Newcastle Institute for Research on Sustainability

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As a civic university with a global reputation for academic excellence, Newcastle University is committed to solving, rather than merely describing, the great challenges of our age, and thus helping to frame a more optimistic global debate.

In the field of sustainability, the Newcastle Institute for Research on Sustainability (NIReS) coordinates research across traditional discipline boundaries to deliver practical, engaged solutions to real-world issues, under the banner of Enough, For All, Forever.

Sustainability is one of three societal challenge themes on which the University marshals a significant proportion of its research power, as part of our commitment to excellence with impact.

NIReS draws upon its areas of established research excellence and the experience of collaborating partners to make an internationally-leading contribution to the following global research challenges in the field of sustainability:

(1) Transform methods used to design and implement integrated infrastructure systems such that they better serve the needs of society, and ensure positive interactions with the environment

(2) Through research, innovation and development of solutions, drive forward practical step changes in production and process efficiencies, such that the natural environment and its resources are safeguarded

(3) Identify and demonstrate socio-technical techniques to radically reduce resource consumption, eliminate associated waste and mitigate pollution effects on whole ecosystems.


These challenges have been selected because they are globally important, fit with our areas of research excellence and are contextually relevant to regional, national and international communities.

Our ambition is to firmly establish Newcastle University as a centre of expertise in the principles and practice of sustainability. In pursuit of this ambition, we are focusing our efforts around interdisciplinary areas of research excellence, each headed by a lead academic.

These academics work closely with the Institute Director and the Director of Research to deliver an integrated, top-level contribution to the global sustainability debate.