Centre for Sustainability

The Centre for Sustainability was established in February 2001 at Institute of Technology , Sligo. The Centre is a location for interdisciplinary, integrated research on issues of sustainability. It will co-ordinate focused research groups, from the Engineering, Science and Business and Humanities schools.

The establishment of the Centre is a natural development of the Institute’s long track record in environmental education and research. Postgraduate research at the Institute currently includes environmental monitoring and analysis, advanced environmental analysis, wastewater treatment, remediation of contamination, sustainable development, sustainable tourism, environmental economics and public attitudes to the environment.

The aims of the Centre are:

• To promote interdisciplinary research on issues of sustainability
• To enhance the learning experience of post-graduate students, through the promotion of an interdisciplinary research culture
• To facilitate the integration of the outcomes of various research streams
• To support researchers in administration of sustainability research
• To support researchers in dissemination of the outcomes of sustainability research
• To act as a reference point and information centre on issues of sustainability To develop and participate in networks of, and strategic alliances with, organisations working in areas of sustainability
• To support the development of undergraduate modules and courses in sustainability

The Centre for Sustainability will maximise the scope and potential contribution of its activities by entering into strategic alliances with other groups or institutions with similar aims.

Strategic alliances may take the form of:

• Agreements to share information, or the outcomes of research
• Agreements to share resources
• Joint research projects
• Facilitation of researchers from the strategic partners
• Other alliances that the Board deems appropriate

It is expected that most of the collaborating institutions within existing research programmes will become formal strategic partners of the Centre for Sustainability.

Currently the main Centre for Sustainability research programme are the biosolids projects.