Research
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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It’s a Hit! Mapping Austrian Research Contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals
- University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna
- University of Graz
- University of Innsbruck
- University of Leoben
The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) present a global agenda addressing social, economic, and environmental challenges in a holistic approach. Universities can contribute to the implementation of the SDGs by …
- Posted Dec. 21, 2018
- Publications
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St. John's University Academic Center for Equity and Inclusion
- St. John's University, New York (NY)
The Academic Center for Equity and Inclusion (or “Academic Center”) organizes scholarly and pedagogical activities that advance St. John's University's commitment to an inclusive and equitable University community. The Academic …
- Posted Dec. 21, 2018
- Research Centers & Institutes
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Assessing research trends related to Sustainable Development Goals: local and global issues
- Hamburg University of Applied Sciences
- University of Passo Fundo
- Manchester Metropolitan University
The Sustainable Development Goals agreed by the United Nations in September 2015 comprise 17 goals and 169 targets aimed at integrating matters related to sustainable development into the overall economic, …
- Posted Dec. 11, 2018
- Publications
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The role of transformation in learning and education for sustainability
- Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya
- University of Campinas
- Hamburg University of Applied Sciences
- Universidade Federal Fluminense
- Manchester Metropolitan University
- University of Belgrade
- Damascus University
- University of Latvia
- North-West University (North West)
Education research has acknowledged the value of transformation, which offers an opportunity for researching and rethinking how appropriate and successful educational practices may be. However, despite the role of transformation …
- Posted Dec. 11, 2018
- Publications
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Scholarship and the SDGs: Connecting Yale teaching and research to the UN Sustainable Development Goals
- Yale University (CT)
In 2015, the Yale Office of Sustainability began looking at how teaching and research at Yale aligns with the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Adopted by 193 countries, …
- Posted Dec. 4, 2018
- Publications
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A critical realist inquiry in conducting interdisciplinary research: an analysis of LUCID examples
- Lund University
In recent years, a strong natural science hegemony has predominantly framed our understanding of sustainability challenges and, as a result, the production of solution strategies. In countering this, some academic …
- Posted Nov. 13, 2018
- Publications
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Prefiguring Sustainability through Participatory Action Research Experiences for Undergraduates: Reflections and Recommendations for Student Development
- Arizona State University (AZ)
- Colorado State University (CO)
- University of Cincinnati (OH)
PAR-based UREs are undergraduate research experiences (UREs)—built into university-community partnerships—that apply principles of participatory action research (PAR) towards addressing community-defined challenges. In this paper, we advance PAR-based UREs as an …
- Posted Nov. 13, 2018
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Sustainable development concept in the chemistry curriculum: An exploration of foundation students’ perspective
- National University of Malaysia
Purpose This paper aims to investigate the knowledge, attitude and behaviour of foundation chemistry learners concerning the sustainable development concept.
