Announcing Newly Funded BU Campus Climate Lab Projects for Spring 2025

This spring, the Boston University (BU) Institute for Global Sustainability, in partnership with BU Sustainability and the BU Office of Research, awarded funding for five new and two continuing Campus Climate Lab projects.

The Campus Climate Lab encourages student and faculty-led teams to use BU’s campuses as living laboratories for exploring climate action, advancing equity and justice through sustainability research, and developing innovative solutions to support the goals of BU’s Climate Action Plan. Since launching in 2020, Campus Climate Lab has provided a total of $410,000 to 49 teams.

This spring’s awardees include 22 students, 10 faculty, and 12 staff from the College of Engineering, College of Arts & Sciences, Metropolitan College, Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitative Sciences, and College of Fine Arts.

Explore current and past Campus Climate Lab projects and apply for funding.

Campus Climate Lab by the Numbers | Spring 2025

Spring Project Goals

Advocacy & Activism

• NEW: Install aeroponic towers at BU to address local food insecurity, and identify innovations for a more sustainable agricultural industry (Team members from Physics in CAS, Behavior & Health in Sargent, and Community Health Sciences in SPH).

Buildings and Operations

• Gauge the accuracy of low-cost mobile sensor packs in measuring reliable, high-quality urban air pollution by comparing them to research-grade sensors. (Team members from Mechanical Engineering and Electrical & Computer Engineering in ENG and Earth & Environment in CAS).
• NEW: Evaluate sustainable landscaping strategies on BU’s 70+ acres of green space to reduce carbon emissions, support ecological health, and develop recommendations for land management. (Team members from Environmental Analysis & Policy, Economics, Biology, Political Science, and Earth & Environment in CAS).

Climate and Health

• NEW: Design, implement, and assess an algae bioreactor on BU’s campus to explore carbon-negative renewable energy solutions. (Team members from Electrical Engineering in ENG and Political Science and Chemistry in CAS).

Reducing Waste

• Investigate microplastic emissions from BU laundry facilities to develop high-throughput filtering solutions tailored to BU’s needs and create an actionable plan to eliminate microplastics from laundry wastewater. (Team members from Physics and Biology in CAS and Mechanical Engineering in ENG).
• NEW: Analyze the ordering, storage, and disposal of research lab chemicals at BU to identify sustainability improvements, enhance efficiency, and minimize environmental impact. (Team members from Neurobiology in CAS, Human Physiology in Sargent, and Supply Chain Management and Risk Management in MET).
• NEW: Assess current practices and develop education strategies and operational improvements to reduce waste, promote reuse of art materials, and increase recycling at BU’s College of Fine Arts School of Visual Arts. (Team members include affiliates from International Relations in CAS and Graphic Design and Foundation Sculpture in CFA).