Campus as Lab for Faculty

  • CO2 Sensing Project

    Professor Forrest Meggers and Princeton’s Engineering & Campus Energy team investigate indoor air quality in campus buildings.
    Co2 Sensor

  • Sustainable Concrete Alternatives

    Professor Branko Glisic and Princeton’s Office of Capital Projects team investigate the structural integrity of lower carbon concrete.
    construction of steel concrete beams

What is Campus as Lab?

The Campus as Lab (CAL) program works with Princeton faculty directly to promote experiential learning and on-campus sustainability research with broader applications in support of University’s Sustainability Action Plan.

Independent Projects & Coursework

 Integrating your research with the CAL Program is a way to demonstrate or showcase applications that go 'beyond academia' and have practical outcomes. Do you need real world examples and campus site visits to use in your courses or modules? You can work with CAL staff to have data and information made available to you.

The CAL program encourages faculty to become independent project advisors to students researching sustainability-related topics. Additionally, it supports faculty engaged in coursework and experiences to deepen student excitement in sustainability.  Projects may include papers or internships that incorporate sustainability data in teaching and learning.

Operational Projects

Faculty can also partner with Facilities staff to design and implement operational projects to promote sustainable practices on campus. These projects can include volunteer opportunities, student group connections, and campus service projects. Interested faculty can begin by connecting with Ijeoma Nwagwu at [email protected]

Capital Plan

Princeton University considers its facilities, operations and capital projects to be seamlessly integrated in the teaching and learning mission of the institution. As the University continues to expand, both by population and by physical size, the CAL program works with faculty on the most advanced sustainable options for development and construction of new buildings and structures. 

The 2026 Capital Plan is the University’s most ambitious expansion project in recent history. It presents significant opportunities to develop solutions to sustainability problems in a real-world setting. You can initiate research that contributes to a sustainable campus by collaborating with partners in Facilities on projects within the framework of plans implemented by capital project design teams.

Apply for Funding from The High Meadows Foundation Sustainability Fund for your CAL research.