Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS)
EN-3: Student Life

There are four sustainability-focused committees (one for each research centre). The majority of these committees consist of both students and staff members; one of these committees (Éco Actifs, at Laval Campus) is composed solely of students. More: https://inrs.ca/linrs/developpement-durable/personnes-ressources/).

The initiatives are diverse, ranging from improving waste management to adding bicycle stands and collecting winter clothing for newcomers to Quebec.

There are three different gardens.

In Laval, garden plots are available to the entire community (students and staff), tools and a watering place are provided too. There is also a small experimental field available to researchers. Additionally, the Laval campus has about fifteen fruit trees.

In Varennes, a community garden is available to the entire community and is maintained particularly by a few research staff members. Anyone is welcome to take vegetables that have been grown there for themselves.

In Quebec City, students receive a small budget from the research centre's management to grow edible plants in pots on the terrace.

A group of students from the UCS Center in Montreal, with funding from our SD Initiative Program, has established a bike workshop in the basement, with the goal of turning it into a cooperative, open to the community.

In order to build a sustainable society and a healthier living environment, INRS financially supports initiatives from its community members to improve its environmental and social footprint through its endowment fund. The annual contest, taking place since 2021, has already funded four projects from the community. Project teams can be mixed (staff and students), but they must have at least one student involved. Each year, a different theme is chosen. In 2021-2022, it was waste management. In 2022-2023, it was sustainable communities.
In 2021-2022, the green committee of the Quebec City campus (comprising student members and employees of the Centre Eau Terre Environnement, of INRS administration, and of the Geological Survey of Canada) received $10,000 to improve waste management in the building located at 490 Rue de la Couronne in Quebec City. The Green Committee of the Student Association of the Centre Urbanisation Culture Société was granted $1,200 in funding to host a green week aimed at raising awareness about waste and climate-related initiatives within their community.
The 2022 contest rewarded two projects: the Cafeteria Project in Varennes, aimed at providing healthy, local, and affordable food. For this project, the team (3 students and a professor) received $10,000. The implementation is under way. The project "L’INRS embarque sur les pistes!" focused on a community bike workshop at the Montreal building. For this project, the team, composed of three master's students, received $5,000.
Projects of all sizes are accepted, whether small or large, and the budget allocated for a project can go up to $10,000. The total budget available for the competition each year is $15,000. The number of funded projects depends on the quality and scope of the submitted projects. Additional funding from internal or external partners can be added to the financial structure. More: https://inrs.ca/linrs/developpement-durable/concours-dinitiatives-en-developpement-durable/

The Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity Team provides various conferences related to their field, as well as covering other topics such as health, wellness, and eco-anxiety. Additionally, every year, the "Scientific Day for Students" is held, offering students the chance to showcase their work and research projects and learn from one another. This event is organized by students, for students. In 2023, the theme was "Sustainable Development: Perspectives, Opportunities, and Challenges", see more at: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/les-journ%C3%A9es-scientifiques-de-l-inrs_formulaire-dinscriptionregistration-form-activity-7021172204268638208-yfnB/. Other one-off events are organized, such as the inter-university conference on the SDGs and research offered during SDG week in March 2023.

INRS implemented an exhibition of portraits of various members of the student community in 2023, displaying photos alongside descriptions that trace the history and journeys of the individuals featured. This exhibition serves to highlight the diversity within the community.

On the occasion of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation for Indigenous Peoples, INRS offered a participatory creative workshop at the UCS campus. Students and staff were invited to inscribe an initiative that reflects their commitment to reconciliation on an orange fabric strip (e.g., reading a book, listening to an Indigenous podcast, learning the names of the 11 Indigenous nations in Quebec, taking a course on Indigenous realities, collaborating on an activity with an Indigenous group, etc.). These strips were then hung in a dedicated space for participatory art on the Day of Reconciliation. The colour orange was used to raise awareness about the intergenerational impacts of residential schools on Indigenous individuals, families, and communities.

Moreover, the ETE Centre Students Association organizes every year a multicultural lunch in order to celebrate cultural diversity at INRS (http://babillard.ete.inrs.ca/nouvelle.php?id=5570). In addition to sharing delicious food, participants are also invited to prepare a 5-minute presentation about their country or culture: song, poem or any other form of artistic expression are welcomed in order to share their traditions and cultural heritage with their fellow students.

In the fall of 2023, a clothing exchange workshop was organized at the ETE campus. Community members were invited to donate gently used clothing they no longer wore, in exchange for other clothing items.
This initiative was accompanied by awareness materials that highlighted the social and environmental issues related to the textile industry. It encouraged students to adopt responsible behaviors and seek alternatives to buying new clothes. It also helped preventing them from discarding clothing that could have a second life.

Starting in 2023, the Scientific Directorate will employ an intern each year during the summer to assist in advancing the institutional sustainable development action plan.