Design/methodology/approach Qualitative and quantitative studies were conducted. Atlas.ti software was …
- Posted Nov. 13, 2018
- Publications
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Integrated Plastics Recycling and Research Facility at UC Berkeley
- University of California, Berkeley (CA)
The Zero Waste Research Center at UC Berkeley is working to create the first Plastics Recycling Facility at UC Berkeley. This facility, located at the Global Bay Campus in Richmond, …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Identifying Holistic Metrics to Redefine Zero Waste
- Post-Landfill Action Network (NH)
While diversion has been the go-to metric for evaluating our waste reduction efforts, it skips over several levels of the waste reduction hierarchy, resulting in the prioritization of recycling and …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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University Zero Waste Research Center Networking Session
- University of California, Berkeley (CA)
The student-led Zero Waste Research Center at UC Berkeley works to create circular economies on the UC Berkeley campus by investigating innovative upstream and downstream solutions to campus waste problems. …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Living Housed, Healthily and Happily: Conceptualizing Disparaging Circumstances in Queer Communities
- College of Charleston (SC)
The data and implications aim to identify the meaning of social sustainability while highlighting issues within the field. LGBTQ communities are affected by many adverse circumstances and their lives can …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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From Bags to Boards: The Experimentation Behind the Recycled Building Material "BagBoard"
- University of North Carolina, Wilmington (NC)
In the United States alone, the EPA estimates that 380 BILLION plastic bags are used once and then discarded. The answer to this plastic plague may come from the small …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Automated Gardening System with Solar Integration
- Carnegie Mellon University (PA)
Industrialized agriculture has benefitted our society by feed billions but is also adding a burden to the environment. Inefficient watering techniques and indiscriminate use of chemicals in much of today's …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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WEB of Science Database: Sustainable Knowledge of the Hopi A Prototype for the Future Research
- Arizona State University (AZ)
The Hopi tribe of the US Southwest is the carrier of the traditional knowledge (TK) comprising the knowledge of sustainable living. The search of the Web of Science database has …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Transdisciplinary Undergraduate Research In Costa Rica: 5 Week Faculty Led Study Abroad Model
- Central College (IA)
This session explains the process and lessons learned as Central College (Pella, Iowa) faculty and staff developed undergraduate research opportunities within the model of a short-term faculty-led study abroad program …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Achieving Intertwined Sustainable Development Goals Through Coastal Resilience Research
- University of Virginia (VA)
Sustainable policy, design, and visualization strategies are essential as climate change and sea level rise threaten coastal cities. Higher education institutions in coastal regions have the opportunity to conduct meaningful …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Microbial assessment of rainwater tanks and runoff retention basins: A pilot study
- West Chester University of Pennsylvania (PA)
Exploring the reuse potential of stormwater runoff and the roof-top rainwater, to meet water supply needs on the University campus is the core focus of this research. Although rainwater is …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Becoming a Social Organism: Action Research Turns Environmental Research Into a Sustainable Act
- Shenkar College of Engineering and Design
"What is the impact of my work on the environment?", asks designer and educator Victor Papanek in the first chapter of his revolutionary 1995 book, The Green Imperative. Papanek's words …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Ecological Grief: How Higher Education Responds to Environmental Trauma
- Bow Valley College (AB)
Grieving the loss or change of a cherished natural space has not always been recognized as a true form of grieving. With summers filled with smoke, devastating flooding, record-breaking hurricanes …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Campus Action Research Advances Sustainable Development Goals
- George Mason University (VA)
- Universidad de Monterrey
Across North American college campuses, learners seek to enhance our sustainability competency through acting locally to advance the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Sustainability Action Research (SAR) provides a …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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6th AASHE Workshop on Research for Sustainability: Investigating Sustainable Urban Systems
- University of Arkansas (AR)
In response to global urbanization trends, the National Science Foundation recently released 'Sustainable Urban Systems: Articulating a Long-Term Convergence Research Agenda', to formulate research strategies addressing urbanization issues and their …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Internal Carbon Tax: Methods and Results from the First Rigorous Willingness-to-Pay Study
- University of Oregon (OR)
Internal carbon fees raise awareness, incentivize behavior changes, and create revenue streams to reduce emissions. While there are a substantial number of internal carbon pricing programs in the private sector, …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Measuring Student Attitudes Towards Sustainable Development With a One-Semester Sustainovation
- Penn State Brandywine (PA)
In Fall 2017, Penn State Brandywine kicked off an initiative titled Sustainovation, emphasizing programming and community collaborations through sustainability and innovation. The campus identified three community partners to work with …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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EAN Sustainability Index: How to Measure the Sustainability in an University Incubator?
- Universidad EAN
The implementation of sustainability at the EAN University is a process that takes more than eight years, however, being an institution whose focus is entrepreneurship, it is clearly necessary to …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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How Higher Ed Helps Enact Tomorrow's Climate Change Legislation, Today!
