About the Digital Sustainability category

Digital Sustainability
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This category is for discussions on reducing the environmental impact of digital infrastructure and practices in research. It covers:

  • HPC & Cloud Services – energy and emissions from large-scale computing, cloud, and AI/ML workloads.

  • End-user Devices & Lifecycle – sustainable procurement, use, repair, and recycling of IT and AV equipment.

  • Data Storage & Governance – managing data, archiving, and governance in a sustainable way.

  • Digital Behaviours – researcher habits, defaults, and cultural change in digital practice.

Digital Sustainability focuses on ICT, computing, and data. It complements Energy Management & Equipment (labs and physical infrastructure) and Reporting & Compliance (standards, metrics).

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Hi all,

We’ve written a specification guide for including sustainability within the purchasing of digital research infrastructure or services. It’s been circulated to a group within UKRI, but I do plan on posting it publicly on SPARKHub. Before it goes live, would anyone want to review it? If so please write me and I’ll share the draft.

This will go along other procurement specs which relate to research and can assist which we’ve drafted in UKRI (credit to Andrew Waggott for leading this work, but they’ll include waste and common equipment types).

The aim of having common specs to work off is to help align how we engage suppliers on sustainability, but also make lives easier. Input welcome!

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We are happy to share a view if helpful Martin - z.l.hurley@bham.ac.uk

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Hi Martin, happy to circulate it with our procurement team and share feedback!

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Hi Martin, Bristol would like to feed in if possible, with input from IT, Sustainability and Procurement. @JamesDaly-UoBristol

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Hi all,

We are planning to advertise a Sustainability Officer role at the LMB. Just wondering if anyone had advice on good places to advertise for maximum exposure?

Thanks,
Poppy

–
Dr Poppy Marriott
Scientific Services and Sustainability Manager
MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology
Francis Crick Avenue
Cambridge
CB2 0QH

Phone: 01223 26 7857
Mobile: 07411 030977

The MRC is part of UK Research and Innovation

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Hi Poppy - I got the most response from LinkedIn when we advertised for our positions … Zoe

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Hi Martin,
chris.collins@hull.ac.uk might be able to contribute some thoughts if you share with him, he has recently been involved in the procurement process for sustainable large digital research infrastructure. Cheers, Clare

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Hey Martin, The Crick will be happy to review too.

Let me know when this is likely to come to use for review.

Many thanks,

Rajnika

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Many thanks all - Will send the updated copy now directly to all who kindly put their hands up. Much appreciated!