The Brandeis Sustainability Fund, a service created to provide support and financial grants to Brandeis University undergraduate student projects that promote sustainability, has received eight project proposals in its first year, according to President of Students for Environmental Action Hannah Saltman '12. Janna Cohen-Rosenthal, Brandeis' Sustainability Coordinator and chair of the BSF board said in an interview with the Justice that the content of the proposals, which are currently being revised by the governing board of the BSF, have not yet been announced but will be available to the public in November by Thanksgiving break.

Students submitted these proposals as part of an environmental initiative created by SEA. According to the BSF website, the fund "provides grants, advice and support to any undergraduate student for their projects promoting sustainability." The website explains that these projects can relate to anything from energy efficiency to waste management to student events and more. The amount of funding each project receives is determined by the BSF's governing board, which is made up of elected student representatives as well as appointed representatives that include both students and faculty. The total amount of the fund that will be distributed by the grants is approximately $50,000. The funding comes from an amendment passed by the Brandeis student body last spring that charges each undergraduate student $7.50 per semester in addition to their Student Activities Fee.

In its first year of existence, Saltman says the biggest difficulty with coordinating and promoting the BSF has been confronting "misinformation" about the fund, such as rumors that the money charged to the students would be used solely to benefit SEA, although she stressed that the money is designated only for individual students who apply with a proposal.

The proposals, which were due by Oct. 13, will undergo revision by their submitters and the BSF's governing board until Nov. 9. The governing board will determine the final funding distribution by Nov. 30. Saltman said in an interview with the Justice that the board will be working with the students who submitted their proposals, giving them feedback from the student body, through the elected student representatives, as well as feedback about the financial and technical aspects of the projects. Cohen-Rosenthal explained that students have been meeting with her and the board of the BSF even before the Oct. 13 deadline to receive advice about creating the proposals.

The current estimate for the total cost of all eight projects is $64,647, which surpasses the approximate amount of $50,000 allocated to the BSF. "I think the real limiting factor is funding," said Saltman. "However, ... proposals are graded on various criteria." The costs of the projects are made up of predicted costs of the individual projects set by the students who submitted the proposals.

According to the fund's own constitution, which can be found on the BSF website, the list of criteria focuses on the proposals' relevance to major environmental issues such as "energy conservation" or "educational awareness," impact on the environment and the community, how and when the projected is completed and the long- and short-term financial and technical "viability." Saltman said the governing board will work with the students to revise the proposals according to these criteria before making the final decision on divying up the funds.

According to Cohen-Rosenthal, the limitation of funding will also mean there is a possibility that some proposals, based on whether or not they meet the listed criteria, may not be accepted this year. She also explained that a proposal would have a greater chance of being accepted if the student was able to scale the project to cut down on funding if needed.

Saltman gave an example of a possible sustainability proposal and the different financial and logistical aspects students would pay attention to when revising their proposals. "Let's say [a student] wants more recycling bins on campus. Not only [is there] the extra cost of having a recycling bin, but they're taking into account the extra time and money that would have to spent on perhaps hiring another facilities worker if there are going to be that many bins," she explained.

According to Cohen-Rosenthal, who has been meeting with students even prior to the proposal draft deadline, the BSF had been expecting about eight proposals because they had been in contact with the students applying for the grants before Oct. 13.

Overall, Saltman says she is very pleased with the progress of BSF's first semester. "I think we received a lot of really great project proposals" that will "really make a difference for the students here at Brandeis.