Bring your Green Ideas to Life at Queen's! With up to £2000 per project available to assist with staff and student led projects, what's your green idea?
The Queen’s Green Fund empowers staff and students to create and deliver projects within their area that benefit the environment, Queen’s and our local community. Financial funding of up to £2000 for each team will be provided for the best proposals.
We look for original projects which will promote environmental awareness amongst staff and students, impact the wider Queen's community, support the University’s net-zero vision and commitment to becoming a world leader in environmental sustainability, and demonstrate collaboration across Schools and Faculties and between staff and students.
If you would like to remain updated on Queen's Green Fund, email sustainability@qub.ac.uk.
HOW TO APPLY
Green Fund applications are closed.
Applications for Queen’s Green Fund are completed online via Microsoft Forms. Please make sure to look through the relevant Green Fund documents.
*Please note* We advise opening a Word document and making a note of your answers while completing your application, as applications are not guaranteed to save once you leave Microsoft Forms.
Green Fund Important Documents
Since 2019 A TOTAL OF 88 GREEN FUND PROJECTS HAVE BEEN FUNDED
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Learn Sewing Skills with SewReady and the PHRC Committee
The Planetary Health Report Card (PHRC) Committee were awarded £1320 to organise sewing classes with SewReady.
Over 7, 14 & 21 March 2024, Sarah and colleagues from SewReady visited One Elmwood to host 2 hour sewing classes, teaching attendees the basics of repairing your clothes, discussing conscious fashion and learning new & purposeful ways to approach fashion.
Across the sessions, staff and students were taught essential hand sewing repair skills, the art of visible mending and sashiko and finally how to use a sewing machine.
QUB UPSURGE Project: Researchers and Residents Collaborate on Climate
School of Natural and Built Environment received £1400 to create a mural and willow features in Lower Botanic Gardens.
As part of the EU UPSURGE Project, Queen's University are working with Belfast City Council and the local community group Friends of the Field to transform the field area beside Queen's Physical Education Centre (PEC) into a community garden.
The money provided by Green fund will help fund a mural painting and willow sculptures and hedgerows. A community open day took place on Saturday 23 March, with opportunities for the general public to learn more about the UPSURGE Project and what it means for Belfast, as well as local artist Zippy creating a mural. You can read the story about the open day here.
Adopting Waterless Condensers, Saving Water in the Chemistry Lab
School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering received £1,500 to create Waterless Condensers.
With the help of George Burton, Queen's Glass Blower, the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering have created a number of waterless condensers to replace water-cooled condensers traditionally used during student experiments. This project will replace 25 reflux condensers, saving thousands of litres of water every year.
Widening Participation Unit Roll Out Green Workshops to Local Schools
Widening Participation Unit received £1,310 to organise green workshops in five local primary schools.
Biodiversity and Grow Your Own Food Workshops have been hosted in a range of local primary schools as part of the Widening Participation Unit's engagement with local primary school children. Workshops were facilitated by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful and engaged with 186 primary school kids.
Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research Goes Cool
The Patrick G Johnston Centre received £600 to invest in CoolCell technology.
Lab Technicians within The Patrick G. Johnston Centre applied and received funding to invest in reusable, alcohol-free cell freezing containers for cryopreservation. These CoolCell's prevent waste by removing the need for chemicals.
Queen's Sunflower Stalls
Queen's Green Fund set aside a small amount of funding for sunflower stalls.
A number of departments across the university received money to host sunflower stalls for staff and students. Queen's community could come along, create their own pot and plant their sunflower at home - which are great for wildlife!
Sustainable Cookery Sessions
Fionán McBride, a student from the School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, received £300 to host three sustainable cookery sessions for students.
With the assistance of Belfast City Council, Fionán hosted three sustainable cookery sessions in BT9 Student Accommodation. The sessions focused on creating nutritious meals, that were good for both students and the planet.
Queen's Film Theatre Goes Green
SU Volunteer received £300 to revamp the QFT courtyard and ensure it is a home for wildlife.
With the help of QFT Staff and QSU Volunteer's Handy Helpers, raised beds in the QFT courtyard have been planted with lavender, thyme, strawberries, rosemary, mint and an Acer Tree.
Queen’s Wildlife Cameras
The Porters received £400 to place three motion sensitive cameras throughout the university campus.
This project will increase staff, student and the local community’s awareness of sustainability practices and biodiversity within the campus. You can view footage from the cameras, and spot the range of wildlife on campus, by visiting our Biodiversity Page.
Turning the Tide Against Plastic Waste
The Polymer Processing Research Centre received £1,200 to host a number of events which focused on raising awareness of the positive contribution plastics make to everyday life.
The events were also designed to support better-informed decision making around the use, reuse, recycling and disposal of plastic. Events included a litter-pick, lab demonstrations and a 'Power of Plastics in the Race to Net Zero' talk.
Maths and Physics Sky Garden
The School of Physics received £1500 to enhance their balcony overlooking Botanic Gardens.
Staff and students within the School of Mathematics and Physics have created a wonderful home for wildlife whilst ensuring the space provides a vital wellbeing area for staff and students. The Green Team within the school have planted a range of species that were specifically chosen to enhance the biodiversity of the area – lavender, ivy, apple trees and a range of herbs.
Marine Explorers Outreach Programme
The Marine Lab in Portaferry received £500 to support their Marine Explorers Outreach Programme.
The programme aims to build on Northern Ireland’s marine and maritime heritage by increasing awareness of the value, opportunities and social benefits of our ocean wealth and identity. For more information on the programme, please visit our Student Initiatives page.
Elm's BT9 Allotment
Elm's BT9 received £1,500 to establish a community garden space within their green area.
The aim of this project was to promote an understanding of where our food comes from, increase biodiversity, support mental wellbeing and mindfulness by providing an area for relaxation. For more information on the project, please visit our Student Initiatives page.
‘Creating Our Vision for a Greener Future’
Amanda Slevin from School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work received £1500 to host a number of exciting and unique collaborative events between students and staff.
These events focused on the subjects of climate change and sustainability. Arts-based methods were used to communicate the principle environmental sustainability in a non-formal and educational manner, helping to promote sustainability values within Queen’s and raise public awareness of important environmental issues.
Green Digital Comic
The School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering was awarded £1500 to create a digital comic.
The comic aims to entertain and educate its audience in all aspects of Sustainability and Carbon Management here at Queen’s.
Green Future Media
Green Future Media, a student-led online multimedia project, was created by the Broadcast Production Department within the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.
Green Future Media is a website which showcases sustainability-related media work by Queen's students. The project was conceived and is run by Broadcast lecturer Don Duncan.
The website contains stories about people in Belfast striving for zero-waste lifestyles; farmers caught between the need to survive and the need to farm sustainably; 'eco-anxiety' among young couples; the havoc that plastic waste is playing along our coastline; and even some tales from the future...
Green Future Media website: https://www.greenfuturemediaqub.com/
Tackling Period Poverty
Archaeology and Palaeoecology student Tara, from the School of Natural and Built Environment, decided to tackle period poverty within Queen's campus.
Tara received £1500 to implement plastic free sanitary products at key locations across the campus. This project had multiple benefits including tackling period poverty, reducing the amount of plastics entering our environment and addressing period stigma.
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