TFISE announces 2026-2027 Impact Funding opportunities
The Tracy Farmer Institute for Sustainability and the Environment (TFISE) at the University of Kentucky has begun accepting applications for its Impact Fund: one-time awards of up to $1,000 to support environment- and sustainability-related research. The Impact Fund program aims to assist researchers with small expenses that may be standing in the way of their success.
The TFISE Impact Fund has already funded environmental and sustainability research in geography, chemical and materials engineering, and gender and women’s studies. Nari Senanayake, Ph.D., associate professor of geography, was the first applicant and received funding to support a workshop on political ecology.
“With support from the Tracy Farmer Institute for Sustainability and the Environment, we will bring together scholars at different career stages to exchange ideas, build new collaborations and strengthen our regional network in political ecology. We hope that our manuscript workshop will help shape new research, improve ongoing projects and create partnerships that extend well beyond the event itself. Thanks so much for helping to make this event possible,” said Senanayake.
All UK faculty, graduate students, postdocs and staff engaged in any kind of research are eligible to apply; a research appointment is not required. The Impact Fund accepts requests on a rolling basis throughout the fiscal year, until funds run out.
Funding requests are evaluated based on relevance to environmental and sustainability research, potential for funding to lead to research products or opportunities, and lack of alternative funding options. Appropriate funding needs can include but are not limited to speaker fees, instrumentation repair, transcription costs, software purchasing, conference attendance, field trip expenses, and refreshments for research events.