- New York University (NY)
New York City is poised to enact the world's most sweeping climate change legislation, based on the innovation, validation, and support of higher education. How did NYU lead in making …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Urban Forestry and Community Engagement - the Chemis-tree of Successful Partnerships
- Virginia Commonwealth University (VA)
Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) is an urban research university located in downtown Richmond, Virginia. With greenhouse gas mitigation goals looming, VCU established the VCU Urban Forestry Collaborative (VUFC) - a …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Rising to the Global Biodiversity Challenge: A New Model at the University of British Columbia (UBC)
- University of British Columbia (BC)
With the world's 6th mass extinction underway, we are in the midst of a critical historical juncture. In a time characterized by rampant urbanization, climate change and disconnection between citizens …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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University of Houston-Downtown Embraces Student Engagement in Urban Agriculture and Sustainability
- University of Houston - Downtown (TX)
The University of Houston-Downtown has created a Center for Urban Agriculture and Sustainability (CUAS) to support research, teaching and community outreach. The program not only expands the educational opportunities for …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Why Calculate When I Can Google? Quantitative Tools for Assessing the SDGs
- Randolph College (VA)
- University of Rochester (NY)
AASHE 2018 poses the question: How can higher education institutions align their teaching and research activities around the SDGs? Assessment of countries' progress toward the SDGs requires data analysis and, …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Using the U.N. SDGs to Foster Systems Thinking in Incoming First-Year Students
- Valencia College (FL)
The Summer STEM Institute (SSI) is an annual program that engages incoming freshman in STEM research and career pathway exploration in a week long experience. In previous years, SSI students …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Driving Creative Sustainable Solutions Using a Design Thinking Approach in the Engineering Classroom
- University of Pittsburgh (PA)
Design for the Environment, an upper-level undergraduate engineering course, is designed for students to develop a working knowledge of sustainable engineering in a way that enables them to apply it …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Infusing Sustainability in Higher Education in Ireland - The Green Curriculum Model (GCM)
- University of Buea
This session presented by Frida Agbor Besong, a 2018 AASHE Campus Sustainability Research Award winner, will highlight research based on sustainability in the curriculum of Dublin City University (Ireland) The …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Teaching Sustainability Through Non-Traditional Learning Methods
- Colorado State University (CO)
To address complex global challenges, such as 'climate change, poverty, violent conflicts, and overuse of natural resources' (Brundiers & Wiek, 2011, p. 108) a growing number of institutions of higher …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Greening the Chemistry Research and Teaching Labs: Resources to Increase Safety and Reduce Waste
- University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (MN)
- Beyond Benign (MA)
University and college campuses across the United States are pushing the envelope on greening their campus facilities, operations, and processes. However, despite their disproportionate consumption of resources, laboratories are often …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Achieving SDGs and Engaging Higher Education Using EPA Tools
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (DC)
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides a suite of freely available, web-based tools that assist diverse audiences, including higher education institutions, in tackling local and regional environmental problems, building …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Escaping the Silos and Generating Collaborations: A Sustainable Faculty Development Program
- Furman University (SC)
The Faculty Affiliates Program gives faculty from all departments on our campus opportunities to meet monthly during the academic year to share ideas, generate resources and foster interdisciplinary connections throughout …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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The Sustainability Exchange at Washington University - Interdisciplinary Focus on Real World Issues
- Hellmuth + Bicknese Architects (MO)
The Sustainability Exchange, founded in 2014 by Bill Lowry and Liz Kramer, brings together students from across the academic spectrum to focus on and seek solutions to real world issues …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Green Chemistry: Meeting the Challenge of Equity and Environmental Justice for a Sustainable Future
- Bridgewater State University (MA)
- American Chemical Society (DC)
Chemistry is an inherently creative yet reductionist approach to understanding how the world works at the most fundamental levels. Chemists are trained to create molecules to fill a given need …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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From the 3Es to the SDGs: Updating Sustainability Frameworks Used as Educational Tools
