| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 54.69 |
| Liaison | Trevor Ledbetter |
| Submission Date | Jan. 6, 2025 |
University of Arizona
AC-10: Support for Sustainability Research
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.00 / 4.00 |
Trevor
Ledbetter Director Office of Sustainability |
Student sustainability research incentives
A brief description of the student sustainability research program:
Undergraduate and Graduate students have ample opportunity to get involved in all types of research including projects that deal with sustainability themes. The University of Arizona is host to many research centers that provide opportunities for students to work with faculty on research. The University of Arizona also has several programs that encourage students to start individual research projects. https://research.arizona.edu/
The Southwest Climate Adaptation Science Center (SW CASC) Natural Resources Workforce Development (NRWD) Fellowship was developed to provide graduate students with opportunities for training and practice in developing use-inspired and actionable science to inform natural resource management decisions https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/nrwd-fellowship.
For a list of all the research centers at the University of Arizona please visit https://research.arizona.edu/facilities/institutes-centers. Relevant sustainability research centers include:
Arizona Institue for Resilience (AIR) includes 15 centers and programs that work together to integrate research, education, and community engagement to develop local and global strategies for solutions to environmental chang: https://air.arizona.edu/
The Biosphere 2 is a living laboratory for controlled scientific studies of Earth systems, an arena for scientific discovery and discussion, and a provider of public education: http://biosphere2.org
Resilience Internships and Student Experiences in AIR: https://environment.arizona.edu/rise.
Earth Grant in AIR: https://air.arizona.edu/earthgrant
Indigenous Resilience Center and their programs: https://resilience.arizona.edu/; https://resilience.arizona.edu/what-we-do/indige-fewss; https://nativefewsalliance.org/.
Faculty sustainability research incentives
A brief description of the faculty sustainability research program:
WEES (Water, Environmental, & Energy Solutions) is the university's program to encourage academic staff from multiple disciplines or academic programs to conduct sustainability research. WEES offers grant funding opportunities in the following six areas: Adaptable Desert Communities, Cultures, and Ecosystems Building Resilience from Environmental to Human Health Fostering Leaders in Resilience Future-Proofing Arizona Water Observation Systems for Resilience Monitoring and Modeling Resilient Systems Integration.
The goal of WEES is to help support UArizona faculty conduct multidisciplinary, collaborative projects leading to "scientific, technologic, and policy-related solutions and innovations" in order to help close the loop and expand the sustainable future of Arizona and more. See more at: https://wees.arizona.edu/.
Recognition of interdisciplinary, transdisciplnary and multi-disciplinary research
A copy of the promotion or tenure guidelines or policies:
The promotion or tenure guidelines or policies:
Promotion and tenure require excellent performance and the promise of continued excellence in (1) teaching, (2) service, and (3) research, creative work, and scholarship. The University values an inclusive view of scholarship in the recognition that knowledge is acquired and advanced through discovery, integration, application, and teaching. Given this perspective, promotion and tenure reviews, as detailed in the criteria of individual departments and colleges, will recognize original research contributions in peer-reviewed publications as well as integrative and applied forms of scholarship that involve cross-cutting collaborations with business and community partners, including translational research, commercialization activities, and patents.
Promotion and tenure reviews will consider the assigned workload duties of candidates in making assessments of contributions in the areas of teaching, research, and service. The University values collaboration among colleagues, both externally and internally, and the candidate's contributions to such collaborations will be considered in promotion and tenure reviews.
More information can be found here: https://policy.arizona.edu/employment-human-resources/promotion-and-tenure.
Library support
A brief description of the institution’s library support for sustainability research:
The University of Arizona Libraries (UAL) support sustainability research by providing curated general subject and topical research guides to knowledge-based resources; acting as a liaison-enabling engagement with academic faculty including participation in curricular-integrated instruction, and providing and maintaining course-integrated research guides; providing research assistance and support including evidence synthesis; robust collections services; support for open scholarship (open access to funded and unfunded research outputs including papers and data); and by promoting opportunities for networking, collaboration, and engagement. There are also research guides by disciplines where sustainability subjects are supported: https://libguides.library.arizona.edu/subject-guides
Additionally, the Research Engagement Department at UAL provides training and consultation on topics related to research planning and management, data-intensive research, and digital scholarship, all of which apply to sustainability research. The department supports open access and data sharing to advance global equity and the creation of new knowledge. It also preserves and provides access to the scholarly record of the University of Arizona through our campus and research data repositories.
The UAL also provides access to sustainability-related information through its Collections Services. It has the availability of print materials and licensed digital collections, including databases like GreenFILE and Global Health (CABI). UAL prioritizes access to such content through investments in interlibrary loan services, client-driven acquisitions, and delivery mechanisms like Article Galaxy Scholar. The library also collaborates with different units to develop relevant content portals, such as the Rangelands Gateway web portal, which covers topics related to the sustainability of rangelands in the U.S. and worldwide. Additionally, UAL supports sustainability initiatives like hosting student clubs and groups, participating in events like Sustainable September, and partnering with faculty to assess and improve the sustainability of services like 3-D printing. Finally, the Access and Information Services department is exploring ways to reduce paper waste by shifting towards all-digital transactions.
Optional Fields
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Data was sourced from the following: University of Arizona Research, Innovation and Impact - https://research.arizona.edu/ Arizona Institute for Resilience - https://air.arizona.edu/.
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.