University of Virginia
AC-10: Support for Research

The University has a number of programs to support student research of all forms, including sustainability research. The pan-university Environmental Resilience Institute (see below) supports Environmental Resilience and Sustainability (ERS) fellowships for graduate students engaging in interdisciplinary work in the area of environmental sustainability and resilience. Three broad areas are: Water, food and energy security - understanding mechanisms that enable resilience of water, food and energy resources in the context of climate, land-use, and population changes; integrating science, economics, policy, public health and ethics, and technological innovation. Resilient communities - resilience of built and natural systems to climate change and natural hazards, including land-climate feedback, coastal and urban resilience, tipping points, social networks and innovations. Stewardship and governance - social feedbacks involving public policy, cultural identity, philosophy, history, ecocriticism, individual behavior and collective action, ethics, and the arts that contribute to resilience and well-being. Successful applicants receive $8000 in funding to support projects designed with the guidance of faculty members from two different disciplines, with the option of an additional $4000 to support work conducted by an undergraduate. Funds could be used to support summer research (including stipend), travel to field sites, and other research-related needs. Preference is given to projects that include an undergraduate researcher. https://gradstudies.virginia.edu/GERF The Center for Undergraduate Excellence encourages students to get involved in research. The Center administers the Harrison Undergraduate Research Awards and maintains a database of research opportunities both at UVA and elsewhere. Additionally, the Harrison Undergraduate Research Awards provide funding for students to pursue independent research projects over the summer. While the $3,000 grants can be used to pursue projects of any topic, in the past years several grants have been awarded to students pursuing sustainability-related research projects. Projects have researched such topics as edible rain gardens, regional agriculture support systems, bioremediation to create drinking water, storage of solar energy and sustainable tourism. The Harrison Awards can provide valuable support to extend course-initiated sustainability research projects and may serve as a model for programs targeting project implementation. The Global Sustainability Poster Symposium is an annual event designed to showcase student-proposed and student-led efforts to achieve a sustainable future. Undergraduate students enrolled in the Global Sustainability class submit Think Global/Act Local projects that promote responsible use of environmental resources, equitable communities, and economic efficiency – the “three E's” of sustainability.

The Environmental Resilience Institute (http://www.virginia.edu/vpr/resilience/) brings together UVA faculty, students, and external partners to conduct trans-disciplinary research at the intersection of environmental change and human wellbeing. The overarching goal is to identify solutions to some of society’s most challenging and complex social-environmental problems. The Institute is led by Karen McGlathery, VP for Sustainability Research. The Institute was formed in the summer of 2017, when UVA selected the institute during a competitive process to fund pan-university institutes. The institute received $2 million over three years. https://news.virginia.edu/content/uva-launches-new-institutes-one-environment-one-global-infections Additionally, Sustainability Fund planning is available via the University Committee on Sustainability (Teaching and Research Subcommittee) to fund sustainability research. In 2016-2017, a request for proposal was issued and eight grants were awarded, totaling $64,000. Researchers presented their findings at the November 2017 Sustainability Grounds as a Living Lab Symposium. Topics included Real-Time Control of Stormwater Systems, Is Landscape Lighting with LED Lights and Ecological Trap. Evaluating Bee Hotels, Toward Data-Driven Sustainability-Decision Making, and more. Additional grants are in the process of being awarded in the 2017-2018 academic year.

The Commission on the Future of the University, a group charged with proposing strategic directions for the University for the next decade, highlighted the important of interdisciplinary collaboration in the Commission's 2008 report: "Significant and consistent collaboration and interaction across all ten schools of the University are critical to fostering a shared vision, common goals, innovative programs, and bold initiatives. Meaningful collaboration and interaction can differentiate the University in important ways and build a foundation for other strategies to achieve differentiation." UVA now has four pan-university institutes that promote transdisciplinary research. The Vice President for Research offers multiple programs to organize and promote interdisciplinary research efforts, including theOpenGrounds initiative. OpenGrounds is a unique combination of interdisciplinary programming, challenges, research fellowships, and a network of physical spaces distributed across Grounds to promote ad hoc collaboration. A new program, 3Cavliers, is being launched to seed interdisciplinary research projects. Tenure and promotion processes are typically initiated at the School and Departmental Levels. The following are selected excerpts from School-level Promotion and Tenure policies that give positive recognition to interdisciplinary research: Promotion and Tenure Policy School of Engineering and Applied Science - Revised May 12, 2011: "Cross-disciplinary research is encouraged and is recognized as a valuable complement and enhancement of the candidate's strength and depth in a central area of expertise." POLICIES FOR FACULTY MANAGEMENT McIntire School of Commerce: Collaborative or joint research among the faculty, both within and across disciplines, is encouraged. Collaboration often enhances the quality and relevance of research. School of Medicine - Criteria for Collaboration: The NIH roadmap for patient-oriented research endorsed team science and established the expectation of expertise for interdisciplinary investigation and collaboration. The national academies have suggested that the evaluation of outcomes of interdisciplinary research and teaching will focus less on the usual number of publications and more on the impact of these publications. A successful interdisciplinary program will affect multiple disciplines and the connections among these fields.

The University Library provides a full ranges of services to support sustainability research and learning. For instance, the Fiske Kimball Fine Arts Library has a recently created Materials Collection that includes samples of green building materials used in buildings and landscapes. Library staff will create Research Guides for specific courses, such as the Community Food Systems course linked below. The Scholar's Lab offers custom-created map and data repositories for sustainability focused classes as well.

https://gradstudies.virginia.edu/GERF https://news.virginia.edu/content/uva-launches-new-institutes-one-environment-one-global-infections