Mason’s Living Lab program continues to support the development of new research and scholarship
initiatives that use the campuses’ living learning environments with growing arrays of buildings,
roadways, watercourses, green spaces and forests including their socio-ecological structures for
experimentation and education to develop and advance sustainability solutions. The Institute for a
Sustainable Earth (ISE) and its partners – the Patriot Green Fund and OSCAR – seek to support on-campus
research projects within the Living Labs Initiative.
Mason faculty are invited to submit proposals for funding to support research projects that utilize
Mason’s campuses and socio-environmental systems to develop innovative solutions to local or global
challenges and/or advance a novel sustainability-focused research agenda.
University Sustainability has identified the following specific research or innovation interest for Mason:
waste management (especially redistribution/reuse systems and behavioral interventions); sustainable
transportation (especially survey and analysis of university transportation modalities); water,
stormwater and wastewater management or reuse; sustainable procurement practices (especially
green purchasing and contract language); food systems (especially food insecurity, food redistribution,
and on-campus food production); and campus sustainability culture and literacy assessment. However,
researchers are also encouraged to submit innovative proposals on other high impact sustainability
topics.
Initial data collection, implementation of a pilot project, advancing ongoing research, proposal
development, testing solution prototypes, and/or implementing a demonstration project of a specific
innovation are examples of supported activities, but we encourage other activities beyond these as
well. Projects may address all stages of research and scholarship from basic/fundamental research and
scholarship to applied/translational projects. Proposals must discuss how the work will enable the
applicants to scale their research agenda and/or advance entrepreneurial activity.
Proposals will be considered from individuals or teams. Applicants may submit proposals for up to one
year of funding with a budget not to exceed $25,000. Projects involving undergraduate students
should also leverage funding available from OSCAR. Projects requiring materials purchase should also
include a complementary PGF application up to the allowable funding limit. If applying for these
additional funding sources, include them in the budget as line items and explain in the justification.
We expect to fund 3-4 projects this year.
Funding decisions will be contingent upon Mason Facilities’ approval of the proposed use of the
campus environment. APPLICANTS MUST NOT CONTACT MASON FACILITIES SEEKING APPROVAL PRIOR
TO SUBMISSION OF THEIR PROPOSAL. The Living Lab program manager will work with applicants of
recommended proposals to obtain the necessary approvals.
Applicants may contact the Living Lab program managers at [email protected] prior to proposal
submission with questions about potential use of the campus environment.
Details about the proposal requirements and process can be found below.
Key Dates
Call for Proposals Released: Mar 10, 2025
Proposal Due Date: Apr 25, 2025
Funding Decisions: May 16, 2025* (*contingent upon Mason Facilities’ approval)
Eligibility
• All faculty who are currently allowed to submit proposals under Mason’s Principal Investigators
Policy 4012. Faculty are encouraged to propose projects that integrate multiple PIs, disciplines, and
programs.
• A faculty member may only participate as a member of the proposing team on 1 proposal in this
competition.
Proposal Requirements
Submit a proposal that includes the following components:
- Cover Page (Up to 1 page)
- Title of Proposal
- Names and Affiliations of Proposing Team Members [both Mason members and external
partner(s), if any]. For Mason team members, include the Department and College/School. - Project Summary (200 words maximum) – brief description of the project to be published on
the Living Lab webpage
- Project Description. (3 page maximum).
The project description must:- Clearly identify and justify how the proposed work will advance an innovative sustainability
solution; describe how the proposed work will engage Mason’s campus environment and its
socio-environmental systems; describe how the proposed project will lead to sustained or
scalable research and/or impact; and discuss how the project can advance Mason’s strategic
goals. - Include a detailed work plan that outlines a timeline for the proposed work, identifies the
project team and their roles in the proposed work, and describes the milestones and
anticipated outcomes. Include the estimated number of people affected by the project
outcomes. - Describe how you will engage student researchers and scholars during the activities.
- Clearly identify and justify how the proposed work will advance an innovative sustainability
- Funding Plan. (3 page maximum, provide an itemized proposal budget spreadsheet that also
includes current and pending support from other sources for this project).
The project budget must be detailed and well-justified. The project budget request from the Living
Labs initiative may not exceed $25,000. Projects with smaller budgets are encouraged.
Funds may be used for research support personnel (including students), consultants, training
and/or other project-related expenses. Budgets may include small stipends for faculty ($500 per
faculty member) but may not be used for faculty summer salary or release time during the
academic year.
Funding leverage opportunities:
Projects involving undergraduate students should also consider funding available from OSCAR.
OSCAR offers campus-wide support for grants with undergraduate student participants, including a
research or project assistant program, funding programs for student projects related to the grant, a
travel fund for students presenting their work off campus, writing support for grants and
supplements supporting undergraduate students, and help recruiting students to work on projects.
Any undergraduate student from any college or major who is enrolled at George Mason University
can be supported by OSCAR’s programs.
For materials purchase applicants should also present a complementary Patriot Green Fund (PGF)
application up to the allowable funding limit.
OSCAR and PGF funding should be included as line items of pending support in the budget. - Biographical statements. Proposing teams should submit brief biographical statements for each
team member (200 word maximum per person). - Letters of collaboration (OPTIONAL). Proposals may include letters of collaboration that confirm
the participation of key partners in the proposed work. These letters must be brief (no more than 1
page each) and should not include description of work beyond what is included in the project
description.
Format
Margin: No smaller than 1-inch margins
Font Size Font size of no less than 11 point
Line Spacing: No more than 6 lines per vertical inch, single space
Figures are included in the page count.
References are not included in the page count and should be listed after the Project Description.
Submission
Applications must be submitted as one complete PDF document by 11:59 pm EST (Eastern Standard
Time) by April 25, 2025, to [email protected], use subject line “Living Labs Grants 2025”.
Review Criteria
Reviewers will use the following criteria to evaluate proposals:
• Overall quality of the project proposed
• Clarity, feasibility and promise of proposed project goals, funding plan, and outcomes
• Experience and expertise of project team
Post Award
• Applicants will be required to submit a brief Final Report.
Points of Contact
Please direct any questions to [email protected] or Judit Ungvari at [email protected]. Applicants are
encouraged to contact the program managers before sending their proposals. For PGF related
questions contact Demin Zhu, Patriot Green Fund Coordinator at [email protected], for OSCAR related
questions contact Karen T. Lee, Assistant Director OSCAR at [email protected].
