School of Sustainability
Organisational unit: Research School
- Centre for Sustainability Management (CSM)
- Institute of Ecology
- Institute of Ethics and Transdisciplinary Sustainability Research
- Institute of Sustainability Governance
- Institute of Sustainability Material Flows and Circularity
- Institute of Sustainability Psychology
- Institute of Sustainable Chemistry
- Social-Ecological Systems Institute (SESI)
- Sustainability Education and Transdisciplinary Research Institute
Organisation profile
Sustainability has many facets. Inter- and transdisciplinary research and teaching characterize the School of Sustainability. Scientists in our research projects work together in the laboratory, on the heath, in the grassland, in the classroom, with the city administration, with farmers, with non-governmental organizations, with companies, with students in the lecture hall and of course at their desks.
Furthermore, we work with regional and national political actors, e.g. ministries, as well as international organizations, e.g. UNEP, UNESCO, EU. We are part of national and international bodies, e.g. sustainability advisory boards of companies, member of the German Sustainability Award, World Biodiversity Council (IPBES), in order to contribute to social change with scientific findings.
Main research areas
Vision
Sustainability science investigates on a theoretical, conceptual and empirical level how to promote sustainable development and how to find and implement effective solutions for current social and ecological challenges. The aim is to create a more sustainable future.
Sustainability researchers are called upon to take responsibility for their research, which is anchored in existing scientific knowledge and methods and serves to make the world a better place for everyone.
Mission
We promote change towards a sustainable future by developing theories, concepts and practices of inclusive education for sustainability, research, governance and management.
We acknowledge the diversity and dynamics of values, norms and behaviour and contribute with transdisciplinary methods to ensuring that tensions and differences between different disciplines, methods, topics and standards are fruitfully taken up and used with productive compromises and further developments towards sustainable development.
Principles
The School of Sustainability is guided by the normative concepts of ecological system integrity and social and economic justice.
Ecological system integrity refers to the safeguarding of life-support systems, as well as the maintenance of the well-being of life on Earth.
With social and economic justice we strive for a world in which all people can fulfil their potential without endangering system integrity and the well-being of others.
Information about the School
The School of Sustainability includes...
... ca. 25 professors
... ca. 100 research assistants
... ca. 1000 students in Bachelor and Master courses
In various inter- and transdisciplinary projects we are constantly researching and working together on changes and solutions for current challenges.
DFG research unit “The role of nature for human well-being in the Kilimanjaro Social-Ecological System” (Kili-SES) - Sub project 7: “Synthesis”
Martín-López, B. (Project manager, academic), Böhning-Gaese, K. (Project manager, academic), Fischer, M. (Project manager, academic) & Zeuss, D. (Project manager, academic)
12.12.24 → 12.12.28
Project: Research
Didactic reconstruction of the energy transition
Hüfner, S. K. (Project manager, academic)
01.10.14 → 24.07.20
Project: Dissertation project
Didaktische Zugänge zum Thema Handy im Kontext der BNE
Michelsen, G. (Project manager, academic) & Fischer, D. (Coordination)
01.07.13 → 23.03.18
Project: Transfer (R&D project)
Die Auswirkungen des Atomausstiegs in Deutschland auf Strompreise und Klimaschutz in Deutschland und Europa
Kemfert, C. (Project manager, academic) & Schill, W. P. (Project manager, academic)
