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Introduction

Conducting research is a major function of many colleges and universities. By researching sustainability issues and refining theories and concepts, higher education institutions can continue to help the world understand sustainability challenges and develop new technologies, strategies, and approaches to address those challenges.

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Carbon footprint of science: More than flying

  • KU Leuven

Previous efforts to evaluate the climate change impact of researchers have focused mainly on transport related impact of conference attendance, and infrastructure. Because these represent only a part of the …

Academic mobility in the Anthropocene era: a comparative study of university policy at three New Zealand institutions

  • University of Otago (Otago)
  • University of Auckland

Anthropogenic climate change is a wicked problem, requiring fundamental behavioural and technological responses now, in the Anthropocene, a term denoting the current era of human dominance of biological, chemical and …

Integrating environmental sustainability into universities

  • Monash University (VIC)

Universities play a fundamental role in addressing global environmental challenges as their education, research and community involvement can produce long-lasting environmental effects and societal change. By demonstrating best practice in …

The Sustainable University: Progress and prospects

  • University of Plymouth (Devon)

The direction of higher education is at a crossroads against a background of mounting sustainability-related issues and uncertainties. This book seeks to inspire positive change in higher education by exploring …

Examining the Literature: A Bibliometric Study of ESD Journal Articles in the Education Resources Information Center Database

  • Dalhousie University (NS)

Using the tool of bibliometry, this study examines journal articles related to Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in academic journals from 1990 to 2005. It offers a statistical description of …

Institute for Democracy and Higher Education

  • Tufts University (MA)

The Institute for Democracy and Higher Education (IDHE) is dedicated to shifting college and university priorities, practices, and culture to strengthen democracy and advance social and political equity. The Institute …

  • Posted May 6, 2016
  • Research Centers & Institutes
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Greening the Ivory Tower: A Review of Educational Research on Sustainability in Post-Secondary Education

  • University of Saskatchewan (SK)
  • Dalhousie University (NS)

There is a deficit of multi-site studies examining the integration of sustainability in the policies and practices of post-secondary institutions. This paper reviews what comparative empirical research has been undertaken …

The Essential and Growing Role of Legal Education in Achieving Sustainability

  • Widener University (PA)

This article suggests that law schools need to play a leading role in the national and global effort to achieve sustainability, including the effort to address climate change. The article …

Legal Education for Sustainability: A Report on US Progress

  • Widener University (PA)

This article is an overview of sustainability efforts in US law schools. It describes two sets of drivers for these efforts—inside and outside the legal profession. Drivers from within the …

A bibliometric study on “Education for sustainability”

  • University of São Paulo

The scientific production on “education for sustainability” has been growing in recent years what demonstrates the attention this subject has gathered. To better understand and characterize this trend, a bibliometric …

School of Earth and Sustainability

  • University of Massachusetts Amherst (MA)

The University of Massachusetts Amherst has established a new School of Earth and Sustainability (SES), which will serve as a central hub for a suite of academic programs, research, innovation, …

  • Posted May 3, 2016
  • Research Centers & Institutes
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Geography and the Emergence of Sustainability Science: Missed Opportunities and Enduring Possibilities

  • Oregon State University (OR)

The dawn of the 21st century saw the emergence of the newly declared field of “sustainability science.” The new field’s research agenda focuses on meeting human needs while simultaneously sustaining …

Sustainability Science

  • Harvard University (MA)
  • Stanford University (CA)
  • University of New Hampshire (NH)
  • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (SC)
  • American Meteorological Society (DC)
  • Griffith University (Queensland)
  • University of Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines
  • Stockholm University

Meeting fundamental human needs while preserving Earth's life support systems will require an accelerated transition toward sustainability. A new field of sustainability science is emerging that seeks to understand the …

The engaged university: providing a platform for research that transforms society

