Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 69.87
Liaison Cindy Shea
Submission Date Dec. 23, 2020

STARS v2.2

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
AC-10: Support for Sustainability Research

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 4.00 / 4.00 Cindy Shea
Sustainability Director
Sustainable Carolina
"---" 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:
The Institute for the Environment awards help students attend one of the program's field sites, and almost all of them support students who are willing to do internships or other community service activities.
http://ie.unc.edu/education/awards-scholarships/

The Pavel Molchanov Scholars Program is an endowed internship program that is a partnership between the UNC Institute for the Environment and environmentally-focused small businesses, non-profit organizations and government institutions in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.
Each Molchanov Scholar receives a $5,000 stipend to support their summer experience.

The Pate Scholarship offers financial support for any Institute of the Environment field site study abroad program. This scholarship is awarded based on merit and need. In-state students interested in attending the Thailand or Ecuador/Galapagos field site will be given priority.
http://ie.unc.edu/education/awards-scholarships/

The Weiss Urban Livability Program supports graduate students to conduct research in “urban livability”, focusing on ways to improve the environmental and social quality of life in contemporary communities. Weiss fellows are given financial as well as professional support and growth. There are about 10 Weiss Fellows each year that are chosen by the Weiss Fellowship Board, consisting of mentors from many departments that work with the students throughout the year.
http://gradschool.unc.edu/funding/gradschool/weiss/

The Global Health Scholars Program. Complete at least 8 weeks of global health-related electives. At least 4 weeks should be performed internationally and 8 weeks is strongly encouraged, with preference to already established UNC sites (e.g. Malawi, Zambia, Nicaragua). Other electives may include: migrant and/or refugee health, other underserved populations, focused reading or research elective in global health, or reading and/or project work -related to global health while on a regular UNC rotation.
https://www.med.unc.edu/oia/global-health-opportunities/resident-physicians/global-health-opportunities/global-health-scholars-program/

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:
The Alliance for Molecular PhotoElectrode Design for Solar Fuels is an Energy Frontier Research Center headquartered in the Chemistry Department at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The Center includes a consortium of researchers at UNC, the University of Texas at San Antonio, and Georgia Institute of Technology. The EFRC currently funds in part 14 faculty members at UNC, 1 Postdoctoral Fellow and 11 Graduate Student Research Assistants.

Sunlight is the one renewable source that could by itself meet all the energy demands of our growing world economy. For solar energy to reach its full potential it must be coupled to a storage method, which can be achieved by conversion of sunlight into chemical energy stored in bonds of molecules called solar fuels.

Inspired by natural photosynthesis, the mission of the AMPED EFRC is to develop the fundamental molecular basis for solar-driven water oxidation and carbon dioxide reduction catalysis.

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?:
Yes

A copy of the promotion or tenure guidelines or policies:
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The promotion or tenure guidelines or policies:
These guidelines are established by deans and department chairs, rather than the institution. An example is the Appointments, Promotions and Tenure Manual used by the School of Public Health. https://sph.unc.edu/resource-pages/appointments-promotions-tenure-apt/ Other manuals should also be available online.

"The School recognizes and values interdisciplinary scholarship consistent with UNC-Chapel Hill Academic Plan and University policy. It is often through interdisciplinary (and transdisciplinary) work that creative solutions and new knowledge emerge for many of the complex public health problems we face."

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:
Davis Library supports students and faculty conducting research on land use and transportation planning and on community resilience. Additionally the library provides data services, GIS, government info, and a maps collection. The Health Sciences Library (HSL) serves the instructional, clinical, and research information needs of the School of Public Health, as well as the citizens of North Carolina.

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:
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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.