Opportunity for Faculty: Paid Student Support to Integrate Sustainability into your Coursework
The Integrating Sustainability Across the Curriculum (ISAC) Program helps course instructors at Penn introduce environmental sustainability into new and existing courses. The program, run by the Environmental Innovations Initiative with support from the Penn Sustainability Office, provides full funding for graduate or undergraduate summer research assistants, who work directly with faculty and lecturers to update or create new syllabi, lectures, assignments, texts, and/or tests that incorporate environmental themes.
The 2025 ISAC program offers support for instructors to incorporate sustainability into a new or existing course scheduled for the 2025-2026 academic year by fully funding a paid undergraduate or graduate research assistant for the academic summer term (May 27 to August 8).
Research assistants will be selected in March and matched with instructors based on experience, knowledge, and interests. Students will work both independently and with faculty for the duration of the program. Each student devotes 15 hours a week to two different faculty or lecturers, for a total of 30 working hours a week. Research assistants’ responsibilities can include updating course material, developing new teaching methods, evaluating current course topics, and/or reviewing new assignments.
Faculty and Lecturers: To apply, submit a one-page proposal that includes:
- Description of the existing or new course
- Purpose for integrating sustainability in an existing or new course
- Brief work plan for student research assistant
Proposals should be submitted by Wednesday, January 29, 2025 to contact@environment.upenn.edu, using the email subject, “ISAC Faculty Proposal 2025”.