• Deanna Matthews, Carnegie Institute of Technology, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering—The Green Design Apprenticeship
• Vanessa Schweizer (graduate student), Carnegie Institute of Technology, Department of Engineering and Public Policy—Focus the Nation: Global Warming Solutions for America (report, presentation)
• Scott Matthews, Carnegie Institute of Technology, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering—Enabling International Expansion and Education of EIO-LCA
• Mike Griffin, Tepper School of Business and Carnegie Institute of Technology, Engineering and Public Policy—Biofuel Crop Production on Abandoned Mine Land: A Scoping Analysis (summary, presentation)

2007 SEED Grants:

• Green Design Apprenticeship—The Apprenticeship Program brings a cohort of 15 high school students from Allegheny County to experience the work of engineers, with a focus on environmental issues. Over five days, students participate in hands-on activities and work with researchers  in the Green Design Institute to investigate how environmental impacts pervade engineering work.
• Carnegie Mellon Solar Splash—Fifteen team members will use Steinbrenner funds in the construction of their solar/electric boat for entry into Solar Splash competition of the World Championship of Intercollegiate Boating. In their inaugural 2006 year, Carnegie Mellon Solar Splash earned the distinction of “Notable Performance by a Rookie Team.”
• Corporations and Environmental Responsibility: An Immersion Course—Envisioned by Peter Madsen, following his weekend immersion course in environmental justice, this course will bring local and national experts to explore the impact of corporations on the environment.
• Solar Decathlon—The Solar Decathlon Team will purchase and install a High Efficiency Photovoltaic System for the 2007 Solar Decathlon house that is estimated to increase overall system efficiency from 11% to 18%.
• Rain Water Garden—Students will purchase native perennials to plant on the west side of the Solar Decathlon House on campus to implement a pilot rain garden, which they designed in Fine Arts Professor Bob Bingham’s Ecoart class.

For more information please contact Steinbrenner Institute Director of Special Environmental Projects, Deborah Lange