The Solar Desalination funding program will develop novel technologies or concepts using solar thermal energy to assist in creating freshwater from otherwise unusable waters. Thermal desalination is a potential solution to increase water supplies for municipal water and agriculture, and is an important technology to purify water produced from various industrial processes, including oil and gas production.

The Advanced Power Electronics Designs for Solar Applications funding program will help the industry develop new technology to improve the devices that serve as the critical link between solar photovoltaic (PV) arrays and the electric grid.

FOCUS projects aim to enable cost-effective solar energy systems that offer the best of today's existing technologies: high-efficiency conversion of sunlight to electricity and stored, dispatchable energy from heat.

EPA funds water research grants to develop and support the science and tools necessary to develop sustainable solutions to 21st century water resource problems, ensuring water quality and availability in order to protect human and ecosystem health. 

This program encourages applications that employ innovative research to identify mechanisms of influence and/or promote positive sustainable health behavior(s) in children and youth. Applications to promote positive health behavior(s) should target social and cultural factors, including, but not limited to: schools, families, communities, population, food industry, age-appropriate learning tools and games, social media, social networking, technology and mass media.

There are many opportunities to get involved in highway research and finding solutions to complex transportation problems, and helping get the word out to transportation organizations across the Nation about using those new technologies and innovations. For students it starts with education, and grant and fellowship programs.

The Federal Highway Administration's Bicycle and Pedestrian Program promotes safe, comfortable, and convenient walking and bicycling for people of all ages and abilities.

DARPA’s biological technologies arm focuses on leveraging advances in engineering and information sciences to drive and reshape biotechnology for technological advantage. BTO is responsible for all neurotechnology, human-machine interface, human performance, infectious disease, and synthetic biology programs within the agency.

The funding will help provide water and wastewater system staff and private well owners with training and tools to enhance system operations and management practices, and support EPA’s continuing efforts to protect public health and promote sustainability in small communities.

This competitive grant program focus on: “water problems and issues of a regional or interstate nature beyond those of concern only to a single State and which relate to specific program priorities identified jointly by the Secretary (of the Interior) and the (water resources research) institutes.”

WaterSMART Water and Energy Efficiency Grants provide cost-shared funding for projects that save water; increase energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy in water management; support environmental benefits (i.e., make conserved water available instream or otherwise address endangered species issues); mitigate conflict risk in areas at a high risk of future water conflict; and accomplish other benefits that contribute to water supply sustainability in the western United States.

The goal of the Decision Frameworks for Multi-Hazard Resilient and Sustainable Buildings (RSB) solicitation is to advance knowledge for new concepts for multi-hazard resilient and sustainable building systems using decision frameworks for selection among alternative building system designs

The Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) program seeks to advance new approaches to and evidence-based understanding of the design and development of STEM learning opportunities for the public in informal environments; provide multiple pathways for broadening access to and engagement in STEM learning experiences; advance innovative research on and assessment of STEM learning in informal environments; and engage the public of all ages in learning STEM in informal environments.

The Building Technologies office leads a network of research and industry partners to continually develop innovative, cost-effective energy saving solutions in building design. Some of the relevant programs under the Building Technologies office include 

1. Emerging Technologies
2. Residential Building

The SUNSHOT initiative is a national effort to support solar energy adoption by making solar energy affordable for all Americans through research and development efforts in collaboration with public and private partners.

CIS supports fundamental and innovative research necessary for designing, constructing, managing, maintaining, operating and protecting efficient, resilient and sustainable civil infrastructure systems. Research that recognizes the role that these systems play in societal functioning and accounts for how human behavior and social organizations contribute to and affect the performance of these systems is encouraged. 

In FY14, the Retrocommissioning teams completed ten buildings.  

We educate and empower future global business leaders to make business decisions that positively impact the environment.

The Business Instructional Facility (BIF) was designed for future use of greywater, which is raw (untreated) water. Although the building is fed from the potable water supply, there is separate piping for the urinals and water closets in the building.

For many departments on campus, energy and utility costs do not impact research, teaching, or departmental budgets.  The  academic departments are supplied with utilities through the campus administrative budget.  For these departments, an incentive program has been implemented to encourage these units to conserve energy. 

Many encouragement programs for cycling address the needs of cyclists who choose to commute via bicycle.  In some cases, the cyclist arrives on campus feeling sweaty and would like to freshen up before beginning the work or school day.  To this end, it is convenient if showers are provided for bicycle riders to use on campus.  The Business Instructional Facility (BIF) and Lincoln Hall have bicyclist showers for the staff and approved users.  This option should be provided to other campus cyclists, to help encourage more bike riding.