Propose a Project for Stanford’s Living Lab for Sustainability

Thank you for your interest in proposing a project for inclusion in Stanford’s Living Lab for Sustainability. The Call for AY26–27 Project Proposals is now open! By submitting a project, you can advance your department’s sustainability priorities through hands-on student collaboration that drives innovation, measurable impact, and systems change across campus.

Project ideas will be considered primarily for placement within the Sustainable Stanford Fellowship or Internship Program. Submit proposals by December 15, 2025 for Fellowship projects or January 15, 2026 for Internship positions. Ideas from operational partners, faculty, research teams, and students are welcome year-round. While not all ideas may be a fit for formal fellowship or internship placement, submissions are always valued – and some projects may be implemented or explored on an ad hoc or pilot basis outside of the structured programs. Selected projects are matched with student fellows and interns each spring.

Ideal Living Lab projects:

Advance Stanford’s operational sustainability goals with scalable, high-impact solutions that extend beyond campus.
Address real university challenges in energy, waste, water, carbon, transportation, resilience, and other sustainability areas.
Foster collaboration through a student fellow or intern contributing dedicated weekly hours, and when aligned with project goals, by partnering with faculty or research teams to bring complementary academic expertise.

For questions or next steps, contact Christopher Kuntzsch, Living Laboratory Manager, who will follow up after submission, at christopher.kuntzsch@stanford.edu.

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Living Lab for Sustainability Project Proposal Form

URL

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Choose your Stanford Affiliation(Required)

Operational Staff

Faculty, Academic Research and Instructional Staff, Post-Doc, or Student (undergrad, grad, PhD candidate)

Collaboration pathways:(Required)

Fellowship Project (AY26-27): Requires change management, multistakeholder collaboration and a student equipped to lead and be more independent. An advanced undergraduate, graduate or PhD student drives the project. (Due 12/15/25)

Internship Position (AY26-27): Sustainability projects or program support that typically advance a specific department’s sustainability mission. (Due 1/15/26)

Proposed Project Title(Required)

Hosting Campus Department / Unit / Program Name(Required)

Primary Point of Contact Name(Required)

Primary Point of Contact Email Address(Required)

The typical project timeline runs from September through June. Please indicate if you are:(Required)

Comfortable with the standard September–June project timeline

Interested in a student starting in spring

Interested in a student starting in summer

Open to a student continuing beyond June

What topic area(s) does your project address?(Required)

Behavior / Culture Change

Climate Action / Emission Management

Communications

Community Engagement

Conservation & Biodiversity

Construction & Demolition

Environmental Art & Design

Environmental Health & Safety

Environmental Justice

Facilities Energy Management

Food / Agriculture

Healthcare

Information Technology / Computing

Land Use

Maintenance & Grounds Services

Policy & Planning

Purchasing

Redwood City Campus

Resilience & Emergency Response

Reuse

Transportation

Water

Zero Waste

Other (Please Specify Below)

If Other was selected, please specify:

In a few sentences, please describe the proposed student project, including the intended outcomes or deliverables and how the project will advance campus sustainability.(Required)

What is the change-management focus of this project?(Required)

Policy (influencing policy and planning)

People (governance, organizational & culture change, etc.)

Systems (operational infrastructure-related projects)

Other

Elaborate on the change-management focus of the project:(Required)

Are there any special skills that a student would need to have to be successful working on this project (GHG emissions accounting, graphic design, excel, data processing, languages)(Required)

Please indicate preference for the academic level of the student working on this project:(Required)

Undergraduate

Graduate

PhD

No Preference

Limited funding is available to support a selection of fellowship projects, which are generally budgeted at $10,000 per year. Internship project costs vary based on scope and duration and are typically funded by the hosting department. To help us understand your project’s anticipated funding contribution, please indicate the level of support your department expects to provide for this project.(Required)

Full Funding – I/we expect to provide full funding for this project (approx. $10K for a fellowship)

Partial Funding – I/we expect to contribute some portion of funding.

No Funding – I/we do not expect to provide funding for this project.

