Sustainability in Research Infrastructure

Dear Colleagues,

Research infrastructure—that is, buildings, laboratories, large-scale instruments and research facilities, data centers and infrastructure that are needed to operate these—often produce environmental impacts, e.g., through the use of high amounts of energy, chemicals, and the production of various and sometimes complex-to-handle wastes. However, these facilities are often essential for sustainability innovation. How can environmental impact be kept low and the research framework itself excel in sustainability? In addition to technical and operational issues, organizational and social challenges are met in the everyday struggle to serve researchers and accommodate their valuable work while optimizing material as well as energy and work flows, always facing limited funding and cost restrictions.

We invite papers covering all aspects of this interdisciplinary challenge, with a special focus on planned projects, strategies, and also best practices as well as analyses of work and material flows, energy efficiency, and technical and organizational processes. We encourage submissions from researchers who also do research on how to improve sustainability at their home facility, often hand in hand with technical staff and administration. Most often, this valuable work is done away from key research activities and is more as an outcome of academics’ own responsibility rather than part of their duties in their research roles. Thus, it finally deserves to receive the attention it has not been given to date. Of course, work which focusses on institutional learning and operations excellence in sustainability aspects is also very welcome.

Prof. Dr. Oliver Opel
Ms. Marlies Wiegand
Prof. Dr. Gunther Gehlert
Dr. Frank Schiller
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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