University at Buffalo
AC-10: Support for Sustainability Research

The Center for Undergraduate Research & Creative Activities (CURCA) serves as a hub for undergraduate students interested in finding challenging research and creative opportunities that match their academic interests and career goals. CURCA is open to students from all majors: from the sciences, to the social sciences, to the arts and humanities. They have the opportunity to apply for funding to use on their mentored projects. Sustainability-related student research was recognized with "sustainability badges" at CURCA's annual Celebration of Academic Excellence event. Of the 200 + research projects, around 50 were selected as sustainability research by a panel which included faculty and team members from UB Sustainability. Creating such a recognition further encourages students to pursue sustainability research. Students can also plug into current faculty research through postings on CURCA’s website. (Recently, CURCA has become part of the Experiential Learning Network.)

Building on a long history of environmental research, UB created the RENEW (Research and Education in eNergy, Environment and Water) Institute, an ambitious, university-wide, interdisciplinary research institute that focuses on complex environmental issues, as well as the social and economic issues with which they are intertwined. One of the most expansive initiatives launched in recent years by the university, RENEW harnesses the expertise of more than 100 faculty across the university from disciplines ranging from engineering, computer science, geography, biology, geology, law, urban planning, chemistry, economics, social science, etc. Within the last two years, the Institute has hired twelve outstanding faculty of its own with expertise spanning aquatic ecology, pollution law, behavioral economics, environmental planning, community health and energy/environmental systems.

http://www.buffalo.edu/renew.html

UB does not have any formal policies with respect to interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary research as it relates to tenure and promotion. However, there is a general understanding, certainly within the PRB, that such research has become increasingly common and is highly valued within our institution.

The University Libraries have appointed a librarian, Frederick Stoss, MS (zool./ecol.), MLS, Librarian for the Biological Sciences, Interim Chemistry, Geology, and Mathematics Departments, as our liaison librarian to UB Sustainability. He is active in the area of sustainability and has published and presented on sustainability information topics in the past. His major contribution is drafting an information resources webpage on sustainability. The UB Libraries collection of monographs holds more than 1,600 tiles, and subscribes to more than 40 serials on sustainability issues. Due to the multidisciplinary nature of sustainability research, other information resources webpages used to assist researchers, educators, and students are:
* Architecture
* Chemistry
* Ecology and Environment
* Energy
* Engineering—Environmental
* Environmental Studies (SSC)
* Geography—Human
* Geography--Physical
* Geology
* Planning

The University Libraries subscribe to several databases and e-book aggregation services that address the topic of sustainability. They are:
* GreenFile
* E&E Publications
* Environment Complete
* ETDE World Energy Database
* Academic Search Complete
* Web of Science Core Collection
* ebrary Academic Complete Biological Abstracts
* BIOSIS Previews Citation Index
* Compendex*Plus (Engineering Index)
* GEOBASE
* GeoRef
* SciFinder
* NTIS
* JSTOR
* Wiley Online Library
* EBSCOhost Research Databases
* EBSCOhost MASTER File Premier
* Elsevier Journals
* eBook Collection (EBSCOhost)
* Energy & Power Source
* Gale Virtual Reference Library