| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 70.05 |
| Liaison | Lisa Kilgore |
| Submission Date | March 22, 2016 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Cornell University
AC-10: Support for Research
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.00 / 4.00 |
Lauren
Chambliss Communications Director Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future |
Does the institution have a program to encourage student sustainability research that meets the criteria for this credit?:
A brief description of the institution’s program(s) to encourage student research in sustainability:
Cornell University has been awarded four sustainability-related NSF-sponsored "Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship" (IGERT) grants for graduate students:
- Food Systems and Poverty Reduction
- Earth-Energy Systems
- Cross-Scale Biogeochemistry and Climate
- Materials for a Sustainable Future
The IGERTs provide doctoral students with the opportunity to work as members of interdisciplinary teams, learning the concepts, methods and vocabularies of other disciplines as they collaborate to solve some of the world’s most complex problems.
Cornell also provides a number of research incentives for undergraduates, including several opportunities for sustainability-related research in the Colleges of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Engineering.
The website URL where information about the student research program is available:
Does the institution have a program to encourage faculty sustainability research that meets the criteria for this credit?:
A brief description of the institution’s program(s) to encourage faculty research in sustainability:
Since 2008, the Atkinson Center's Academic Venture Fund (AVF) has been the signature program for sustainability-related research within Cornell. The fund stimulates cross-disciplinary research in sustainability research at Cornell and promotes activities with the potential to attract external partners in industry, government, NGOs, and foundations. A postdoctoral program in sustainability research supports up to four postdocs selected annually. The postdocs work under the direction of a Cornell faculty fellow. A second grants program, the Rapid Response Fund, awards funding to smaller, time-sensitive projects on a quarterly basis.
The website URL where information about the faculty research program is available:
Has the institution formally adopted policies and procedures that give positive recognition to interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary, and multidisciplinary research during faculty promotion and/or tenure decisions?:
A brief description or the text of the institution’s policy regarding interdisciplinary research:
Because Cornell University has a large number of multidisciplinary centers (including the Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future), multidisciplinary research is highly valued and often considered as a strong supportive activity in cases of faculty tenure and promotion, but not as a substitute for disciplinary strength.
The website URL where information about the treatment of interdisciplinary research is available:
Does the institution provide ongoing library support for sustainability research and learning that meets the criteria for this credit?:
A brief description of the institution's library support for sustainability research and learning:
The Cornell University Library system offers Library Guides for assisting with research in many departments, including Environment and Natural Resources (see the following for a list of departments and sample guides: http://guides.library.cornell.edu/lghome).
The website URL where information about the institution's library support for sustainability is available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.