The Collective is soliciting project ideas from the UBC research community. Faculty, Research Associates, or Postdoctoral researchers are invited to complete a Notice of Intent (NOI) form briefly outlining their project idea (submit through our Qualtrics Survey here). The submission deadline is February 29th at 11:59pm.
The NOIs will be reviewed, and applicants whose NOI suits the program will be invited to pitch their full project at an interactive event involving UBC students and faculty (mid-to-late April 2024). Projects will be selected for inclusion into the program at the event. After project selection, graduate students will apply for the 2024-25 Solution Scholars program, indicating project preferences in their applications.
What is a Suitable Project?
The objective of this program is to expand interdisciplinary climate research collaborations and encourage climate solutions-oriented research at UBC. Think of this as an opportunity to explore a climate solutions-oriented research question emerging from your research, develop collaborations with other researchers, expand the scope of your work, and/or tackle a real-world problem that is not receiving sufficient attention.
Projects that serve as the launching point for future work, research directions and collaborations that go beyond the scope of current expertise are strongly encouraged. Applicants submitting a NOI are encouraged to think creatively about outcomes that can be accomplished within a ten-month timeframe. Examples include:
- Research proposal aimed at a funding agency or foundation (e.g. work may involve literature review, definition of the research problem, scoping, final proposal text, etc.)
- Knowledge exchange on a topical climate challenge (e.g. interactive data visualization, film, podcast, plays or performances, white papers, app, etc.)
- Report on best management practices or guidelines for a climate solutions activity (e.g. assessing literature and available expertise, setting criteria, etc.)
- Development of database or tool (e.g., database for assessing climate action, emissions calculator)
Successful projects must:
- Have clearly defined outcomes or deliverables focused on climate mitigation, adaptation and/or education;
- Be achievable within a ten-month time frame by a small (2-4) team of graduate students;
- Benefit from the contributions of a cross-university team;
- Be supported by a research team of at least two of the UBC applicants (Faculty, Research Associates, or Postdoctoral researchers) who will act as mentors to project teams throughout the duration of the project timeline (September 2024 – June 2025). Note only one applicant is required for the NOI stage - successful NOI applicants can identify the additional applicants at the Pitch stage.
Following the Collective’s mandate to build connections across UBC and to encourage new collaborative research on climate change solutions, projects that involve first-time collaborators, engage with Indigenous scholarship, include engagement across the UBCO and UBCV campuses and/or focus beyond the local region will be prioritized.
Who can Apply?
The lead applicant(s) must be a UBC Faculty, Research Associate, or Postdoctoral Researcher (with appointments that end no earlier than June 30, 2025). Additional UBC community members and off-campus partners are welcome as a part of the application team. At the NOI stage, applications can be submitted individually. At least one additional UBC co-applicant will need to be added before the pitch session. The Collective’s staff and Steering Committee will be available to help identify co-applicants and off-campus partners, as well as to prepare for the pitch session.
If a project is selected for the 2024-25 program, the application team will act as project mentors and provide feedback and support to the student project group during the academic year.
How to Apply?
The NOI is a brief online form that identifies to the Collective’s Steering Committee and Staff the number and range of project ideas in advance of the pitch session. The project idea and team can still be in development. The NOI must be submitted by February 29th at 11:59pm and include:
- Applicant(s)
- Title (be creative!)
- Preliminary description that summarizes the rationale, objectives, methods and anticipated range of students involved (max. 500 words)
- Deliverables (one line)
- Anticipated audience and/or impact (one line).
The Collective’s funding is allocated to stipends for Solutions Scholars, with limited additional resources for project costs. Anticipated project costs and sources of support can be identified in the NOI.
Download a PDF of the Call for NOI here.