Research

Through interdisciplinary collaboration, Sustainable GW is facilitating intellectual discourse and research to promote more sustainable systems locally, regionally and globally. Building on the mission of the Sustainability Institute, first founded in 2009, Sustainable GW contributes to the ongoing development of interdisciplinary research teams across the university that are publishing peer-reviewed studies in the areas of law, science, communications, business, public health, engineering and policy with a focus on how those areas intersect with sustainability concerns, such as water, energy, climate, food and sustainable cities.

Since 2016, Sustainable GW has helped foster a number of multi-disciplinary teams seeking research funding around the topics of urban sustainability, climate impact in the Arctic, the food-energy-water nexus and improving K-12 educational outcomes through digital storytelling and exposure to authentic science practices. We are currently developing new areas of research that address the complex problems of sustainability while simultaneously supporting GW’s leading faculty researchers in their own endeavors. Key examples of our work include the annual Duke Energy Innovation Fund competitions and the new Sustainability Scholars Award for GW students. Both provide opportunities for students and faculty to collaborate on results-oriented projects.