Student Funding Opportunities

Pitt Green Fund

Are you a student with an idea for a project or program to make Pitt more sustainable? Apply to the Pitt Green Fund!

Student Group Sustainability Grants

The Office of Sustainability and Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation partner with the Pitt Green Fund to fund student projects on campus. When applications are live, proposals will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Students are encouraged to apply via the Pitt Green Fund online application.

Global Studies Center Student Funding

The Global Studies Center offers a variety of funding opportunities to undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Pittsburgh.

Kuzneski Innovation Cup

This Fall competition from the Big Idea Center has a $25,000 prize pool and is designed for early-stage ideas. All Pitt students are eligible to participate.

Big Idea Competition

February through April annually, awarding monetary prizes to students with the most startup potential, including a $25,000 grand prize. Since its inception in 2009 (formerly as the Randall Family Big Idea Competition), the competition has attracted hundreds of interdisciplinary teams seeking to bring their Big Ideas to market.

Big Idea Advantage Fund

This investment opportunity is geared towards students who have an advanced idea and are looking to take that idea to the next step towards startup creation and business growth. Enables Pitt student startups with cash investments between $10,000 and $25,000; available to Pitt students of any level, freshman to postdoc, from any part of the University.

Pitt SPARK

Competitive innovation funding to support making Pitt intellectual property ready for commercially-focused external funding and/or tech transfer events. Includes funding, education, mentoring, and networking, immersing awardees in ecosystem-level support for translational innovation.

Curiosity Grants from Dietrich School of Arts & Sciences

Eligible Dietrich School undergraduates who need support to take independent research, scholarship, or a creative idea to the next level (Rolling October – April).

Undergraduate Student Research

Are you an undergraduate looking for a summer research opportunity in sustainability? Many academic departments across the University of Pittsburgh offer summer undergraduate research support & projects.

John C. “Jack” Mascaro Scholarship for M.S. in Sustainable Engineering

Provides partial support for educational expenses for full-time students enrolled in Pitt’s MS Sustainable Engineering program in the Swanson School of Engineering. Admitted Sustainable Engineering students can apply to this scholarship with an essay on your solution to a sustainability grand challenge.

Engage Pitt

Interested in using crowdfunding for your next sustainability project? Use EngagePitt to help fundraise for your next big idea!