DEADLINE to apply for RESPC’s Efficient Freezer Rebate Program funding

RESPC’s Efficient Freezer Rebate Program (EFRP) is an opportunity for your lab to upgrade your current ultra-low temperature (ULT) freezer to a new, highly-efficient model that will save energy! RESPC (the student-funded Renewable Energy Special Projects Committee) will fund 35% of the cost (up to $5,000) of the freezer that you choose to purchase from the list of models we have been authorized to fund. In order to be eligible, you must read the following carefully and agree to the conditions outlined below.

The deadline for this funding period is February 28.

To be eligible you must be a current laboratory at UNC-Chapel Hill that uses, or desires to use, an ULT freezer. To participate in this program, it is vital you are aware of the following conditions and expectations:

·         Your lab may not remove a freezer purchased through this program from the UNC-CH central campus (even if you or your lab relocates).

·         Your lab may not sell an EFRP freezer to another laboratory without consent by the EFRP team.

·         Labs participating in this program are required to participate in the annual Freezer Challenge that promotes best lab management practices. This year, UNC has teamed up with My Green Lab and adopted the International Freezer Challenge protocols. You may register your lab for the challenge here. Final entries are due by July 1. RESPC offers $5,000 toward the purchase of an energy efficient ULT freezer to the winning lab. This is over and above the funding offered by the ERFP program.

We are aware that the purchase of freezers is a time-sensitive process. In order to ensure we are able to provide as many eligible labs a rebate as possible within the funding available, the EFRP application is a two-step process. First, your lab must submit an application which will be reviewed quickly by the EFRP team. Once approved, laboratories will receive a confirmation email with instructions on how to properly submit a request for purchase with RESPC’s chartstring. An application alone does not guarantee a rebate.

If your lab is in need of a new freezer, RESPC can help you make sure it’s an efficient model. Please join us and My Green Lab in Building a Global Culture of Sustainability in Science.