Institute of Ethics and Transdisciplinary Sustainability Research
Organisational unit: Institute
Organisation profile
The aim of research and teaching at our institute is to make an active contribution to shaping societal transformation towards sustainability. We work on appropriate scientific and philosophical foundations as well as on ways to include different (civil) societal actors in research processes.
The institute is subdivided into the following four core areas: (i) Sustainability Ethics (ii) Transdisciplinary Sustainability Research, (iii) Sustainability Science and (iv) Social Sustainability.
Main research areas
Unsere Forschung deckt ein breites Spektrum an thematischen und methodischen Zugängen ab. Innerhalb der Fakultät Nachhaltigkeit am Schnittpunkt von natur- und sozialwissenschaftlich fokussierter Forschung angesiedelt, ist unsere Arbeit geprägt durch inter- und transdisziplinäre Zusammenarbeit - innerhalb der Universität und über ihre Grenzen hinaus.
Im Rahmen dieser Kooperationen arbeiten wir lösungsorientiert und zielen darauf ab, im wechselseitigen Austausch zwischen Wissenschaftlern/-innen unterschiedlicher Disziplinen sowie relevanten gesellschaftlichen Akteuren sozial robustes Wissen zu erzeugen.
Forschungsschwerpunkte und Kernkonzepte
Sustainability Science
Transdisziplinäre Nachhaltigkeitsforschung
Nachhaltigkeitsethik
2042: A transformative longitudinal study - Collaborative Economy
Soetebeer, I. (Project staff) & Burandt, S. (Project manager, academic)
31.03.15 → 31.03.18
Project: Research
TRANSFORM: Accelerating sustainability entrepreneurship experiments in local spaces
Lang, D. J. (Project manager, academic) & Schaltegger, S. (Project manager, academic)
01.04.18 → 31.03.25
Project: Other
ForReal: Accompanying, systematizing and transferring research in Real-World Laboratories
Lang, D. J. (Project manager, academic), Schäpke, N. (Coordination), Bergmann, M. (Partner), Stelzer, F. (Partner) & Singer-Brodowski, M. (Partner)
01.01.15 → 30.06.18
Project: Research
INaMi: Arbeitsgruppe Local Living Economies / Buy Local – Forschung zu nachhaltigkeits-orientierten Business-Netzwerken zur Stärkung der lokalen Wirtschaft und des lokalen Unternehmertums anhand des model case BUY LOCAL, Lüneburg
Lang, D. J. (Project manager, academic) & Modelsee, F. (Project staff)
01.10.12 → 30.09.14
Project: Research
BOTTOM-UP SUSTAINABILITY TRANSFORMATIONS: Supporting local actors fostering change towards sustainability
Lam, D. (Project manager, academic)
01.09.16 → 31.12.20
Project: Dissertation project
Bridging The Great Divide in Sustainability Science: Bridging The Great Divide in Sustainability Science: Linking High-Performance Modeling and Transition Experiments to Foster Transformational Change Towards Sustainability
Lang, D. J. (Project manager, academic), Kümmerer, K. (Project manager, academic), von Wehrden, H. (Project manager, academic), Forrest, N. (Project staff), Engler, J.-O. (Project staff), Zimmermann, H. (Project staff), Wiek, A. (Project manager, academic), Laubichler, M. (Project manager, academic), Ghosh, A. (Project staff), Reich, M. (Project staff), John, B. (Project staff) & Feller, R. L. (Project staff)
Ministry of Science and Culture of the state of Lower Saxony
01.06.16 → 30.09.19
Project: Research
CapaCity: Building Capacity for Climate Resilience and Sustainability in Cities
Lang, D. J. (Project manager, academic), John, B. (Project manager, academic), Wiek, A. (Project manager, academic), Keeler, L. W. (Project manager, academic), Beaudoin, F. D. (Project manager, academic), Fink, J. (Project manager, academic), Shandas, V. (Project manager, academic), Lerner, A. (Project manager, academic), Almasan, O. (Project manager, academic) & Tamm, K. (Project manager, academic)
01.02.18 → 15.03.19
Project: Research
CapaCity: Building Sustainability Implementation Capacity in City Staff and Leadership
Lang, D. J. (Project manager, academic), John, B. (Project staff), Wiek, A. (Project manager, academic), Keeler, L. W. (Project staff), Beaudoin, F. D. (Project manager, academic), Fink, J. (Project staff), Shandas, V. (Project staff), Lerner, A. (Project staff), Almasan, O. (Project staff) & Tamm, K. (Project staff)
01.03.17 → 28.02.18
Project: Research
College Studien in der Praxis- T.U.N. e.V. - DialogN
Hellmann, K. (Project manager, academic) & Adzersen, A. (Project manager, academic)
01.04.12 → 30.09.12
Project: Practical Project
CCP: Complexity or control? Paradigms for sustainable development
