British Columbia Institute of Technology
IN-40: Sustainability Projects Fund

School of Construction & the Environment: Advancing Green Value Strategies in Development – Applied Research Endowment

The Advancing Green Value Strategies in Development Fund is a $1.2 million dollar applied research endowment that supports the School of Construction and the Environment research projects in sustainability through the generous donations in part by the Real Estate Foundation of BC and BC Housing.

The purpose of this endowment is to support applied research to advance the state of practice in sustainable development: concerned with the natural environment, the built environment, and the relationship between them. Funds can be used to initiative, leverage, or augment a research project. There is no pre-determined limit to the amount of funding that can be awarded per project. Total funding available reflects the interest earned by the endowment in a given calendar year plus unused interest from previous years. The merit of each proposal is assessed by the fund advisory committee.

In 2024, the Green Value Fund was updated to specifically target Living Lab projects that could take advantage of the rich opportunities in BCIT’s current capital projects.

Living Lab Capital projects:

Living labs capital projects uses an inquiry-based pedagogy that centers the student experience and strives to create space for learners to critically think and follow their own path of exploration. The goal is to break down silos finding interdisciplinary connections where students can approach problems faced by the construction industry from a multifaceted lens and share their findings with the greater educational community and industry.

These projects (Tall timbers, Robert Bosa Carpentry pavilion, Concert Properties Trade and Technology building, Gantry crane pavilion, and the Daylighting of Guichon creek) open a unique opportunity to integrate curriculum and research directly into BCIT’s built environment.

Green Value Strategies in Development and Applied Research Endowment:

The purpose of this endowment is to support applied research to advance the state of practice in sustainable development: concerned with the natural environment, the built environment and the relationship between them. Projects should:

• Be advanced and led by Faculty within the School of Construction and the Environment
• Tied to one of the Living labs capitol projects (Tall timbers, Robert Bosa Carpentry pavilion, Concert Properties Tradeand Technology building, Gantry crane pavilion, and the Daylighting of Guichon creek) that advances the practice of educational programing.
• Promote green value in development by responding to one of the SOCE’s Environment’s Sustainability framework themes (Protect and strengthen assets, Balance use and renewal of resources, Account for all costs and benefits, Reduce waste and eliminate toxicants, Ensure safety and access to services, Support opportunities for improvement and enjoyment)
• Include but are not limited to:

o   Educating environmental stewardship practitioners

o   Influencing stakeholders through applied research, partnerships, and demonstrations

o   Creating community models to generate dialogue, innovation, collaboration, and technology transfer

o   Sharing insights about greening the development industry

o   Influencing standards of practice and public policy (e.g. green roofs, ecological restoration, energy systems, climate change, civil engineering, wasteful construction practices)

Applicants need to provide:

• Project title
• Project timeframe
• Start and completion dates
• Project goal and description
• Project rationale
• Capital Project and how it ties into the Living Lab initiative
• Project evaluation: how it will be assessed
• Methodology
• Project budget
• Signatures of applicant, program head, and associate dean

https://www.bcit.ca/faculty-staff/bcit-internal-funding-opportunities

The School of Construction and Environment Research Committee represents different research areas within the school. Committee activities and conduct are guided by our strategic plan and objectives. The annual Research Forum features current and ongoing research projects.

The committee develops and maintains an inventory of applied research activities within the SOCE; promotes research activities among the SOCE faculty, staff, and students; identifies possible (internal/external) funding sources and disseminate the information among the SOCE faculty; encourages faculty to take initiative in developing proposals for funded research projects; encourages faculty involvement in multi-disciplinary research projects and activities; contributes to the development of BCIT applied research theme(s); and reviews research proposals (in the preliminary and final stages) to ensure conformance with the BCIT standards and SOCE strategic research directions (as a part of the quality assurance process).