01.01.12 → 30.04.12
Project: Transfer (Scientific Services)
EcoCab: Die autarke und nachhaltige Niedrigenergiekabine; Teilprojekt: Wissenschaftliche Begleitung der Entwicklung einer Schiffskabine nach Cradle to Cradle Kriterien und Systemdesignanforderungen
Braungart, M. (Project manager, academic)
01.04.19 → 31.12.22
Project: Transfer (professional training)
Die Bedeutung unterschiedlicher Kontexte von Umweltbildung für Nachhaltigkeitsbewußtsein
Michelsen, G. (Project manager, academic), Degenhardt, L. (Project manager, academic), Godemann, J. (Project manager, academic) & Molitor, H. (Project manager, academic)
01.03.98 → 31.08.01
Project: Research
Die Berücksichtigung gesellschaftlicher Veränderungen in der Konzeption des Integrated Reporting
Augustine, S. (Project manager, academic) & Heinrichs, H. (Project manager, academic)
01.04.14 → 14.12.17
Project: Dissertation project
Die Bremischen Häfen in der Globalen Politischen Ökonomie
Möller, S. (Project manager, academic)
01.03.20 → 31.12.20
Project: Teaching
Die Entwicklung der energierechtlichen Pflichten der Übertragungsnetzbetreiber
Hobbeling, F. (Project manager, academic) & Schomerus, T. (Project manager, academic)
17.06.06 → 26.08.10
Project: Dissertation project
Die Haftung des Grundstückeigentümers für die Sanierung von Altlasten
Andres, B. (Project manager, academic) & Schomerus, T. (Project manager, academic)
25.01.05 → 18.12.07
Project: Dissertation project
Die Konkretisierung der abfallrechtlichenProduktverantwortung für Reifen in Deutschland
Eitel, B. (Project manager, academic) & Schomerus, T. (Project manager, academic)
26.07.06 → 13.08.08
Project: Dissertation project
Die Natur des Ländlichen. Zur Konzeption gesellschaftlicher Naturverhältnisse in ländlichen Räumen (Arbeitstitel)
Mölders, T. (Project manager, academic)
01.12.09 → 19.12.18
Project: Research
Die Nutzung ökologischer Potenziale von Buchenwäldern für eine multifunktionale Bewirtschaftung
Fichtner, A. (Project staff), Dolnik, C. (Project staff), Ellenberg, H. (Project staff), Fähser, L. (Project staff), Hampicke, U. (Project staff), Heeschen, G. (Project staff), Irmler, U. (Project staff), Lüderitz, M. (Project staff), Lütt, S. (Project staff), Rasran, L. (Project staff), Schäfer, A. (Project staff), Schrautzer, J. (Project staff), Sturm, K. (Project staff), Vahder, S. (Project manager, academic), Vogt, K. (Project staff) & Wagner, J. (Project manager, academic)
01.04.07 → 31.12.08
Project: Research
Die Professionalisierung von (angehenden) Lehrkräften im Kontext nachhaltiger Entwicklung: das Potential transdisziplinärer Zusammenarbeit für die Integration von Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung in Schule und Unterricht
Bürgener, L. (Project manager, academic)
01.04.17 → 20.05.21
Project: Dissertation project
SaM: Die Stadt als Möglichkeitsraum
Kirchberg, V. (Project manager, academic), Kagan, S. (Project manager, academic), Weisenfeld, U. (Project manager, academic), Stoltenberg, U. (Project manager, academic), Holz, V. (Project staff), Hauerwaas, A. (Project staff), Grigoleit, A. (Project staff) & Wedler, P. (Project staff)
Ministry of Science and Culture of the State of Lower Saxony
01.02.15 → 31.01.18
Project: Research
Die Wassergesetzgebung im Herzogtum Braunschweig nach Bauernbefreiung und industrieller Revolution
Behrens, C. (Project manager, academic) & Schomerus, T. (Project manager, academic)
10.03.04 → 29.01.09
Project: Dissertation project
KITA 21: Die Zukunftsgestalter. Wissenschaftliche Begleitung und Evaluation des Modellprojekts KITA21 der S.O.F. Save Our Future – Umweltstiftung
Stoltenberg, U. (Project manager, academic), Gottmann, T. (Project staff), Czerwinski, A. (Project staff) & Bastian, A. (Project staff)
01.03.08 → 25.03.11
Project: Research
DIGI-EXIST: Digitale Gesundheitsprävention für Existenzgründungen - Teilvorhaben: Entwicklung und Evaluation verhaltenspräventiver Bausteine zum Online-Gesundheits-Check und Online Gesundheitstrainings für Gründer und Beschäftigte
