Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 68.02
Liaison Maxine Dandois-Fafard
Submission Date Nov. 10, 2023

STARS v2.2

Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS)
EN-11: Inter-Campus Collaboration

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.00 / 3.00 Maxine Dandois-Fafard
Sustainable Development Officer
Scientific Direction
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Is the institution currently a member of a national or international higher education sustainability network?:
Yes

The name of the national or international sustainability network(s):
INRS is a member of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) Canada, the International Association of Universities - Higher Education and Research for sustainable Developement (IAU HESD) and the University Global Coalition. SDSN-Canada is pretty useful for tool sharing between Canadian institutions.
INRS has also signed the SDG Accords and the Nature Positive University Pledge in 2022.
Finally, INRS is a member of the Northeast Campus Sustainability Consortium (NECSC)

Does the institution actively participate in a regional, state/provincial, or local higher education sustainability network?:
Yes

The name of the regional, state/provincial or local sustainability network(s):
INRS is an active member of the Réseau universitaire québécois en développement durable (RUQDD), or Sustainability Network of Quebec Universities, which brings together the sustainability advisors of all 18 universities of the province of Quebec, who meet three times a year and exchange advice and information on sustainability practices on a regular basis.

Furthermore, a new network is currently being deployed, with the same universities, but to focus more on sustainability inclusion in higher education. INRS sustainability officer is on the project committee to develop this network

INRS is also part of the Quebec SDG network currently being set up by Université Laval in collaboration with other Quebec universities (CIRODD, Université de Montréal), called "Réseau ODD". This French-speaking network aims at bringing together universities, municipalities, governments, companies and members of the civil society around achieving the SDGs, in the province of Quebec.

Has the institution presented at a higher education sustainability conference during the previous year?:
Yes

A list or brief description of the conference(s) and presentation(s):
During the 90th ACFAS congress in May 2023, INRS sustainability officer participated in the workshop on pedagogy for sustainable higher education, and gave a presentation about INRS sustainable development approach.

In March 2023, in an event organized with five other universities, INRS sustainability officer gave a talk about SDGs in research. https://inrs.ca/linrs/salle-de-nouvelles/evenements/la-contribution-des-activites-de-recherche-a-latteinte-des-odd/

A series of 6 webinars about COP28 has been organized by the RUQDD during October and November 2023 at the initiative of INRS's sustainability officer. It highlighted the expertise of professors from the 18 Quebec universities and the need to work together to combat climate change. More details: https://unis-climat.teluq.ca/. A press release was issued on the subject to underline the need for cooperation.

Has the institution submitted a case study during the previous year to an external higher education sustainability resource center or awards program?:
Yes

A list or brief description of the sustainability resource center or awards program and submission(s):
INRS has submitted three different cases (called "actions") on the IAD-HERSD Portal in 2022-2023.
https://www.iau-hesd.net/universities/2088-national-institute-scientific-research-university-quebec.html

Has the institution had employees or students serving on a board or committee of a sustainability network or conference during the previous three years?:
Yes

A list or brief description of the board or committee appointment(s):
Maxine Dandois-Fafard, the SD advisor, serves on the RUQDD network and the Quebec SDG network. She was a member of the organizing committee for a conference on SDGs data management.

Does the institution have an ongoing mentoring relationship with another institution through which it assists the institution with its sustainability reporting and/or the development of its sustainability program?:
Yes

A brief description of the mentoring relationship and activities:
INRS has a partnership with the Institut supérieur des hautes études en développement durable (ISHÉDD) in Morocco. We helped them create a climate change strategy for Morocco and we have developed a bidiplomant path between our two institutions. https://inrs.ca/actualites/linrs-sinvestit-dans-la-creation-dune-version-marocaine-douranos/

Has the institution had employees or students serving as peer reviewers of another institution’s sustainability data and/or STARS submission during the previous three years?:
No

A brief description of the peer review activities:
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A brief description of other inter-campus collaborative efforts around sustainability during the previous year :
INRS has, in 2022, put in place five "joint research units" with other Quebec universities. Two of them address sustainability issues : Unité mixte de recherche INRS-UQTR sur les matériaux et les technologies pour la transition énergétique and Unité mixte de recherche INRS-UQAC en santé durable. See https://inrs.ca/la-recherche/unites-mixtes-de-recherche/.

INRS, along with 3 other Quebec universities, has organized a conference on the role of universities if the preservation of biodiversity during COP15 in Montreal in December 2022. https://inrs.ca/linrs/salle-de-nouvelles/evenements/cop15-le-role-des-universites-pour-la-biodiversite-recherche-et-formation/

INRS is currently working on webinar series about research for climate in preparation for COP28, during fall 2023, reuniting the 18 universities of the province.

INRS has developed with Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) a joint master and a joint doctoral programs in urban studies which encompass many courses that are sustainability inclusive.

Website URL where information about the institution’s inter-campus collaborations is available:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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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.