Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 66.21
Liaison Stephen Ellis
Submission Date June 9, 2023

STARS v2.2

Boston University
AC-10: Support for Sustainability Research

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.00 / 4.00 Stephen Ellis
Director, Data Analytics
BU Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Student sustainability research incentives 

Does the institution have an ongoing program to encourage students in multiple disciplines or academic programs to conduct sustainability research?:
Yes

A brief description of the student sustainability research program:
A collaboration of the BU Institute for Global Sustainability, BU Sustainability, and the Office of Research, the Campus Climate Lab is an opportunity for student-faculty teams to submit research proposals designed to make Boston University's campus and operations more sustainable. Selected projects are funded with awards up to $10,000 per year, including student stipends, and students who complete the award's requirements are also eligible for the Anthony Janetos Climate Action Prize. Students receive a mentor or mentors, consisting of either faculty or graduate students, as well as collaboration with a BU Operations staff if there is a need for data or space. Research teams are also invited to participate in a luncheon to facilitate connections and exchange ideas across the diverse teams, as well as invited to events throughout the year geared toward the Institute for Global Sustainability (IGS) community.

Faculty sustainability research incentives 

Does the institution have a program to encourage academic staff from multiple disciplines or academic programs to conduct sustainability research?:
Yes

A brief description of the faculty sustainability research program:
A collaboration of the BU Institute for Global Sustainability, BU Sustainability, and the Office of Research, the Campus Climate Lab is an opportunity for student-faculty teams to submit research proposals designed to make Boston University's campus and operations more sustainable. Selected projects are funded with awards up to $10,000 per year. Research teams are also invited to participate in a luncheon to facilitate connections and exchange ideas across the diverse teams, as well as invited to events throughout the year geared toward the Institute for Global Sustainability (IGS) community.

Recognition of interdisciplinary, transdisciplnary and multi-disciplinary research 

Has the institution published written policies and procedures that give positive recognition to interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary, and multidisciplinary research during faculty promotion and/or tenure decisions?:
No

A copy of the promotion or tenure guidelines or policies:
---

The promotion or tenure guidelines or policies:
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Library support

Does the institution have ongoing library support for sustainability research and learning?:
Yes

A brief description of the institution’s library support for sustainability research:
BU Sustainability provides BU students with access to its sustainability-focused library which includes paper and digital resources available as research material. BU Libraries also provides students with curated research guides on Energy and Sustainability, Environmental Science, and Science Education.

Additionally, the School of Education’s Pickering Library houses the Sustainability Resources Center, a collaboration between the library and WheelockGreen, a growing collective of students, faculty, and staff within Boston University's School of Education community who are committed to working together toward a greener school and a healthier planet. The Center features curricula, books, films, DVDs with a player and monitor, Kill-o-Watt meters, and other materials to help the university become more earth systems literate and effective when teaching how to build a healthier, sustainable planet.

Optional Fields 

Website URL where information about the institution’s support for sustainability research is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
This represents FY2022 BU Metrics.

The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.