Sustainability in Research

  Copyright: © Martin Braun  

Sustainability is understood as a central cross-cutting task and is therefore considered in all spheres of action and areas of work at RWTH. Three GreenTeams (teaching and learning, research, and operations) have been established in order to implement the commitment to a more sustainable RWTH in everyday university life, as stipulated in the Sustainability Mission Statement.

Regular meetings, which are open to all university members, enable participation in the further process and ensure that different perspectives are taken into account in the discussions. In addition, the GreenTeams discuss, develop, and define the goals and measures and for the respective areas – teaching and learning, research, operations – with which RWTH is aligning itself more sustainably.

The Research GreenTeam is headed by Professor Kathrin Greiff, Rector's Delegate for Sustainability. You are welcome to register informally by email.

More information about the GreenTeams and other participation formats can be found under Participation in the Sustainability Process on the Help Build a Sustainable RWTH page. The GreenTeams emerged from the Sustainability at RWTH Workshop in March 2021.

 

RWTH UROP Sustainability

The Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program offers students the chance to actively conduct their own research projects as part of a research team at institutes and chairs of RWTH Aachen University early in their studies. A special focus in this program is on the topic of sustainability, in the context of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs, of the United Nations.

The program "RWTH UROP", which was newly revised in 2021, will help to make research projects in the field of sustainability and in the context of the 17 SDGs of the United Nations more visible and enable students as well as supervisors to find a common forum for them. Sustainability projects are identified via the database using a new filter. This gives students the opportunity to engage with the topic during their bachelor's studies and to make their own initial research contribution to the topic of sustainability in its ecological, social and economic dimensions.

Furthermore, starting in 2022, we plan to present the project results at a sustainability symposium that will take place once a year and to give all involved stakeholders the opportunity to network with each other.

• Setting up a project (for project supervisors)
• Currently available UROP projects

Associated Topics

• RWTH UROP

 

Funding for Sustainability-Oriented Research

Below you will find a selection of funding bodies, foundations, and contacts that also fund sustainable research projects in particular. More detailed information on the respective topics, funding structures, formats, and modes can be found in the guide Sustainability in University Research on page 38.