UCLA Grand Challenges program awarded $100,000 grant
By Kendal Mitchell
Oct. 2, 2014 2:09 a.m.
A Los Angeles nonprofit awarded the UCLA Grand Challenges program $100,000 for its environmental improvement initiative on Tuesday.
LA2050, an initiative aimed at improving the city’s educational, environmental, health and safety standards, gave 10 Los Angeles-based projects $100,000 each this week for their work to improve the city. About 270 projects were entered into the contest.
The UCLA Grand Challenges initiative hopes to publish a draft of a long-term plan to make the Los Angeles region 100 percent sustainable in water and energy by 2050. The project plans for Los Angeles to obtain its water only from local sources and use all renewable energy sources by that time.
UCLA Grand Challenges plans to use the grant to support its campaign, called “Thriving in a Hotter Los Angeles.” The money will help UCLA publicize the campaign and engage the community further through promotional work.
The UCLA campaign won the “Live” award competition category, which aims to improve residents’ economic means so they can lead active lives in a stable ecological environment.
Other categories for the 2014 My LA2050 Grants Challenge include Play, Connect, Create and Learn. Each category has two winners, one of which is decided by a panel of judges who looked at each project’s feasibility and ability to further LA2050’s overall goals. The contest also had a Top Voted grant recipient in each category.
UCLA created the Grand Challenges in November 2013 after the White House called for companies, universities, foundations and philanthropists to address large social issues with advances in technology and science.
Complied by Kendal Mitchell, Bruin staff.