  • Boston University (MA)
  • Florida International University (FL)
  • Georgetown University (DC)
  • New York University (NY)
  • Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick Campus (NJ)
  • Stanford University (CA)
  • University of California, Santa Barbara (CA)
  • University of Maine (ME)
  • National Science Foundation
  • USDA (IL)

Despite a growing recognition that the solutions to current environmental problems will be developed through collaborations between scientists and stakeholders, substantial challenges stifle such cooperation and slow the transfer of …

Strengthening the role of universities in addressing sustainability challenges: the Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions as an institutional experiment

  • University of Maine (ME)

As the magnitude, complexity, and urgency of many sustainability problems increase, there is a growing need for universities to contribute more effectively to problem solving. Drawing upon prior research on …

Evolution and structure of sustainability science

  • Indiana University Bloomington (IN)

The concepts of sustainable development have experienced extraordinary success since their advent in the 1980s. They are now an integral part of the agenda of governments and corporations, and their …

You say you want a revolution? Transforming education and capacity building in response to global change

  • Arizona State University (AZ)
  • University of Edinburgh
  • Stellenbosch University (Western Cape)
  • University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (CO)
  • University of Oslo
  • University of Dundee
  • Norwegian University of Science and Technology

This paper considers the changes in education and capacity building that are needed in response to environmental and social challenges of the 21st Century. We argue that such changes will …

Routledge Handbook of Higher Education for Sustainable Development

  • University of Vechta
  • Leuphana University of Lüneburg
  • RMIT University

The Routledge International Handbook of Higher Education for Sustainable Development gives a systematic and comprehensive overview of existing and upcoming research approaches for higher education for sustainable development. It provides …

Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions

  • University of Maine (ME)

Producing knowledge and linking it to actions that meet human needs while preserving the planet’s life-support systems is emerging as one of the most fundamental and difficult challenges for science …

  • Posted May 2, 2016
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Academic Engagement in Public and Political Discourse

  • University of Michigan (MI)

The May 2015 Michigan Meeting, hosted by the University of Michigan, explored the changing role of the university and what it means to be an academic in a society facing …

Mobilizing the power of higher education to tackle the grand challenge of sustainability: Lessons from novel initiatives

  • Dartmouth College (NH)
  • University of Arizona (AZ)
  • University of Maine (ME)
  • University of Maryland, College Park (MD)
  • University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (MN)
  • University of Washington, Seattle (WA)

Leaders from a half-dozen U.S. academic institutions with dedicated sustainability programs share five recommendations, distilled from their own experiences, for universities seeking to improve their ability to both create tools …

John T. Lyle Center for Regenerative Studies

  • California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (CA)

The Lyle Center is committed to a future in which all people live with dignity in safe, healthy, and sustainable environments. We believe this future is best achieved through the …

  • Posted April 29, 2016
  • Research Centers & Institutes
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Incorporating Organic and Agroecological Approaches into the University Curricula: The Iowa State University Graduate Program in Sustainable Agriculture

  • Iowa State University (IA)

Organic agriculture has expanded to a $13 billion industry in the United States in 2005, continuing the nearly decade-long trend of 20% annual growth. Despite the growth in organic agriculture, …

  • Posted April 28, 2016
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National Sustainable Structures Center

  • Pennsylvania College of Technology (PA)

NSSC (formerly the Weatherization Training Center) was established in 1985 as a result of a partnership between Penn College and the PA Department of Community & Economic Development. NSSC’s mission …

  • Posted April 26, 2016
  • Research Centers & Institutes
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Institute for Sustainable Design

  • Cooper Union (NY)

The Cooper Union Institute for Sustainable Design seeks to provide the greater Cooper Union community—architects, engineers and artists—with the cross-disciplinary knowledge and skills that are necessary to create a sustainable …

  • Posted April 26, 2016
  • Research Centers & Institutes
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Food Scraps Composting Laboratory

  • Kean University (NJ)

Kean University in New Jersey installed a rotary drum composter to process pre and postconsumer food waste from campus dining facilities.

