The U.S. Green Building Council announced on February 6 that it has doubled its funding commitment for 2008 green building research grants to a grand total of $2 million. Of the additional $1 million in grants, $500,000 has been allocated for K-12 school facility research related to occupant impacts. The Green Building Research Fund was created to spur research that will advance sustainable building practices and encourage market transformation. The USGBC is looking for research that will “result in knowledge, policies, technologies, and tools that will have an immediate and positive impact on sustainable building development, design, construction, and operation.” Pre-proposal abstracts are being accepted until March 6. Selected applicants will be asked to submit comprehensive proposals for the final phase of the selection process. To view the Request for Pre-Proposal, visit the Web site. E-mail questions about the research fund and the request for pre-proposals to research@committees.usgbc.org. (Pictured is Sidwell Friends Middle School Washington, D.C, by KieranTimberlake, a LEED® Platinum project and a 2007 AIA COTE Top Ten Green project. Photo courtesy of the architect.)