Some of the benefits of incorporating sustainability into your research are;

• Employers are actively seeking graduates who understand the core concepts of both present and future environmental, social and economic challenges to safeguard them against risks. It will stand you out from the crowd!
• Sustainability is an interdisciplinary field, so the vast majority of students can easily incorporate sustainability aspects within their research that aligns with their interests; from exploring how low carbon energy solutions can be integrated in rural areas, to investigating the social impact of the arts in communicating ethical purchasing.
• Tailoring your research project to address a sustainability theme actively contributes to having a positive impact in society, as your work will be focussing on real challenges and actions for positive change.
• There are opportunities to showcase your work and be recognised for your achievements – the annual University of Leeds Student Sustainability Research Conference is an opportunity for any student to present their curricular projects or research to a wide audience, and network with like-minded students, staff, and visitors. The University of Leeds Annual Sustainability Awards highlights student research as one of the key awards in the Building Knowledge and Capacity categories. 

When developing ideas you may find it useful to consider how the UN Sustainable Development Goals align with your research. Take a look at student research presented at the University of Leeds Annual Student Sustainability Research Conference for ideas and discover more ideas at the links below:

UN Sustainable Development Goals Knowledge Platform sustainabledevelopment.un.org/topics

University of Exeter Education for Sustainability Topics Quick Guide www.exeter.ac.uk/sustainability/education/quick_guide/topics

Living Lab

The Living Lab is open to everyone. It brings together students, staff and partners from research, teaching and operational teams to co-produce innovative and transformational solutions to real-world sustainability challenges, using the campus as a test-bed. It is interdisciplinary and drives continual, sustainable improvement by tackling global challenges at the local scale.

Whether it is a research-led campus design addressing the challenges of climate change, trialling new sustainability initiatives with staff or students, or integrating biodiversity and wellbeing, the Living Lab programme is open to all staff and students across the University. It’s about people, processes and infrastructure and focuses on the cultural and social sciences as well as STEM.

Living Lab for Air Quality

One of our flagship projects, the Living Lab for Air Quality is just getting underway. To find out more about how we are measuring and mapping air quality in and around the University of Leeds Campus click here.

LivingLabScape: i-Tree Leeds Campus Survey

This project is a collaboration between the Sustainability Service and Leeds4Trees – a partnership of LEAF (Leeds Ecosystem, Atmosphere & Forest Centre), the United Bank of Carbon (UBoC) and Leeds City Council. We are exploring the value of trees and green spaces across campus as a pilot study for a City-wide project. The findings of the project will enable us to take an even better account of the value of trees when planning campus development. You can use the map below to explore the details of the project’s findings so far and read more about the project here.

LivingLabScape: Biofiltration Systems

The Sustainability Service and Estates Services have collaborated with the School of Civil Engineering to investigate the design and configuration of biofiltration systems for sustainable urban drainage in the UK climate, using the University campus as a test-bed. This is part of the LivingLabScape stream of projects.

Biofiltration systems are landscaped Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SuDS) that provide rainfall-runoff reduction, peak flow attenuation and stormwater runoff treatment. They have a small footprint so can be retrofitted into the existing urban landscape which makes them ideal for locations such as the University of Leeds campus. The project, therefore, aims to assess feasibility and opportunities for their uptake in this context.

Phase 1 of the project is already complete and has included lab-based work to establish the appropriate soil matrix. Phase 2 focusses on plant growth trials and has just got underway with the installation of 24 biofilter columns at our Bardon Grange site in Leeds. PhD student Andrea Aiello will carry out 6 months of investigations to establish the optimum biofilter design and recommendations for Phase 3 – a pilot biofilter on campus!

The Food Waste Living Lab

Food waste is a global challenge and the University of Leeds aims to lead the way in innovative approaches to reducing waste from our catering, cafes and restaurants. We are therefore developing a Food Waste Living Lab. The Sustainability Service has collaborated with the School of Chemical & Process Engineering (SCaPE) and the Centre for Doctoral Training for Bioenergy to look at the feasibility of a variety of technological and behavioural approaches. We have also been developing an interdisciplinary network of food waste research across the University to allow us to take a more collaborative approach moving forwards. Sustainability Services are currently working with SCaPE to analyse the recommendations so keep an eye out for the next phase soon.

In the meantime, you can read a blog of a recent interview with the students involved here.

Mixed Ability Sports

The Mixed Ability Sport (MAS) model is yet to be applied to a University setting but could prove an effective way to increase sports participation in underrepresented groups, as well as to achieve greater social inclusion and community building. The Living Lab is, therefore, collaborating with the Sustainability Research Institute (SRI) and the Sport & Physical Activity Service (SPA) to carry out a pilot project to evaluate whether there is a need for a MAS offering at the University of Leeds. Find out more here.

Last Mile Deliveries

Large numbers of courier vehicles deliver parcels and packages to our Schools and Services around campus. Staff and students increasingly utilise the benefits of online orders with next day delivery to support research, teaching and operational activities. Such volumes of vehicle movement have an impact on congestion as well as local air quality.

We have made great strides in reducing the volume of vehicle movement by working with Go Getter Dispatch bike couriers to deliver campus post. However, goods and parcels delivered by external courier services remain a complex and fragmented challenge that is difficult to monitor and manage. The Facilities Directorate is, therefore, collaborating with the Institute for Transport Studies to map the flow of courier vehicles around our campus and to highlight potential future improvement projects that might help reduce local congestion and pollution.