Lehr, D. (Coordination), Boß, L. (Project staff) & Funk, B. (Project manager, academic)
Federal Ministry of Education and Research
01.04.16 → 31.10.19
Project: Research
Digital geSEHEN: Digital geSEHEN – Einsatz von digitalen Medien im naturwissenschaftlichen Unterricht am Beispiel des Themas „Sehen“
Stinken-Rösner, L. (Project manager, academic)
01.01.20 → 31.03.20
Project: Transfer (professional training)
DigiTaL - Teilprojekt 04: Methoden-Wiki
von Wehrden, H. (Project manager, academic), Chauhan, N. (Project manager, academic) & Rau, A.-L. (Project manager, academic)
01.08.21 → 31.12.25
Project: Teaching
DigiTaL - Teilprojekt 06: Skills for a Digital Future. Entwicklung eines studienbegleitenden Formats zur Reflexion des eigenen Lern- und Entwicklungsprozesses für Studierende
Abels, S. (Project manager, academic) & Dablé, N. (Coordination)
01.08.21 → 31.12.25
Project: Teaching
DigiTaL - Teilprojekt 09: Digitale Lehr-/Lernformate zur Internationalisierung der Master- und Promotionsphase
Abels, S. (Project manager, academic), Soltau, A. (Project manager, academic) & Sundermann, A. (Project staff)
01.08.21 → 31.12.25
Project: Teaching
Dilationswachstum
Härdtle, W. (Project manager, academic)
15.06.08 → 28.08.09
Project: Transfer (R&D project)
Disruptive Power Projections
Bäumler, J. (Project manager, academic)
Ministry of Science and Culture of the State of Lower Saxony
07.10.19 → 06.11.19
Project: Other
EPS: Distance Education for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Regional Development in Latvia
Lütkemöller, D. (Project manager, academic)
01.09.01 → 31.08.04
Project: Research
Diversität willkommen heißen im naturwissenschaftlichen Unterricht
Abels, S. (Project manager, academic)
01.03.13 → 31.01.16
Project: Research
Dokumentation zum aktuellen Stand von Forschung und Diskussion zum Thema Geschlechterverhältnisse und Nachhaltigkeit
Katz, C. (Project manager, academic)
01.04.01 → 31.03.02
Project: Research
DSADS - "Den Spurenstoffen auf der Spur" - Teil 1: „Herkunftsanalyse und Sensibilisierung im Stadtgebiet Dülmen."
Kümmerer, K. (Project manager, academic), Olsson, O. (Project staff), Nafo, I. (Coordination), Götz, K. (Partner), Liesenfeld, J. (Partner) & Keil, F. (Partner)
30.10.12 → 20.12.15
Project: Transfer (R&D project)
Durchführung innovativer Bildungsmaßnahmen und Erprobung neuer Bildungsformate zur Förderung von Nachhaltigkeitshandeln in Kommunen am Beispiel Niedersachsen
Heinrichs, H. (Project manager, academic) & Laws, N. (Project manager, academic)
German Federal Environmental Foundation
09.04.18 → 31.01.20
Project: Transfer (R&D project)
PHARMAS: Ecological and human health risk assessments of antibiotics and anti-cancer drugs found in the environment
Kümmerer, K. (Project manager, academic) & Bolek, R. (Project staff)
01.01.11 → 31.03.14
Project: Research
Ecological entomology, plant-insect interactions, herbivore-predator interactions, multitrophic complexity, decomposition, biodiversity research
Aßmann, T. (Project manager, academic) & Schuldt, A. (Project staff)
01.02.11 → 24.09.14
Project: Research
Ecological function of semi-open corridors
Aßmann, T. (Project manager, academic), Härdtle, W. (Partner) & Nolte, D. (Project staff)
01.07.12 → 31.07.16
Project: Research
Ecological valuation of crop pollination in traditional indonesian homegardens
Klein, A.-M. (Project manager, academic)
01.05.11 → 09.09.13
Project: Research
Ecosystem services of temperate rainforests in the western US
von Wehrden, H. (Project manager, academic) & Brandt, P. (Project staff)
01.08.12 → 31.07.13
Project: Research
EdFCA: Educating Future Change Agents - Higher Education as a Motor of the Sustainability Transformation
Barth, M. (Project manager, academic), Lang, D. J. (Project manager, academic), Halberstadt, J. (Project manager, academic) & Wiek, A. (Project staff)
Ministry of Science and Culture of the State of Lower Saxony