  • Posted April 25, 2016
  • Publications
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Spires, plateaus and the infertile landscape of Education for Sustainable Development: re-invigorating the university through integrating community, campus and curriculum

  • Queen's University Belfast

Education for and research on sustainable development are currently not well served by the modern university, particularly in the UK. While there is rhetoric about supporting more interdisciplinary research and …

  • Posted April 25, 2016
  • Publications
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Environmental Analysis and Communications Group

  • Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick Campus (NJ)

EAC is a University-based center of research, outreach, training and service focused on the analysis and communication of environmental issues facing communities, governments, businesses and organizations.

  • Posted April 25, 2016
  • Research Centers & Institutes
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Rutgers Center for Green Building

  • Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick Campus (NJ)

Housed at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, the Rutgers Center for Green Building, forms a common umbrella for existing and proposed initiatives being carried out …

  • Posted April 25, 2016
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Center for Energy, Economic & Environmental Policy (CEEEP)

  • Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick Campus (NJ)

The Center for Energy, Economic & Environmental Policy (CEEEP) conducts applied research to evaluate and help develop energy policy at the state, regional, national, and international levels. The Center explores …

  • Posted April 25, 2016
  • Research Centers & Institutes
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Rutgers Climate Institute

  • Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick Campus (NJ)

The Rutgers Climate Institute is a University-wide effort to address one of the most important issues of our time through research, education and outreach. The Institute draws upon strengths in …

  • Posted April 25, 2016
  • Research Centers & Institutes
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Center for Sustainable Materials Science

  • Mayville State University (ND)
  • Minot State University (ND)
  • Sitting Bull College (ND)
  • Turtle Mountain Community College (ND)
  • University of North Dakota (ND)
  • North Dakota State University (ND)

The Center for Sustainable Materials Science seeks to advance new discoveries of bio-based, sustainable materials that give more consideration to the environment and contribute to its economy through their sourcing …

  • Posted April 21, 2016
  • Research Centers & Institutes
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Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence

  • University of York

The Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence (GCCE) pioneers pure and applied green and sustainable chemical research through its technology platforms on microwave chemistry, alternative solvents, clean synthesis and renewable materials. …

  • Posted April 21, 2016
  • Research Centers & Institutes
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Institute for Green Science

  • Carnegie Mellon University (PA)

The Institute for Green Science is a center for basic green science research in oxidation catalysis aimed at the invention of new green technologies designed to aid in the pursuit …

  • Posted April 20, 2016
  • Research Centers & Institutes
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Center for Green Chemistry

  • University of Massachusetts Boston (MA)

The Center for Green Chemistry at the University of Massachusetts Boston conducts research and administers the Green Chemistry Track in the Chemistry PhD Program.

  • Posted April 20, 2016
  • Research Centers & Institutes
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Reilly Center for Science, Technology, and Values

  • University of Notre Dame (IN)

The Reilly Center explores conceptual, ethical, and policy issues where science and technology intersect with society from different disciplinary perspectives. Its purpose is to promote the advancement of science and …

  • Posted April 20, 2016
  • Research Centers & Institutes
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Center for Applied Energy Research

  • University of Kentucky (KY)

The University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy (CAER) investigates energy technologies to improve the environment. Researchers contribute to technically-sound policies related to fossil and renewable energy. CAER is one …

  • Posted April 20, 2016
  • Research Centers & Institutes
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Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute (RASEI)

  • University of Colorado Boulder (CO)

RASEI (pronounced RAY-see) is a joint institute between the University of Colorado Boulder (CU-Boulder) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) addressing important, complex problems in energy that require a …

  • Posted April 20, 2016
  • Research Centers & Institutes
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Center for Sustainable Energy at Notre Dame

  • University of Notre Dame (IN)

The Center for Sustainable Energy at Notre Dame (ND Energy) is a University Research Center whose mission is to foster and grow energy-related research toward sustainable and affordable energy solutions, …

  • Posted April 20, 2016
  • Research Centers & Institutes
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Energy Institute

  • University of Michigan (MI)

The University of Michigan Energy Institute builds on the University of Michigan’s strong energy research heritage at the heart of the nation’s automotive and manufacturing industries to develop and integrate …

  • Posted April 20, 2016
  • Research Centers & Institutes
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Center for the Environment

  • Harvard University (MA)

The Harvard University Center for the Environment (HUCE) encourages research and education about the environment and its many interactions with human society.