LivingLabScape: Sustainable Garden

Based on the gold award-winning RHS flower show entry in 2012 by the University’s water@leeds, the Sustainable Garden is an excellent example of collaborative working between the Facilities Directorate, Leeds University Union and academic staff.  It provides a multi-functional space for staff, students and visitors.

All can engage in cultivation of the edible garden, wildflower areas, soft fruit hedgerows, insect houses and pocket habitats. Regular gardening sessions allow volunteers to learn new skills, research pods are utilised for undergraduate student study, and the space as a whole offers a valuable teaching area, particularly for Biology and Geography modules.

We are in the process of summarising some of the recent research activity that has taken place in the Garden and will share it here soon.

Creating Sustainable Futures

As part of Broadening at the University of Leeds, one of our ten Discovery Themes is called Creating Sustainable Futures. This UK Green Gown Award-winning project offers students across the University the opportunity to study sustainability modules as part of their degree. Students are able to tackle real-life sustainability challenges through practical projects. Research findings, data and solutions are shared with university operational staff, local communities and businesses to drive continual sustainable improvement.

Sustainable Labs

Our Sustainable Labs Working Group was established in 2013 to support and monitor the implementation of sustainability actions to reduce the impacts of our laboratory network. It brings together Lab Managers, Technicians, Academics and Estates Services from across the University to work together collaboratively and share best practice.

We regularly host S-lab events and seminars to take forward our sustainability projects such as Reuse@Leeds:labs which allow users to share items like electrical equipment, glassware and chemicals through our popular reuse site.

Sustainability Architects

Every year we employ staff and student Sustainability Architects to support the implementation of our strategic aims and our commitment to increase awareness of sustainability at the University. This gives students the opportunity to develop their skills and employability whilst driving impactful sustainable change across the University.

Recent projects have included:

• Developing a ‘sustainability rep’ role to increase our reach across campus
• Increasing sustainability-themed dissertation opportunities for undergraduates
• Strengthening student voices through political and governance activities
• Promoting increased recycling and reuse rates within Halls of Residences

Sustainability Internships

The Sustainability Service at the University of Leeds offers 12-month internships to undergraduates looking for a placement year opportunity as part of their degree. Our interns gain excellent learning and experience for a career in sustainability whilst giving the University valuable support in engaging staff, students and the wider community in our Strategy and initiatives.

Examples of past projects and research can be found below. The dissertation projects all aligned with Living Lab principles.

The Living Lab is able to offer funding to projects that meet the core principles of the programme. We are particularly looking for projects that require seed funding to get off the ground or match funding as part of a collaborative partnership. This might be between Schools, Faculties, Services or even external stakeholders. Find out more at: sustainability.leeds.ac.uk/the-living-lab

To view Living Lab research opportunities that the Sustainability Service have identified, as well as current projects already taking place please CLICK HERE.

Development of a Process for Identifying and Managing Labour Risks in the University of Leeds Supply Chain (Living Lab project)
Saul Diez Lozano – MSc Sustainability and Consultancy
2017

A Worthy Investment? Evaluating the Utility of Carbon Footprints for Informing Environmental Policy Within Organisations (Living Lab project)
James Townsend – MSc Sustainability and Climate Change
2012

Impacts of the University of Leeds’s Palm Oil Supply Chain on Biodiversity in Southeast Asia (Living Lab project)
Jonathan Withey – MSc Sustainability: Business, Environment and Corporate Responsibility
2012

Making Laboratories Greener: Barriers to Energy Efficiency at the University of Leeds (Living Lab project)
Emma Sturtevant – MSc Sustainability and Climate Change
2012

Should the University of Leeds Use Biomass for Space Heating? An Assessment of Technology Options and Associated Feedstocks (Living Lab project)
Ben Smith – MSc Sustainability: Business, Environment and Corporate Responsibility
2012

If you have completed a dissertation or research project and would like this to be considered for the list above please contact us.

Sharing your sustainability research can help to inspire others. If you have included sustainability in your dissertation or research, then let us share your findings.

If you are interested in sharing your research please email your story, and any photos or images to accompany it, to sustainability@leeds.ac.uk.

If you share your research or findings on social media then please tag us @UoL_Sus.

Where to start?

The Final Chapter web pages contain lots of useful information for undergraduate and taught postgraduate students working on research projects or dissertations. It covers choosing your topic, doing a literature review, structuring your work and critical thinking. You can also watch videos of staff and students from the University of Leeds sharing their top tips for success.

Visit library.leeds.ac.uk/info/1401/academic_skills/108/dissertations to find out more.

Dissertation Workshops 

Skills@Library host a number of dissertation workshops where any student (UG or PGT) can find out how to integrate sustainability into their work, and the benefits of doing so.  Find out more and book at: library.leeds.ac.uk/info/1400/study_and_research_support

The Student Sustainability Research Conference 

Stuck for a project idea? Can’t think how sustainability applies to your subject?
CLICK HERE to explore the diversity of work presented at the Annual Student Sustainability Research Conference, which attracts presenters from across all Faculties at Leeds, sharing their research or curricular projects which have a focus on sustainability themes.

From Art to Zoo Management 

Not sure how sustainability applies to your subject? Check out NUS’s ‘From Art to Zoo Management‘ guide and see some examples of how your discipline could apply to sustainability. 

Need participants for your survey or project?

Why not post details of your survey or call for participants to the University of Leeds Current Students Facebook page. Don’t forget to tag @UoL_Sus so that we can help promote and share your research!

Contact the team 

We are always happy to help any student with queries on doing a sustainability-themed project. Visit the contact us page and leave us a message telling us what specific questions or data needs you have!