01.03.16 → 30.04.20
Project: Research
SolarSPELL: Educating those most at risk and hardest to reach: Actionable Sustainability Education Across the Pacific with SolarSPELL offline digital libraries
Barth, M. (Project manager, academic)
01.09.19 → 31.08.20
Project: Research
BINK: Educational Institutions and Sustainable Consumption
Michelsen, G. (Project manager, academic), Fischer, D. (Project manager, academic) & Richter, S. (Project manager, academic)
Federal Ministry of Education and Research
01.06.08 → 30.04.12
Project: Research
Effects of climate and land use on the functional composition of plant communities and their ecosystem services
Haider, S. (Project manager, academic) & Kühn, I. (Project manager, academic)
01.01.14 → 31.12.16
Project: Research
ESuDis: Effects of land management on the Supply and Distribution of ecosystem services
Martín-López, B. (Project manager, academic), Felipe-Lucia, M. R. (Project manager, academic) & Isaac, R. (Project staff)
13.07.20 → 31.12.23
Project: Research
Effects of woody species diversity and composition on individual plant growth and demography
Härdtle, W. (Project manager, academic) & Fichtner, A. (Project manager, academic)
19.02.14 → 12.04.19
Project: Research
EIGEN: Efficient inter- and intragenerationally just use of ecosystem services - Sustainability-economic analysis of trade-offs in biodiversity and fishery policy
Baumgärtner, S. (Project manager, academic), Quaas, M. F. (Project manager, academic), Hoberg, N. (Project staff), Stumpf, K. H. (Project staff), Voss, R. (Project staff), Glotzbach, S. (Project staff), Fünfgelt, J. (Project staff), Döring, R. (Partner), Schmidt, J. (Partner) & Becker, C. (Project staff)
Federal Ministry of Education and Research
01.07.10 → 31.10.13
Project: Research
DYNAMIK 4.0: Ein dynamisches System zur Erfassung und Prävention psychischer Arbeitsbelastungen in kleinen und mittleren Unternehmen der Industrie 4.0; Teilvorhaben Usability engineering und technische Implementierung des Web-Tools zur Erfassung psychischer Arbeitsbelastungen
Funk, B. (Project manager, academic), Lehr, D. (Coordination) & Bürckner, D. (Project staff)
Federal Ministry of Education and Research
01.01.16 → 31.12.19
Project: Research
NAVEBGO: Eine Strategie zur NAchhaltigen VErringerung des Biozideintrags in das Grundwasser am Oberrhein
Kümmerer, K. (Project manager, academic) & Olsson, O. (Project staff)
01.01.19 → 30.09.22
Project: Transfer (R&D project)
Eine Systematisierung der Schutzgebietskategorien des Bundesnaturschutzgesetzes nach landschaftsökologischen Kriterien unter Beachtung sowohl des Europa- als auch des Völerrechts
Dietrich, B. (Project manager, academic) & Schomerus, T. (Project manager, academic)
04.06.10 → 11.06.10
Project: Dissertation project
Eine Trainingsstudie zum sozialen und emotionalen Lernen im Kindergarten
Salisch, M. (Project manager, academic)
Ministry of Science and Culture of the State of Lower Saxony
01.10.08 → 31.05.12
Project: Research
Eine Trainingsstudie zum sozialen und emotionalen Lernen im Kindergarten
Salisch, M. (Project manager, academic)
01.10.08 → 31.05.12
Project: Research
Einfluss partizipativer Organisationsstrkturen auf die Implementierung und Einhaltung von Sozialstandards. Eine empirische Analyse chinesischer Zulieferbetribe in der Textilindustrie.
Knolle, M. (Project manager, academic) & Heinrichs, H. (Project manager, academic)
01.01.08 → 31.12.10
Project: Dissertation project
Einfluss von Kläranlagen II
Ruck, W. (Project manager, academic)
Lower Saxony Water Management, Coastal Defence and Nature Conservation Agency
01.06.14 → 30.06.15
Project: Research
ELAN-III: „Einführung in die Nachhaltigkeit“
Michelsen, G. (Project manager, academic)
01.04.07 → 31.12.08
Project: Research
Einführungsphase und Begleitangebot Td Projekte/Master Sustainability Science
Vilsmaier, U. (Project manager, academic) & Lang, D. J. (Project manager, academic)
01.01.12 → 30.04.15
Project: Teaching