Unsure / To Be Determined – Funding commitment is not yet known; we will provide updates as this becomes clearer.

Please confirm the approximate amount of funding contribution:(Required)

Proposed Position Title(Required)

Hosting Campus Department / Unit / Program Name(Required)

Primary Point of Contact Name(Required)

Primary Point of Contact Email Address(Required)

The typical internship runs from September through June. Please indicate if you are:(Required)

Comfortable with the standard September–June internship timeline

Interested in a student starting in spring

Interested in a student starting in summer

Open to a student continuing beyond June

What topic area(s) does your project address?(Required)

Behavior / Culture Change

Climate Action / Emission Management

Communications

Community Engagement

Conservation & Biodiversity

Construction & Demolition

Environmental Art & Design

Environmental Health & Safety

Environmental Justice

Facilities Energy Management

Food / Agriculture

Healthcare

Information Technology / Computing

Land Use

Maintenance & Grounds Services

Policy & Planning

Purchasing

Redwood City Campus

Resilience & Emergency Response

Reuse

Transportation

Water

Zero Waste

Other (Please Specify Below)

If Other was selected, please specify:

Please provide a concise position description to support student recruitment. Include how the intern will advance campus sustainability, key areas of focus, goals and outcomes, expected deliverables, and the types of work involved.(Required)

List any specific skills or experience that would help a student succeed in this position. These will be added as bullet points under the position description above (e.g., GHG emissions accounting, graphic design, Excel, data analysis, coding/Python)(Required)

Please indicate preference for the academic level of the student working on this project:(Required)

Undergraduate

Graduate

PhD

No Preference

Internship position wages vary based on the project’s scope and duration and are typically funded by the hosting department. Please confirm your funding plan for this position:(Required)

I/we will provide full funding for this position (wages typically range between $3,000 and $6,000 for an academic year, depending on exact hourly rate and weekly hours).

The hosting supervisor is responsible for onboarding through their HR department and for reviewing and approving student timecards. Sustainable Stanford provides recruitment coordination and limited onboarding guidance and support as needed. Please confirm your hiring plan for this position:(Required)

I/we will hire the student through our department and administer timecards directly.

I/we would like to discuss hiring the student through the Office of Sustainability.

Other

If other was selected, please elaborate:

Additional Comments (Optional): Use this space to share any additional notes, context, or details about your internship posting that haven’t been covered above. For example, you might include special project considerations, preferred qualifications, scheduling notes, or anything else you’d like our team to know.

Proposed Project Title(Required)

Hosting Campus Department / Unit / Program Name(Required)

Primary Point of Contact Name(Required)

Primary Point of Contact Email Address(Required)

Select your Stanford Affiliation(Required)

Faculty

Academic Research and Instructional Staff

Post-Doc

Student (undergrad, grad, or PhD candidate)

Please describe your proposed project or research concept. Include your primary research question or goal, the campus systems or infrastructure you wish to study or collaborate with, and the potential sustainability outcomes or applications you anticipate.(Required)

Please indicate the academic context for this project.(Required)

Course-based project

Independent research

Capstone / Practicum / Thesis

Faculty-led research initiative

Other

If Other was selected, please specify:

List the course name or research group, faculty advisor or PI, and any students or collaborators involved.(Required)

What kind of collaboration or support are you seeking from campus operational partners? (e.g., data access, site visits, infrastructure testing, staff interviews, facilities coordination, pilot implementation, or other collaboration)(Required)

Which campus infrastructure, building system, or operational area does your project involve? (e.g., energy systems, water infrastructure, waste operations, mobility/transportation, building performance, landscape management)(Required)

How does your project align with Stanford’s operational sustainability goals or priorities? Briefly describe how your research or project could advance innovation, improve operations, or contribute to measurable impact.(Required)

Does your project involve field work, interventions, or access to university infrastructure that may pose operational, safety, or logistical considerations? If yes, please describe briefly so our team can assess coordination needs and provide guidance.(Required)

Is this project currently funded or seeking funding? If applicable, please describe the funding source, award timeline, and any resources or infrastructure support needed to carry out your project.(Required)

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