At the University of Bristol (UoB) we have conducted a research study (funded by UKRI’s Enhancing Research Culture). We wanted to explore including environmental sustainability in internal funding processes, with the aim of developing a research culture where sustainability is embedded in the design, delivery and funding of research projects. The hope is to encourage researchers at all career stages to reflect on the environmental impact of their research and also align UoB with external funder requirements.
Firstly, we scoped the current landscape of sustainability in funding processes, internal and external which revealed a complex picture. We then conducted five online focus groups with 27 participants from the University’s Research Institutes (URIs), researchers from a variety of fields, procurement, finance and research support, and three workshops with 17 participants. The concept was well received and perceived as feasible and worth doing. The focus groups highlighted a number of challenges and considerations, including balancing information provision with reducing burden, whether and how to assess sustainability as a funding criterion, and training needs.
As a result of the workshops, we drafted a new question to be added to funding applications, associated guidance documents for applicants and reviewers, and suggestions for implementation and evaluation. The URIs plan to implement the new question in their 2027 funding rounds as a pilot phase. Following evaluation of the pilot we hope to roll it out to all internal funding calls.
Anyone else doing similar work? I’d love to hear from you, please contact study PI Ava Lorenc ava.lorenc@bristol.ac.uk