MAJOR GRANT


If a proposed project costs more than $3,500 and/or will not be completed within six months of fund disbursement, applicants are encouraged to submit a Major Grant application to the Aggie Green Fund Advisory Committee (AGFAC). Applicants should ensure they have reviewed the application overview and are familiar with the evaluation criteria. Preference will be given to projects with strong student involvement and/or that demonstrate the greatest reduction in Texas A&M University’s sustainability impact in a cost-effective manner.

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Requirements

All proposed projects must meet the following requirements for active consideration:

  • Projects must directly address sustainable improvements on the Texas A&M College Station, Texas A&M Higher Education Center at McAllen, and Texas A&M University School of Law campuses. Furthermore, the Aggie Green Fund is intended for sustainability projects that are not already funded by Texas A&M University.
  • Projects may not primarily address research aims.
  • Where appropriate, projects must have received written confirmation of support by campus officials prior to consideration (see Project Approval Form within the application).
  • Projects that propose a change to the physical campus environment must align with the 2017 Campus Master Plan. Examples include permanently installing new equipment, constructing a garden, changing the appearance of a building, etc. If your proposal is selected, your project may be required to obtain approval from the Campus Planning, Design & Construction / University Architect prior to funds being released.
  • If a project requires Campus Planning, Design & Construction / University Architect approval, the information package must be submitted by the applicant’s respective Dean or Vice President.
  • Projects should align with the evergreen goals and targets of the 2018 Sustainability Master Plan.
  • Projects must begin active project implementation by September 15 of the year they receive funding and reach project completion by August 31 of the following year. Projects requiring Campus Planning, Design & Construction / University Architect approval must begin active project implementation within 3 months and reach project completion within 18 months of receiving approval. Projects out of compliance with these requirements must return all funds to the Aggie Green Fund within 30 days unless they have applied for and received an AGFAC extension.
  • All projects must have a mechanism for evaluation and follow-up after funds have been dispersed. At a minimum, a project plan must include a progress report and scorecard. If a project is expected to have ongoing benefits such as annual cost savings, the project plan must include a mechanism for tracking, recording, and reporting these benefits back to the AGFAC.

Application Process

The Major Grant application process is segmented into two phases: the abstract and the full application. Each item has different deadlines for submission. Please reference the Application Timeline section below for deadlines. To submit application documents, please reference the Submission section at the bottom of this page.

Phase I - Abstract

The application process begins with completing an abstract. The abstract consists of basic background information on your project and allows the AGFAC to become familiar with you and your idea. The AGFAC will review your project and provide initial feedback to help guide you through the full application process.

Project Approvals

You will be required to seek approval from the appropriate department or organization leader(s). Frequent approval entities include but are not limited to:

  • Athletics – Oversees athletic events and programming
  • Building Proctors – Oversee operations within their assigned buildings
  • Chartwells – Oversees campus dining
  • Dean (or delegate) and Department Head – Oversee academic learning and research opportunities for their school/department
  • Facilities and Dining Administration - Oversee third-party vendors for building maintenance, custodial, dining, and landscape
  • Environmental Health & Safety – Oversees hazardous waste and lab safety
  • Recreation Sports – Oversees the Rec Center and associated programs
  • Residence Life – Oversees campus residence halls
  • SSC Services – Oversees grounds, custodial, and maintenance services
  • Transportation Services – Oversees transit and parking
  • University Architect – Oversees the Campus Master Plan and campus signage
  • Utilities & Energy Services – Oversees energy, water, and recycling services

For projects that must secure the support of a Campus Project Partner, the Partner must check Box 3, at minimum, on the Project Approval Form.

Project Timeline

Use this Project Timeline Form to detail the tasks associated with completing your project. Be prepared to upload this form into the WizeHive application portal.

Project Budget

Use this Budget Sheet Template to detail the costs associated with accomplishing your project. Be prepared to upload this form into the WizeHive application portal.

Phase II - Full Application

Following AGFAC approval of the abstract, applicants will complete and submit the full application. The application is an in-depth questionnaire that seeks to identify the various strengths and weaknesses of a proposed project. The application enables the AGFAC to ensure that AGF Funds are spent wisely and on projects that will provide the greatest benefit to Texas A&M University and its students.

If a project will require the participation of a campus department or impacts campus operations, applicants are required in their application to include approval(s) from the appropriate department or organization leader(s).

Project Approvals

See Project Approval Information listed above.

Scorecard

Use this Scorecard Template to propose metrics for success. Be prepared to upload this form into the WizeHive application portal.

Use this Scorecard Template to propose metrics for success. Be prepared to upload this form into the WizeHive application portal. For additional guidance, please see a Sample Scorecard and the Scorecard Help Sheet.

Flowchart

The following flowchart provides a graphical representation of the Major Grant application process as described above.

Flowchart depicting the process described above.

Application Timeline

Application deadlines for the Major Grant process vary slightly year-to-year. Deadlines for the most current cycle are as follows:

2024-2025

  • October 1, 2024  - Abstract Submission Opens
  • November 1, 2024,  5 p.m. CST - Abstract Submission Closes
  • December 6, 2024  - Abstract Approvals Announced
  • December 6, 2024 - Full Application Submission Opens
  • February 3, 2025, 5 p.m. CST  - Full Application Submission Closes
  • March 3, 2025 - Major Grant Recipients Announced

The AGFAC looks forward to hearing your ideas and seeing the impacts that students, faculty, and staff can have on Texas A&M University’s campus. The Aggie Green Fund uses the WizeHive grant management system for all project documents. Please use the links below to submit all documents through their respective WizeHive forms.

Phase I – Abstract

You may download this Word Document - MajorAbstractPreparation.docx to use when preparing your Major Grant abstract materials.

Phase II – Full Application

You may download this Word Document - MajorApplicationPreparation.docx to use when preparing your Major Grant application materials.

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