Mcgill Office Of Sustainability Catalyst Awards

The Catalyst Awards from the Office of Sustainability

The Catalyst Awards will be given out for the second time in 2012 to students, staff, and faculty who have made meaningful and enduring contributions to the sustainability movement at McGill University. The purpose of these awards is to acknowledge and celebrate those who have motivated action and led the way towards integrating sustainability into McGill’s operations, curriculum, and culture.

Below are descriptions of each award (including the cash value associated with the award, where applicable) and the requirements for submission materials that will be used to judge the candidates. To apply for this year's Catalyst awards, please fill out the webform below. The deadline to apply for the awards has been extended to March 23rd at 09:00.

Emerald Key for student contribution to sustainability ($2000)

This award will go to a student who has made significant and lasting contributions in creating a culture of sustainability at McGill. The student should be someone who has made a significant and long-lasting impact on McGill’s campuses, greatly increasing the sustainability of the University.

Submit no more than two (2) pages detailing in point form:

• Why the candidate deserves the Emerald Key award
• The candidate’s specific accomplishments in advancing sustainability at McGill
• How the McGill campus and community have benefitted from the candidate’s efforts
• A challenge the candidate faced and how they overcame it

Catalyst Award for student collaboration on sustainability with the administration ($750)

The barriers that exist between students and the administration are sometimes seen as a major obstacle for advancing sustainability at McGill. In order to truly make this a sustainable campus, strong ties and partnerships need to be developed. This award will go to a student, or group of students, who has helped create a culture of support and connection to achieve meaningful results through collaboration with the administration.

Submit one (1) page detailing in point form the specific accomplishments of the candidate in meaningfully collaborating with the McGill University administration on sustainability efforts

Catalyst Award for applied student research on sustainability ($750)

 Applied student research is a valuable means of providing students with a way to apply the knowledge they’ve gained from their program towards solving actual problems. It is also a wonderful opportunity for students to explore the challenges of sustainability and how they can be overcome. This award will go to a student, or group of students, who focused their research on sustainability at McGill and who, through that research, has opened up new possibilities for sustainability of the University

Submit one (1) page detailing in point form the candidate’s student research or class project on sustainability applied to McGill. Explain how the research tangibly contributed to (or can be expected to contribute to) enhancing the sustainability of the University over the long term.

Catalyst Award for student ‘lessons learned’ in sustainability efforts ($750)

Sustainability involves rethinking many of our existing systems, and incorporating new concepts and connections. As a result, in the pursuit of creating a sustainable university, one must learn to navigate the challenges that arise over the course of a project. Both the successes and the failures of a project or initiative contain important lessons. This award will go to a student, or group of students, who faced a major failure or challenge and learned from that experience to better inform future action on campus.

Submit one (1) page detailing in point form the specific experience the candidate had, why the failure or challenge couldn’t be overcome, and what lessons were learned from the experience that will be taken to inform future action.

Catalyst Award for staff contribution to sustainability

Making McGill a sustainable university requires all members of the McGill community to work together. This award is meant to highlight the efforts of a staff member in making an impact on campus to promote sustainability by going beyond the mandate of their position. The winner of this award should be someone who is strongly committed to making this university more sustainable, has made the extra effort to further that goal, and has achieved tangible results.

Submit one (1) page detailing in point form the candidate’s contribution to sustainability at McGill and how this was done over and above what would normally be expected of a person in this position.