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UBC Wellbeing Strategic Initiative Fund

 

UBC Wellbeing Strategic Initiative Funds are granted to departments and units at UBC’s Vancouver and Okanagan campuses to support our commitment to the Okanagan Charter to become a health and wellbeing-promoting institution, as outlined in UBC's Wellbeing Strategic Framework. 

This year, $125,000 in funding has been allocated to advance work on six strategic priority areas: Food & Nutrition, Physical Activity, Social Connection, Built & Natural Environments, Mental Health & Resilience, and Collaborative Leadership.

Funds for 2023/24 are available for, 

Teaching, Learning and Research Environment Stream – Provide low-barrier funds to support faculty, staff and students to embed sustainable health and wellbeing strategic initiatives within TLR environments. Up to $5,000 per request is available. However, if you have a project of greater scope in mind, please email sara.kozicky@ubc.ca. Selected projects will have the opportunity to be featured at a knowledge sharing event in Spring 2024.  Applications are now closed.

2023/24 Teaching, Learning & Research Funded Projects

Seven Teaching, Learning and Research Environments Stream Projects led by faculty and staff at UBC Vancouver and Okanagan have received grant funding through the 2023/24 UBC Wellbeing Strategic Initiative Fund: Teaching, Learning and Research Environments Stream.

Read more about recipient projects here

Examples of TLR Environment Stream Projects
Examples of projects considered for funding within TLR Environments include (but are not limited to):  
  • Piloting and evaluating innovative TLR practices 
  • Developing a TLR resource (ideally shareable) 
  • Adapting existing TLR resources for your context e.g. Teaching Practices that Promote Wellbeing
  • Researching innovative wellbeing practices in the TLR environment 
  • Convening/broad knowledge translation around wellbeing TLR practices 
Examples of use of funds:  
  • Compensation for participation e.g. pilot testing of innovative wellbeing practices, including evaluation
  • Resource development costs e.g. video, design, printing, IT
  • Student staff capacity  
Examples of projects NOT considered for funding:  
  • Class field trips, social events, meals, or exercise classes 
  • One-time workshops or programs unless they are part of a longer-term capacity building strategy
  • Standard activities that should be covered by a department 
     
Teaching & Learning Resources

Creating positive classrooms, lecture halls, and research environments where students feel supported and connected helps to promote and enhance learning outcomes and equip them for success.

Find tools for faculty to help support student wellbeing in learning environments below.

Wellbeing Teaching & Learning Resources
 


 


STRATEGIC INITIATIVE FUND ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA 

  • Must be a current UBC faculty or staff to apply. Student-led projects require a staff or faculty sponsor.
  • Initiatives must have a clear linkage to UBC's Wellbeing Strategic Framework.
  • Funding may not be used retroactively, or exclusively for the purchase of equipment.
  • Recipient must agree to report back on project outcomes and how the funds were used.
  • Depending on the stream, up to $5,000 per request is available for faculty/staff/student-led projects. Projects must take place and funds be used by August 31, 2024.


STRATEGIC INITIATIVE FUND SELECTION CRITERIA

Preference will be given to proposals that:


FUNDING DECISIONS

  • Student/faculty/student-led project proposals will be reviewed for eligibility and alignment to priority areas by the Priority Area Committees and/or representatives from the Office of Wellbeing Strategy; VPHR Health Wellbeing & Benefits; VPS Health Equity Promotion & Education; and UBCO Student Wellness.
  • Decisions will be made after applications close on January 22nd, 2024.


REPORTING

Funding must be used by August 31, 2024. Successful applicants will be asked to complete a brief report about project outcomes within 30 days. Unused funds must be returned.


QUESTIONS

If you are a department or unit with an idea that you feel is well suited to this fund, we are happy to chat with you about it, help make connections, and/or put you in touch with the appropriate committee chair/lead unit for that area. Please email your questions to sara.kozicky@ubc.ca.


APPLYING

Applications are now closed for the 2023/24 fiscal year. 
 

Reports & Announcements


Project Examples

Here are just a few UBC Wellbeing Strategic Initiative-funded projects from last year, supporting UBC's commitment to becoming a health and wellbeing promoting university. 

Thrive by the Fire 

Project Lead: Campus + Community Planning  

To kick off Thrive month at UBC Vancouver campus, Campus + Community Planning, in partnership with Blank Vinyl and the Thrive Committee, organized Thrive by the Fire. This one-day pop-up event transformed Lee Square into a cozy relaxation space with toasty table seating, chill tunes from UBC's own student musicians, and a resource fair highlighting mental health resources and supports on campus.

CLL Health and Wellbeing Stream

Project Lead: Sustainability Hub

UBC’s Campus as a Living Lab (CLL) added a new funding stream to support projects with a specific focus on promoting health and wellbeing in line with advancing UBC Wellbeing Strategic Framework targets. This year, two wellbeing-focused projects were selected, including "Mind In Motion: Developing an exercise referral pathway for students seeking help for depression" and "Indigenous Campus Living Laboratory at xʷc̓ic̓əsəm Garden".

Food Hub Market

Project Lead: Office of Wellbeing Strategy

Operating funds and student-staff funding to support the Food Hub Market, an at-cost grocery store and welcoming community space in the Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability at UBC Vancouver. 

IBPOC experiences in Mental Health Scholar

Project Leads: Health Equity, Promotion & Education and Human Resources  

Funds were used to hire a graduate student position to support a greater understanding of IBPOC experiences in mental health at UBC. 

Healthy Eating Tips for Families

Project Lead: School of Kinesiology 

This new booklet is a research-based resource for parents, offering family-friendly recipes, ideas for healthy eating habits, meal planning advice, and information on Indigenous food and nutrition. 

UBC ARTIVISM: Politics of the Body 

Project Lead: Faculty of Arts

UBC ARTIVISM 'A Festival of Creative Resistance' is a student-initiated and run art festival that highlights the ways creative practices are used to express and advocate for social justice.  


Other funding opportunities

Looking for other UBC funding opportunities for your project or initiative? Visit the links below from UBC’s centralized funding webpage.

 

We all have a hand in shaping campus environments that support health, wellbeing, and sustainability. By championing wellbeing, we can build stronger and more inclusive communities at UBC and beyond.