As health systems increasingly adopt emissions-reduction targets, there is an urgent need for scalable strategies to reduce the environmental footprint of clinical care. However, trainees often lack the institutional support and implementation training necessary to develop meaningful sustainability initiatives. To bridge this gap, Medical Students for a Sustainable Future is excited to announce the launch of the National Clinical Sustainability Challenge (NCSC)!
The NCSC is a 6-month, interdisciplinary initiative that invites student teams to design and implement practical Quality Improvement (QI) solutions for real-world healthcare sustainability problems. By participating, students will gain technical decarbonization skills, receive dedicated mentorship, and learn to navigate institutional barriers to systemic change.
Challenge Highlights:
- Teams will identify a sustainability issue within their own medical system (e.g., operating room waste, inhaler disposal, energy utilization) and design a QI intervention.
- All accepted teams gain access to our exclusive Sustainable QI Resource Repository, featuring expert lectures on systems-based QI methodology, process mapping, stakeholder engagement, and emissions reduction measurements.
- Finalists will present their work to a board of evaluators at our national MS4SF Spring 2027 conference. Travel and registration support will be provided for student teams.
Team Requirements:
- Teams must consist of 2 to 5 students and include at least one medical student.
Interdisciplinary teams are highly encouraged and prioritized! We welcome trainees from nursing, pharmacy, public health, dental, and other health professions. - Each team must identify a faculty advisor at their home institution to provide local guidance.
How to Apply: Gather your team, identify your faculty mentor, and develop a Project Vision and Elevator Pitch.
Application Deadline: October 1, 2026
Submit your application here: Application Form
Learn more: Check out the NCSC Website for a full timeline, required deliverables, FAQs, and example projects.
If you have any questions or need help identifying a faculty mentor, please reach out to our team at climate_smart_health_care@ms4sf.org. We encourage you to forward this opportunity to your school-wide listservs and any interested peers!