Skip to main content Skip to secondary navigation

Mel Lane Student Grants Program

Main content start

Applications are now open, and will close at 5pm PST on 12/6/24. 
Apply Here!


The Mel Lane Student Grants program offers grants for Stanford student-driven-and-managed environmental projects that make a measurable impact on sustainability issues through direct activities or applied research.  Taking place over winter and spring quarters, projects should involve a group of Stanford students (undergraduate, graduate, or a combination of both). Preference is given to projects that focus on environmental sustainability within one of the following topic areas: climate, ecosystem services and conservation, environmental health, environmental justice and equity, food security, freshwater, oceans, and sustainable development generally. We will also consider other areas within climate and sustainability. 

In addition to having of focus of environmental sustainability, your project should also engage people. Consider how your project can bring together and impact the Stanford community, local community, or beyond. Teams who apply should be affiliated with a registered Stanford voluntary student organization (VSO) that is recognized by the Office of Community Engagement (OSE). A list of these groups can be found here; any group listed on that page is an active student organization with the exception of the following categories: Student Athlete Community Groups, Residential, Campus Departments, and Associated Students of Stanford University. Award funds will be transferred to the VSO account and students will work with the group's finance manager to get reimbursed for project expenses. Please connect with your chosen VSO before applying to avoid any issues with accessing your funds. Note that this program does not fund thesis, capstone, or dissertation research. Typical awards range from $500 to $1,500+. We prioritize novel and burgeoning projects in search for funding to jump start their actions and activities, although we sometimes fund projects in consecutive years if growth and increased scope is clearly articulated. 

Please see our Project Guidelines for more information, and our Funded Projects for examples of what other teams have accomplished.

APPLICATIONS OPEN: Friday, November 1, 2024 (application link)
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS: 5pm PST on Friday, December 6, 2024
AWARDS ANNOUNCED: By the start of winter quarter, potentially by the start of Winter Closure
FUNDS TRANSFERRED TO VSO GROUP: Mid-January
PROJECT EXECUTION WINDOW: January - June
FINAL REPORT DUE: 5pm PDT Friday, June 6, 2025

Check out these Woods Spotlights that showcase Mel Lane funded projects from 2023 and 2024, as well as Field Notes video highlighting a 2024 project!

About Mel Lane
Mel Lane was co-owner and publisher of Lane Publishing Co. and Sunset Magazine and Books. A tireless advocate for the environment, and a passionate enthusiast of Stanford, he died at home in Atherton, Calif., on July 28, 2007. He was 85.  

A university trustee from 1981 to 1991, Lane led numerous development efforts at Stanford, including establishment of the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment, where he was a founding member of the Advisory Council. 

In 1965, he was appointed by Gov. Edmund G. Brown to be the first chairman of the newly created San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission. The San Francisco Bay Plan developed by the commission still governs protection of the bay and development of its shoreline. 

In 1972, Lane was appointed by Gov. Ronald Reagan as the first chairman of the California Coastal Commission. The commission's plan for the coast remains the primary constitution for conservation and development of the 1,100-mile California coastline. 

Lane served on the board of directors of the World Wildlife Fund, the National Trust for Historic Preservation and The Nature Conservancy-California, and was a founding director of the Peninsula Open Space Trust. 

"Mel was a wise counselor and trustee and a devoted champion of the university," recalls Stanford President John Hennessy. "But Mel's contributions extended well beyond Stanford. His early dedication to the California environment, his efforts to protect San Francisco Bay, and his chairmanship of the Coastal Commission are evidence of remarkable vision and humanity." 

Contact Information

Jen Chiu
Program Associate
jchiu24@stanford.edu

More Information

Application Link
Project Guidelines
Funded Projects
Woods Institute Spotlight on 2023 and 2024 funded projects plus a Field Notes video highlighting a 2024 project