University of Colorado Boulder
AC-10: Support for Sustainability Research

Several programs encourage student research on sustainability, including 1) Environmental Studies - undergrad and grad degrees use courses across Arts and Sciences to give a broad education in environmental issues and real world problem solving; 2) Environmental Design – includes themes greater sustainability of buildings and cities, global needs for housing, responsible resource management, and adaptation to the impacts of climate change; 3) Masters of the Environment – a professional degree designed to address sustainability challenges around food systems, energy, policy, urban resilience, and recreation; 4) Leeds School of Business has an MBA program in sustainability and social responsibility; 5) The Schools of Engineering and Law have some courses, programs, and centers that focus on sustainability; 6) INVST Community Studies is a two-year cohort program for undergraduate students in community action, eco-social solutions, and climate justice; 7) Inside the Greenhouse offers courses and student support; 8) NEST Studio for the Arts provides graduate summer fellowships to students from the arts and sciences while they work together on a sustainability based project; 9) The Mortenson Center in Engineering promotes the role and skills of engineers in identifying and addressing unequal and unjust access to basic services such as water, sanitation, energy, food, transportation and shelter while placing an emphasis on identifying the drivers, determinants and solutions favoring equitable access; as well as many other Arts & Sciences departments (GEOG, GEOL, EBIO, etc.) include coursework in sustainability.

1) CU Engage offers an annual Faculty Fellowship for Community Based Learning, which gives faculty financial support (which can be used as summer salary) to create or modify an existing course to include a community-based component. While a focus on sustainability isn’t a criteria for the fellowship, a quick look at current and past recipients show many sustainability-related courses developed. 2) CU Outreach Awards fund faculty-led outreach and engagement work that connects research, teaching and creative work with public needs and interests. Collaborative work is awarded at higher levels. Again, while a sustainability focus is not required, the awards in any given year include sustainability-centered projects.

Per our strategic plan, FlagShip 2030, "We will build upon our excellent record in interdisciplinary research and creative work to become a global leader in ventures that span traditional academic fields. We will strengthen the university’s advocacy, support, recognition, and financial incentives for faculty and students who engage and excel in interdisciplinary work." Accordingly, the Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs has included interdisciplinary research as a review criteria in current tenure and promotion processes overseen by the AVCAA's Tenure & Promotion committee.

The University of Colorado Boulder Libraries is a member of the Association of Research Libraries, a membership organization representing the most prestigious research libraries and archives in the United States and Canada. The University Libraries supports sustainability research with a dedicated librarian who provides support to the Environmental Studies and Masters of the Environment programs as well as related programs such as Geography and Environmental Design. This support comes in several forms including instructional support for information literacy as it pertains to environmental and sustainability topics. The library provides consultative research support for students, faculty, and staff in these programs on general research strategies; data discovery, curation, and management; and service on student thesis committees. The Earth, Environment & Geospatial Librarian develops and maintains a collection of print and electronic library materials which includes the latest literature on sustainability, environmental science and engineering, regional and urban planning, and related fields.