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Research progammes

To honour his contribution to the University for Sustainability the Board of Directors are delighted to announce the Federico Mayor Zaragoza Chair for Peace and Sustainability as well as the Federico Mayor Zaragoza Prize for a Ph.D. Thesis on Peace & Sustainability. Read more ... 

Thematic Research Networks:
Globalization and current societal challenges increases the need for researchers to collaborate across regions, institutions and disciplines. 
Orchestrated through its Global Sustainability Research Initiative, the University for Sustainability (US) shall establish Thematic Networks comprising leading scientists, engineers, academics, students and practitioners from business and civil society to promote solutions to key challenges of sustainable development. Providing extraordinary experiential learning opportunities to its students and facilitating interdisciplinary collaborative research opportunities, the Thematic Networks are solution oriented rather than research oriented and aim to identify practical solutions to the challenges of sustainable development. We shall  develop a state-of-the-art joint research infrastructure management system offering infrastructure-as-a-serve to enable the researchers to use facilities at partner institutions. 

Each Thematic Network and related Institutes and Centres shall determine its own priorities focusing on five key questions:

1. What are the main risks in Business As Usual?
2. What are critical pathways to sustainable development? What are the main obstacles that must be overcome? Are there examples where such obstacles have been surmounted and what lessons can be learned?
3. What are the most challenging issues that need to be resolved?
4. What are the “solutions” available to the public and private sectors for early action? Which solutions are needed but not on track for rapid deployment? How can such solutions be implemented or scaled-up?
5. What are the key metrics of sustainable development that should be developed and monitored? To what extent have the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) provided us with the necessary data to support decision making for sustainable development?

Funding Research:
The University is creating two funding vehicles for research: the Research Development Fund and the Sustainable Development Innovation Fund.

1. Research Development Fund: The University re-invests a significant proportion of its membership subscriptions to foster international collaborative research. The Research Development Fund (RDF) is an annual competitive fund aimed at bringing together researchers to undertake innovative, high quality, sustainable research that addresses sustainable development challenges. Learn more...
2. ​Sustainable Development Innovation Fund:  The University is establishing a Sustainable Development Innovation Fund (SDIF). It will pool grant funds to scale up proven and / or innovative technologies and services that support sustainable development challenges, by paying for the results achieved. Development Impact Bonds (DIBs) will be used to attract upfront financial capital and drive performance and innovation. The SDIF will complement other financing vehicles in pursuit of scalable innovation for sustainable development. Learn more ...

Sponsored Research, Integrity and Compliance:

>  Global Sustainability Research Initiative
>  facilitating interdisciplinary collaborative

1. Reducing Poverty and Building Peace in Fragile Regions In many places the multiple stressors of environmental degradation, poor governance, stagnant economies, and conflict have prevented progress on the SDGs. This network seeks to look at how to improve progress in the most difficult places.

3. Early Childhood Development, Education, and Transition to Work This network take a comprehensive, lifelong and multi-generational approach to learning to maximize the world’s potential for sustainable development.

5. Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems This network explores how to provide healthy diets to a growing world population while reducing the environmental impact of agriculture. It also looks at how the 4 pillars of sustainable development can be realized in rural areas.

7. Sustainable Cities: Inclusive, Resilient, and Connected Today, 50% of the world’s 7 billion people live in cities, and, by 2050, this will rise to 70%. This Thematic Network seeks to identify practical solutions for improving urban management and has initiated the Campaign for an Urban Sustainable Development Goal.

9. Macroeconomics, Population Dynamics, and Planetary Boundaries The concept of planetary boundaries seeks to define a safe operating space for humanity within Earth’s life support systems. This network seeks to chart a pathway for development and economic growth within planetary boundaries.

2. Challenges of Social Inclusion: Gender, Inequalities, and Human Rights This network focuses on human rights and works towards a world where the equal dignity and worth of every individual is respected and valued.

4. Health for All Health is crucial for sustainable development as it sits at the nexus of the social, environmental, economic, and governance pillars. While the SDGs brought new vigor to specific global health challenges, this network seeks to expand the global agenda, with a focus on Universal Health Coverage.

6. Forests, Oceans, Biodiversity, and Ecosystem Services This network seeks integrative solutions for securing biodiversity and improving the management of ecosystem services, from fisheries and timber to forest carbon sinks.

8. Redefining the Role of Business for Sustainable Development The capacity for innovation, the management skills and the financial resources of the business community will be a major provider of solutions to most areas. This Thematic Network is developing suggestions for the role of business in the transition towards a sustainable economy.