Vilsmaier, U. (Project manager, academic), Lang, D. J. (Project manager, academic), Hörl, E. (Project manager, academic), Laubichler, M. (Project manager, academic), Herberg, J. (Coordination), Caniglia, G. (Project staff), Leistert, O. (Project staff), Schrickel, I. (Project staff), Meyer, E. (Project staff) & Schmieg, G. (Project staff)
Ministry of Science and Culture of the state of Lower Saxony
01.01.15 → 31.03.20
Project: Research
NaKoV: Development and implementation of an integrated sustainability management system in the local public sector, based on the sub-projects “Accounting System Reform” (Freiburg) and “Administrative Reform in the Case of Energy Management (Lüneburg)”
Heinrichs, H. (Project manager, academic), Lang, D. J. (Project manager, academic), Kirst, E. (Project staff) & Plawitzki, J. (Project staff)
German Federal Environmental Foundation
01.05.12 → 30.04.17
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
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
EEVA: Entwicklung, Erprobung und Verbreitung neuer Qualifizierungsangebote für "Change Agents" zu transformativem Lernen am Beispiel Reallabore
Barth, M. (Project manager, academic) & Bernert, P. (Project manager, academic)
German Federal Environmental Foundation
23.10.17 → 22.12.20
Project: Research
ESD for 2030: Lernen für und in resiliente(n) und nachhaltige(n) Kommunen
Lang, D. J. (Project manager, academic), Bürgener, L. (Coordination) & Drautz, S. (Project staff)
German Federal Environmental Foundation
01.01.21 → 31.12.24
Project: Research
Evaluation der Sportgerichtsurteile des HFV der Saison 2007/2008
Zick, A. (Project manager, academic), Winands, M. (Project staff) & Scherer, J. (Project staff)
01.06.08 → 30.09.10
Project: Research
GCSO_Annual Membership Meeting
Lang, D. J. (Project manager, academic)
01.03.19 → 30.09.19
Project: Other
TM 1.1 KT 05 Gesund: Gesund im Beruf
Oermann, N. O. (Project manager, academic), Rössler, W. (Project manager, academic), Cacace, M. (Partner), Wiencke, M. (Partner), John, S. M. (Partner), Ekkernkamp, A. (Partner) & Maier, B. (Partner)
Investitions- und Förderbank Niedersachsen – NBank
01.09.11 → 31.03.16
Project: Research
Global Classroom-Liberal Arts Education für das 21. Jahrhundert mit internationaler Perspektive
Lang, D. J. (Project manager, academic), Laubichler, M. (Project manager, academic), Leonie, B. (Project staff), John, B. (Project staff) & Caniglia, G. (Project manager, academic)
01.01.12 → 31.01.17
Project: Research
GLOCULL: Globally and Locally-sustainable Food-Water-Energy Innovation in Urban Living Labs
Lang, D. J. (Project manager, academic) & Bernert, P. (Project staff)
Federal Ministry of Education and Research
01.05.18 → 31.03.22
Project: Research
KuNaH: Hochschulen in Gesellschaft – Realexperimente transformativer Lern- und Forschungsprozesse für eine Kultur der Nachhaltigkeit an Hochschulen: Teilprojekt D - Begleitung Realexperimente und Synthese
Schaltegger, S. (Project manager, academic), Lang, D. J. (Partner), Potthast, T. (Coordination), Singer-Brodowski, M. (Partner), Nölting, B. (Partner), Parodi, O. (Partner) & Scheiding, C. (Project staff)
01.10.22 → 30.09.25
Project: Research
Innovation Plus 2021/2022 Nr. 63
Lang, D. J. (Project manager, academic)
Ministry of Science and Culture of the state of Lower Saxony
01.01.21 → 31.12.22
Project: Teaching
TM 1.3 IP Verbund 1 INaMi: Innovations- und Transferverbund Nachhaltiger Mittelstand
Schaltegger, S. (Project manager, academic), Petersen, H. (Coordination), Klewitz, J. (Project staff), Schock, M. (Project staff), Schmitt-Sattelberg, A. (Project staff), Modelsee, F. (Project staff), Weber, U. (Project staff) & Schäffler, A. (Project staff)
Investitions- und Förderbank Niedersachsen – NBank
19.08.09 → 31.03.16
Project: Transfer (R&D project)
IPBES: Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services
Martín-López, B. (Project manager, academic)
01.01.15 → 31.12.18
Project: Research
RESI: Kölner Netzwerk „Resozialisierung und Soziale Integration
Plewig, H.-J. (Project manager, academic) & Kohlschmidt, A. (Partner)
01.04.09 → 01.09.12
Project: Research
Leverage Points for Sustainability Transformation: Institutions, People and Knowledge