The Center draws its strength from faculty members …

  • Posted April 20, 2016
  • Research Centers & Institutes
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Center for Energy and Environmental Resources (CEER)

  • University of Texas at Austin (TX)

The Center for Energy and Environmental Resources (CEER) serves as the central liaison for energy and environmental research, education, and public service at the University of Texas at Austin. It …

  • Posted April 20, 2016
  • Research Centers & Institutes
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Institute for Sustainability and Energy at Northwestern University (ISEN)

  • Northwestern University (IL)

The Institute for Sustainability and Energy at Northwestern was established in 2008 as an umbrella organization whose unique mission is to advance global energy and sustainability solutions through transformational research, …

  • Posted April 20, 2016
  • Research Centers & Institutes
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Linde Center for Global Environmental Science

  • California Institute of Technology (CA)

Scientists from a broad range of disciplines are collaborating at The Linde Center to generate a comprehensive understanding of our global environment—including the impacts of human activities on it. They …

  • Posted April 20, 2016
  • Research Centers & Institutes
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Berkeley Center for Green Chemistry (BCGC)

  • University of California, Berkeley (CA)

The Berkeley Center for Green Chemistry (BCGC) is advancing green chemistry through interdisciplinary scholarship. It consists of faculty, researchers, and students in the College of Chemistry, School of Public Health, …

  • Posted April 20, 2016
  • Research Centers & Institutes
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Establishing sustainability science in higher education institutions: towards an integration of academic development, institutionalization, and stakeholder collaborations

  • University of Tokyo
  • University of Zurich
  • Lund University
  • Erasmus University Rotterdam

The field of sustainability science aims to understand the complex and dynamic interactions between natural and human systems in order to transform and develop these in a sustainable manner. As …

  • Posted April 20, 2016
  • Publications
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International Centre for Integrated assessment and Sustainable development (ICIS)

  • Maastricht University

ICIS, based in Maastricht University's Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, addresses complex issues facing the planet and its inhabitants. It aims to conduct research and provide education in the fields …

  • Posted April 20, 2016
  • Research Centers & Institutes
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Interdisciplinary Environmental and Sustainability Education and Research: Institutes and Centers at Research Universities

  • Global Council Science and the Environment (DC)

Interdisciplinary environmental and sustainability (IES) academic and research programs have an important and unique role in higher education. IES programs study the interfaces and interactions of coupled social-nature systems using …

  • Posted April 15, 2016
  • Publications
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Yale Center for Business and the Environment

  • Yale University (CT)

The Yale Center for Business and the Environment provides a platform for generating, incubating and launching innovative action at the intersection of business and the environment.

  • Posted April 14, 2016
  • Research Centers & Institutes
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Centre for Environmental Arts and Humanities

  • University of Exeter (Devon)

The Centre for Environmental Arts and Humanities (CEAH) is an independent, interdisciplinary initiative which brings together researchers who share an interest in the relationship between the environment and the human …

  • Posted April 13, 2016
  • Research Centers & Institutes
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This tab provides access to data collected through AASHE’s Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System™ (STARS). STARS is a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance. STARS enables meaningful comparisons over time and across institutions using a common set of measurements developed with broad participation from the campus sustainability community.

All responses reference content from reports under the latest version of STARS, version 2.2. AASHE membership and log-in is required.

AC 9: Research & Scholarship

AC 9: Support for Sustainability Research

AC 10: Open Access to Research

Additional analysis on scores and quantitative fields can be conducted using the STARS Benchmarking Tool.

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