A brief overview, the challenge works by:

1. Registering your lab
2. Receive a welcome email to the registered email address, that includes link access to the score sheet.
3. Complete the score sheet with current practices you are already doing.
4. Implement or add new practices (other labs are using this as motivation for completing “to-do” items).
   Points are awarded for items listed in the score sheet and can be found on the web page.
5. Actions you do in regards to sample storage, fridge/freezer use that make your lab sustainable and are not listed in the score sheet can be added in the last section of the score sheet.
6. Record your actions in the score sheet and submit before midnight July 1st.

Benefits of Participating
Being an efficient and sustainable lab is becoming more important as laboratory buildings continue to lead the top ten buildings on campus in energy consumption per gross square foot (GSF).
By participating in the International Freezer Challenge researchers:

• Reduce environmental impact by becoming more sustainable
• Gain an advantage over peer researchers when applying for grants
• Receive leadership recognition for best practices
• Save energy and space which reduces operational costs and frees up money for more research
• Avoid/reduce future equipment failures minimizing risk of sample loss
• Improve researchers access, identification and tracking of samples

Best practices for the competition are listed here and additionally the competitions organizers and participants have an ongoing Resources page and blog page that include evidence based criteria and best practices as submitted by peer researchers.

I realize many of our researchers lead their fields of study and have the best practices in their labs, if you do not see a practice on the scoresheet that you have implemented, please add the practice to your score sheet (last section) increasing yours and the university’s chances of winning, plus the organizers could share & add your item to next year’s competition.

In addition, the FAQ page is succinct and answers most of the freezer challenge questions. The organizers are quick to respond and can be contacted via email at info@mygreenlab.org.  You can also contact Paul Foote at F&S by emailing gfoote2@illinois.edu.