The first cohort of the Concordia University Master of Design program is organising a free two-day colloquium and exhibition for graduate students engaged in research concerning social and environmental sustainability. A pilot project for a potentially annual event, the MDes cohort seeks SAF support to finance sustainable catering (for 50 participants), honoraria for undergraduate volunteers, and to fund a second guest speaker. The name—Synapses—signifies our objective to establish connections between students from different programs, disciplines and institutions, so that they may think together, sharing and developing their research ideas in a semi-public setting. The event takes place in the department of Design and Computation Arts after Fall 2017 classes end (Dec 6 and 7), and an exhibition of in-progress research-creation thesis projects will run in parallel in the EV Black Box.