How it Works

Funding opportunity

• This grant – offered by the Sustainability Hub in partnership with UBC Wellbeing – encourages faculty to include course content and pedagogy connections between climate change and human health and wellbeing given that "climate change is the greatest global health threat facing the world in the 21^st century, but it is also the greatest opportunity to redefine the social and environmental determinants of health” (The Lancet Countdown on health and climate change).
• Wellbeing in learning environments is foundational to achieving deeper learning and academic success. The need to highlight health and wellbeing in teaching and learning about climate change has been identified by UBC faculty, support units, and the Climate Emergency Task Force report. This program offers support for faculty to promote wellbeing in the classroom, particularly while engaging with challenging topics such as climate change.
• One grant of up to $6,000 is available per instructor to revise and deliver materials, activities and/or resources for an existing course that will be offered between September 2023 and December 2024. 
• Proposals for up to $6,000 for one-time funding must include a detailed budget.
• Funds can be used for curriculum development work (e.g., developing new course materials, hosting workshops to consult on course changes, developing resources for online delivery, etc.). Funds are non-recurring and non-renewable.
• Grant recipients will meet with peers approximately five times between September 2023 and May 2024 to share progress on curriculum projects, discuss and learn about tools that support wellbeing in teaching and learning environments, and engage with climate change topics. Building a network of faculty with similar interests in teaching climate and sustainability content is one of the key goals and benefits of this program.

Eligibility

• Must be a current UBC faculty member with a demonstrated ongoing role in teaching the revised course.
• Funds must be used to incorporate climate change content into an existing course that will be taught by the applicant in 2023-2024. Funds may also be used to develop and/or include innovative online teaching approaches that support student learning about the climate crisis.
• Course revisions supporting climate education must be incorporated into the course in subsequent offerings.
• Applicants must demonstrate awareness of the impacts of climate change as a critical determinant of human health and wellbeing and describe how they will make these connections explicit in their teaching to promote wellbeing in the classroom. 
• Applicants must be available to meet approximately five times in person with all other grant recipients between September 2023 and May 2024 (exact dates to be determined with the group of recipients).

How to Apply

1. Complete the application form
2. Provide your CV (short CV form - maximum five pages)
3. Obtain a letter of support from your Department Head 
4. Submit your application

Apply

*The Selection Committee includes members of the Sustainability Hub and the Office of the Wellbeing Strategy.

Timeline

• Applications close at 5 pm PST on June 12, 2023. Applicants will be notified about the outcome of the selection process by late June 2023.
• Funds will be dispersed in July 2023 and must be spent by August 2024.
• Successful applicants are required to submit a final report detailing their course modifications and evaluation of impact within one month of delivering their modified course.
• Periodic grantees cohort meetings will be scheduled before the Fall term starts.