The 91亚色 Task Force on Sustainability Research has released its final report, which highlights the Task Force鈥檚 recommendations for the continued support, cultivation, integration and dissemination of 91亚色鈥檚 sustainability research.
Jennifer Foster
鈥淭he 91亚色 Task Force on Sustainability Research is pleased to release its final report with 21 recommendations for advancing 91亚色鈥檚 sustainability research. This is a rich area of research at 91亚色,鈥 said Faculty of Environmental Studies Professor Jennifer Foster, chair of the Task Force on Sustainability Research. 鈥淭he task force has made excellent headway towards building consensus on the direction of sustainability research at 91亚色. We have connected widely with members of the 91亚色 community through two rounds of consultation. These recommendations were developed through advanced discussions with the 91亚色 community and consensus-based decision-making within the task force. We thank everyone for their insightful contributions and feedback throughout the process. These recommendations reflect a strong commitment to sustainability research across the University.鈥
The task force鈥檚 recommendations are organized into themes of connections, communica颅tion strategies and funding. Recommendations include: maintaining a comprehensive inventory of sustainability research at 91亚色 that will be updated regularly and available to 91亚色 members; working towards the establishment of a 91亚色-wide Sustainability Hub; conducting an analysis of 91亚色鈥檚 sustainability research strengths to identify four to six broad areas where 91亚色 researchers are conducting innovative, high impact, collaborative research; and coordinating high-level consultation sessions with 91亚色鈥檚 external partners to identify the full range of possibilities and strategies for enhancing research collaboration.
The report also recommends developing and implementing plans for a physical space to the Sustainability Hub for collaborative research purposes and social interaction, including student space; emphasizing 91亚色鈥檚 strengths in the area of internationalization to connect to global issues; establishing an online, open access sustainability journal that is internationally peer reviewed; creating mechanisms to attract top graduate students and Post-Doctoral Fellows focusing on sustainability, including scholarships; establishing Research Chairs in Environment and Sustainability; and the creation of a sustainability fund that provides seed funding or matching funds for both exploratory and applied sustainability research at 91亚色.
鈥淚 am pleased to receive the report and look forward to working with the community towards realizing the vision and recommendations of the task force,鈥 said Robert Hach茅, 91亚色鈥檚 vice-president research & innovation. 鈥淪ustainability research aligns with the core values of the University and is featured prominently in 91亚色鈥檚 Strategic Research Plan and community engagement strategy. I would like to thank the task force committee and all members of the 91亚色 community for their input during the consultation process and contributions to the development of the final report. The report reflects tangible progress towards advancing sustainability research initiatives at 91亚色.鈥
For a complete list of the report鈥檚 recommendations, view the .
The task force engaged in a two-phase consultative process, which included presentations to and consultations with members of the 91亚色 community, as well as meetings and discussions with student groups, three open forums where 91亚色 communi颅ty members could contribute their input, and online surveys. In addition, the draft report was circulated to a range of external partners who were consulted for feedback.