The Green Initiative Fund will award around $150,000 in grants to select UCSB students, staff or faculty for their sustainable project proposals this year.

In Spring 2006, UCSB students voted to distribute TGIF $2.60 per quarter in lock-in fees, establishing the first ‘green’ fee in the UC system. TGIF projects must enhance the campus’ ecological and economic stability while encouraging environmental education. The TGIF Grants Making Committee will consider any project that offers reductions in “energy use, carbon emissions, water consumption and waste generation.”

TGIF collaborates with the Campus Sustainability Committee — a group of university administrators, deans, Nobel Laureates, faculty, staff and students that formed in 2008 to pursue solutions to green goals.

According to Grant Keefe, TGIF Sustainability Coordinator and Grants Manager, students who are not interested in submitting a proposal can still be key players in campus environmental preservation.

“By switching off lights, printing double-sided or taking the extra moment to recycle, individuals make the everyday choices that drive the success of the campus’ sustainability programs and drastically reduce our impact on the environment,” Keefe said. “The pristine environment surrounding UCSB provides an everyday reminder that we are stewards for our environment, and I believe that all members of our campus take pride in this responsibility.”

Proposals will be accepted until Feb. 28. More information can be found at sustainability.ucsb.edu/tgif.