- Ramapo College of New Jersey (NJ)
- Swarthmore College (PA)
- Unity Environmental University (ME)
With the 2015 announcement of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the 2030 Agenda, the Paris Climate Agreement, and the multitude of research projects, policies, and frameworks of Sustainable …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Global Priorities, Educated Solutions: the Role of Academia in Advancing the SDGs
- Yale University (CT)
In 2015, the Office of Sustainability created a project aimed at understanding how Yale's teaching and research aligns with the SDGs, with the purposes of: (i) identifying pathways for collaboration …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Institution Nitrogen Footprints in SIMAP: Updated Results and New Insights
- University of New Hampshire (NH)
- University of Virginia (VA)
Seven campuses that participated in the development of the nitrogen footprint tool (NFT) published findings from their initial nitrogen footprint calculations in the April 2017 special issue of Sustainability: The …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Designing a Realistic, Challenging, and Effective Climate Action Plan: Options and Best Practices
- Concordia College - Moorhead (MN)
This session will present the results of a research project aimed at understanding how institutions of higher education have developed and structured their Climate Action Plans. The goal of the …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Student Engagement through Research Experience: The U-Challenge at Texas A&M
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MA)
- Texas A&M University (TX)
- Johnson Controls, Inc (WI)
In the spring semester of 2017, the Department of Residence Life and Utility & Energy Services at Texas A&M partnered to host their first annual Utilities Challenge (dubbed the 'U-Challenge'). …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Integrating Participatory Action Research Into Internships and Outreach - Univ of Illinois at Chicago
- University of Illinois Chicago (IL)
The University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) is Chicago's only public research university with 30,000 students, 15 colleges, a hospital and a health sciences system. This session introduces Participatory Action …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Co-Curricular Learning and Sustainable Development Competencies: Towards Research Collaboration
- De Montfort University
This session will enable participants to compare and contrast practice and identify opportunities and challenges to developing students' competencies to address the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) via co-curricular …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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NE Drawdown: A Multi-College Effort to Adapt & Implement Impactful Regional Climate Change Solutions
- Amherst College (MA)
- Smith College (MA)
- Williams College (MA)
This past summer, students from Amherst, Smith, and Williams colleges investigated the global Drawdown methodology, compiled regional climate data to determine the top priorities for the area, and conducted a …
- Posted Nov. 5, 2018
- Conference Presentations
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Greening the Lab (and Beyond!) A Guide to Applying Green Chemistry to Practical Settings and Creating Displays to Spread the Word
- Cornell University (NY)
- Harvard University (MA)
- University of California, Berkeley (CA)
- University of Wisconsin-Green Bay (WI)
- University of British Columbia (BC)
Not all chemistry laboratories are created equal. Broken fume hoods, confusing waste beakers, and distillations that have been running (as far as anyone can tell) since the lab bench was …
- Posted Oct. 10, 2018
- Publications
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Sustainability and the Humanities
- Canterbury Christ Church University
- Hamburg University of Applied Sciences
This book explores the strong links between sustainability and the humanities, which go beyond the inclusion of social sciences in discussions on sustainability, and offers a holistic discussion on the …
- Posted Sept. 7, 2018
- Publications
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Engagement Experiments for the CMC Sustainability Action Plan
- Colorado Mountain College (CO)
The Colorado Mountain College's Spring Valley campus conducted a couple experiments in the "Fostering Sustainable Behavior" class of Fall 2017. This included an action team, survey team, and an education …
- Posted Aug. 29, 2018
- Publications
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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
- Percent of research employees that conduct sustainability research
- Percent of research departments that conduct sustainability research
- Sustainability research inventory (upload)
- Sustainability research inventory (description)
- Website URL - Sustainability research
AC 9: Support for Sustainability Research
- Description of the student sustainability research program
- Description of the academic staff sustainability research program
- Website URL - Support for sustainability research
AC 10: Open Access to Research
- Website URL - Open access repository
- Open access policy (upload)
- Open access policy (description)
- Description of the open access article processing charge (APC) fund
- Description of the open access journal hosting services
- Website URL - Support for open access
Additional analysis on scores and quantitative fields can be conducted using the STARS Benchmarking Tool.