UAntwerp Climate Team

Research

The societal impact of UAntwerp’s research and education actions are possibly the university’s biggest leverage in accelerating climate action. However, if our university wants to take on this role, it should also arm our researchers and research departments with the context and skills needed to address the wide array of sustainability and climate justice issues.

Therefore, research should be able to tackle wicked problems by conducting problem-based research. Waas et al. describe the challenge as follows:

‘If we focus on addressing “wicked problems”, and if we take into account the context in which sustainability issues form (complexity, uncertainty, diversity of values), then there is a need for a new research approach that is complementary to a monodisciplinary and purely academic approach. Known as “sustainability science” or sustainability science and research, this new approach is more specific than the concept of “science for sustainability” or research for sustainability. This distinction goes beyond a semantic discussion, and has far-reaching implications for the conceptualisation, conduct and organisation of research. Sustainability science is a specific interpretation of research for sustainability, characterised by inter- and transdisciplinarity and by an explicit recognition of the normative nature of research. It is not a new discipline, but it is a new research approach characterised by new forms of collaboration.’ [1]

The EU research funding programmes under the Horizon Europe umbrella – which are both trendsetters with regard to funding research and research topics – are moving more towards problem-based and interdisciplinary research, including clearly emphasising climate action and sustainability as key research objectives.

Evidently, individuals and groups of researchers within our university are already engaging with this sustainability research approach, however, structural mainstreaming of sustainability research at our university – both within the faculties and in the central department – is work in progress.


Milestones reached


In the 2019 Climate Action Plan, a couple of priority action points were identified. However, without a plan of action or a task group responsible with the capacity to execute these action points, many of them were not achieved.

However, it  should not be ignored that interdisciplinary research and education institutes such as IMDO, USI and the IOB – along other research groups embedded in all faculties – develop research projects and connections that do adhere to the sustainability research approach. This is due to high engagement of individual researchers and research groups, leading to good outreach of research projects on topics such as air quality, climate justice, poverty, nature-based solutions, etc.

Nevertheless, a clear university-wide vision and strategy on sustainability in research is currently lacking. This has resulted in a fragmented landscape of initiatives and actions with many blind spots and a lack of a clear overview and visibility. As a consequence, it is often difficult to follow-up the outcome of actions, the realised progress, bring together people motivated to take action, and set up interdisciplinary collaborations in research.

An assessment of the 2019 objectives:

● Develop UAntwerp’s vision on sustainability in education and research: no action has been taken with regard to an overall vision on sustainability in research.

● Outline staff expertise and research projects: In the last couple of years, a couple of attempts have been made by IMDO in collaboration with RIVA (formerly ADOC, research department) to create an outline. It proves to be a challenge to make a good thematic list and continuously update this outline.

● Establish a formal working group on sustainability and research at UAntwerp: No action has been taken in this regard by the university management. Ideally this would be done under supervision of the Vice-Rector for Research and RIVA in collaboration with IMDO, USI and other relevant academic actors. An attempt has been made by the Climate Team’s Research and Education Working Group to launch proposals, however, beyond individual actions, research policy is so central to the entire university, that it was felt capacity fell short and that this should be taken up by a formal working group with full representation of all relevant stakeholders.

● Develop a manual with good practices on how to integrate sustainability in doing research (e.g. limiting transport, waste), which RIVA (formerly ADOC) can distribute together with funding possibilities. The objective is to inspire and stimulate researchers and not to increase the administrative burden: No action has been taken in this regard.

● Initiate an Antwerp city lab to investigate complex sustainability challenges (and/or increase participation in Stadslab2050): No action has been taken in this regard. Stadslab2050 has been abolished by the City of Antwerp.

● Increase the visibility of successfully incorporating sustainability and interdisciplinarity in research: There were certainly actions that successfully showed sustainability and interdisciplinarity on a large communication platform, such as Curieuzeneuzen (Curious Noses). However, this was due to the strength of these projects, not because a sharing platform was created from within the university.


Goals


In terms of developing sustainability, research at UAntwerp has three main objectives:

  • Develop a vision and action plan for sustainability research on the basis of scenario planning;
  • Support and mainstream sustainability science as the dominant research approach to address sustainability issues.
  • Develop an ethics framework and policy on dissociation from fossil fuel companies to finance research.


Actions


Develop a vision and action plan for sustainability research

Develop a vision and action plan for sustainability research on the basis of scenario planning (as explained here).

  • Indicator: a vision and action plan is developed by December 2023

Establish a formal expert working group on sustainability research under supervision of the Vice-Rector for Research.

Mainstream sustainability science in our research support of inter- and transdisciplinary collaboration

RIVA supports researchers in developing sustainability science projects and funding applications.

  • Indicator: RIVA has a ‘helpdesk’ on interdisciplinary and sustainability science;

  • Indicator: RIVA has an information page on sustainability science on their website

Support for initiatives that want to engage with interdisciplinary and sustainability research

  • Indicator: RIVA has a ‘helpdesk’ on interdisciplinary and sustainability science;
  • Indicator: network events on interdisciplinary and sustainability science are organised;
  • Indicator: start-up of a learning network on interdisciplinary and sustainability research.

In all templates, presentations, project applications and supporting documents mainstreaming of the concepts, ideas and aspects of sustainability science. Include normative sustainability objective as part of every internal funding application.

  • Indicator: all internal application forms (such as BOF funding) have a section on the sustainability science aspects of the research.;
  • Indicator: all internal application forms (such as BOF funding) have a section on the estimated carbon footprint of the research project and include a carbon compensation budget;
  • Indicator: all project applications coming from UAntwerp have a carbon compensation budget included in the budget overview;
  • Indicator: the sustainability science approach is mainstreamed in all RIVA presentations and supporting documents for research funding applications.

Workshops on ‘What is sustainability science and sharing best practices’.

  • Indicator: workshops are organised.

Training courses for PhDs and postdoc researchers on interdisciplinary research methods.

  • Indicator: Training courses at the Antwerp Doctoral School

Develop an ethics framework and dissociation from fossil fuel companies for funding research.

Develop an improved research ethics and integrity framework that enforces research not to be unsustainable and encourages sustainability science.

  • Indicator: start process with the Research Board and Research Integrity Committee;
  • Indicator: a sustainability research ethics framework is developed under supervision of the Research Integrity Committee.

On funding research: strengthen transparency of research funding and avoid conflicts of interest (UAntwerp Code §2.9) How do we ensure that research is always seen as objective and in the public interest?

  • Indicator: start process with the Research Board and Research Integrity Committee;
  • Indicator: a sustainability research ethics framework is developed under supervision of the Research Integrity Committee, which addresses research funding.

Ban all research funding from fossil fuel companies, similar to the tobacco research funding for cancer research (see Fossil-free Research Initiative).

  • Indicator: discussion and formal recommendation on ESG criteria for banning private organisations that fund research (example Princeton University);
  • Indicator: decision to ban funding for future research projects based on the abovementioned criteria.


Indicators

See above.


Challenges


One clear challenge for interdisciplinary work is the compartmentalised nature of the university in disciplinary departments and faculties, which are often difficult to bridge when it comes to research funding or administration. A vision and strategy on sustainability research will need to be developed through an inclusive process of discussions and strong support from UAntwerp’s management and research department (RIVA).

Another challenge might be the knowledge gap of researchers to start engaging with interdisciplinary research and the lack of context in which they can start learning to do this.

[1] Waas et al., 2010, Nota Commissie Duurzaam Hoger Onderwijs 2019: https://publicaties.vlaanderen.be/view-file/31677.