Sustainability, Equity, & Justice Fund - Frequently Asked Questions

You will not be able to submit an application without prior communication with SEJF program staff. At minimum, you must meet once at the start of the process, prior to officially starting the application. This is to ensure that your team understands all of the requirements and guidelines, as well as to ensure that your project idea aligns with SEJF's mission.

It is highly encouraged that you are in regular contact with the SEJF program staff throughout the entire process so that we can help you stay on track and meet all the requirements.

Faculty and staff members are not required to have a student on the grant writing team. However, it is highly advised to do so. Having students on the grant writing team not only increases the direct involvement of students, which may help increase your chances of receiving funding approval, but it also provides students a valuable academic/professional opportunity to learn about grant writing in general.

This project must have someone with budget authority to manage funds for all purchases associated with the grant. Should funds require a transfer, this individual will have to provide a FAST Index to the SEJF Program Manager. Financial agents must be permanent staff and/or faculty members on campus and cannot be students or student employees.

Project Advisors can be as involved in the grant writing process as the team needs them to be. Advisors should, at minimum, review and help revise drafts before they are submitted for official review to the SEJF program. Advisors are also responsible for ensuring that project teams stay on track during the implementation phase, should their projects receive funding approval.

Airline travel will, for the most part, no longer be eligible for SEJF grant funding. As the global climate crisis worsens, our Institute is committed to doing our part in being part of the solution. Flying produces far greater carbon emissions than any other form of travel. The SEJF program encourages you to look at more climate-friendly methods of traveling, as well as look into local/regional opportunities rather than national or international ones. However, we understand that not all opportunities have local options; therefore, we are committed to keeping an open mind on projects that involve travel. Please connect with an SEJF program representative to discuss your needs.

Work on a grant proposal cannot be compensated through an SEJF grant. We encourage teams to identify alternative ways of being compensated, such as receiving academic credits through an Independent Study class or working on a project as part of your existing job on campus.

The committee uses a Scoring Rubric to guide their review process. A copy of the scoring rubric can be found here.

Approval of a grant proposal is subjective, based on the judgement of the SEJF Committee. It is also largely based on the availability of funding for each year.

The SEJF program staff do not make any funding decisions. They act as resources and advisors to the SEJF Committee, but the committee has the final say in whether a project is awarded funding. The SEJF program staff work with teams to ensure that their project proposals are as complete and thorough as possible in order to improve their chances of receiving approval. That is why it's highly encouraged that teams work closely with SEJF representatives throughout the application process.

 In general, successful proposals are based on, but not limited to, the following criteria:

• have a visible direct benefit to the WWU student community.
• directly relate to the SEJF mission, addressing at least three of the four pillars of sustainability.
• include direct student engagement and involvement.
• have a well-defined outreach and education plan.
• identify a long-term funding plan, should the project continue post-SEJF-funding.
• successfully receive approvals from involved stakeholders prior to submitting the application.
• have successfully completed all the necessary paperwork prior to submitting the application, including, but not limited to: Project Owner form, Fiscal Agent form, etc.