Vilsmaier, U. (Project manager, academic), Lang, D. J. (Project manager, academic), Newig, J. (Project manager, academic), Fischer, J. (Project manager, academic), Schomerus, T. (Project manager, academic), von Wehrden, H. (Project manager, academic), Sieveking, A. (Project staff), Klaniecki, K. T. (Project staff), Dorninger, C. (Project staff), Clarke, E. A. (Project staff), Horcea-Milcu, A. I. (Project staff), Lam, D. (Project staff), Patru-Duse, I. A. (Project staff), Jager, N. W. (Project staff), Derwort, P. (Project staff), Patru-Duse, I. A. (Project staff), Apetrei, C.-I. (Project staff), Freeth, R. C. (Project staff), Engbers, M. (Project staff), Peukert, D. (Project staff), Berkau, A. J. (Project staff), Lutz, L. M. (Coordination), Leventon, J. (Project manager, academic) & Abson, D. (Project manager, academic)
Ministry of Science and Culture of the state of Lower Saxony
01.04.15 → 31.03.21
Project: Research
LLE: Local Living Economies - Buy Local Initiativen und nachhaltige Regionalentwicklung
Lang, D. J. (Project manager, academic), Keeler, L. W. (Project manager, academic), Luthardt, P. (Project manager, academic), Al-Badri, A. (Project staff), Blauth, C. (Project staff), Bohr, K. (Project staff), Brodersen, L. (Project staff), Cammann, J. (Project staff), Haas, J. (Project staff), Johannsen, L. (Project staff), Klemmer, E.-M. (Project staff), Koltzau, J. (Project staff), Kurwan, J. (Project staff), Livonius, M. (Project staff), Nicklas, H. (Project staff), Rathgens, J. (Project staff), Schmidt, N. (Project staff), Seufert, J. (Project staff), Thiede, C. (Project staff), Vonnahme, M. (Project staff) & Weiss, F. (Project staff)
01.04.15 → 01.04.16
Project: Teaching
Lüneburg Maps GIZ: Lüneburg Maps: Ein grüner Stadtplan für nachhaltige Mobilität
Lang, D. J. (Project manager, academic) & Seidel, A. (Project staff)
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
01.01.19 → 30.07.20
Project: Research
MONA: Modes of sustainability-related research in comparison (MONA): Modes of research and their impact on scientific and societal project outcomes - a comparative analysis of 100 third-party funded sustainability-related research projects
Lang, D. J. (Project manager, academic), Newig, J. (Partner), Jahn, S. (Project staff) & Kahle, J. (Project staff)
30.08.13 → 08.09.21
Project: Research
Monitoring Neubau Zentralgebäude, Teilvorhaben: Ambient Intelligence, Nutzereinbindung, Innovative Bauteile
Bollow, E. (Project manager, academic)
01.09.16 → 30.06.21
Project: Research
EQUIVAL: Nurturing a Shift towards Equitable Valuation of Nature in the Anthropocene
Pascual, U. (Coordination), Balvanera, P. (Project manager, academic) & Martín-López, B. (Partner)
11.11.17 → …
Project: Research
TM 1.3 C FuE-Projekt 10: One Lüneburg - Entwicklung eines nachhaltigen Quartiers in der Hansestadt Lüneburg
Lang, D. J. (Project manager, academic) & Japsen, A. (Project staff)
Investitions- und Förderbank Niedersachsen – NBank
31.12.12 → 31.12.15
Project: Transfer (R&D project)
OpenNESS: OPERATIONALISATION OF NATURAL CAPITAL AND ECOSYSTEM SERVICES
Martín-López, B. (Project manager, academic)
01.10.13 → 31.05.17
Project: Research
tdAcademy: Platform for Transdisciplinary Research and Studies
Lang, D. J. (Project manager, academic), Grauer, C. (Project staff) & Lam, D. (Project manager, academic)
Federal Ministry of Education and Research
01.06.20 → 31.08.23
Project: Research
P4F: Politics4Future: Youth teacher engagement on SDG 4.7 – Building political agency in youth teacher trai-nees for global citizenship learning, sustainability and social transformation
Lang, D. J. (Project manager, academic), Joon, D. (Project staff) & Bürgener, L. (Coordination)
German Federal Environmental Foundation
01.01.22 → 01.07.24
Project: Research
Postdoc Academi 2 Kursdurchlauf
Lang, D. J. (Project manager, academic)
15.12.19 → 15.08.20
Project: Other
PostDoc Academy: 3. Kursdurchlauf an der Leuphana
Lang, D. J. (Project manager, academic)
01.08.20 → 31.03.22
Project: Research
Postdoc Academy - 4. Kursdurchlauf
Lang, D. J. (Project manager, academic)
07.12.21 → 07.06.22
Project: Teaching
Postdoc Academy: Seminar 1st course cycle
Lang, D. J. (Project manager, academic) & Barth, M. (Project manager, academic)
15.11.18 → 15.07.19
Project: Other
PoST: Processes of Sustainability Transformation (Promotionskolleg)
Barth, M. (Project manager, academic), Kater-Wettstädt, L. (Coordination), Fischer, D. (Partner), Halberstadt, J. (Partner), Schaltegger, S. (Partner), Leventon, J. (Partner), Heinrichs, H. (Partner), Lang, D. J. (Partner), Wiek, A. (Partner), Kümmerer, K. (Partner), von Wehrden, H. (Partner), Vilsmaier, U. (Partner), Rodriguez Aboytes, J. G. (Project staff), Pöggel, K. (Project staff), Hübel, C. (Project staff), Buhr, M. (Project staff), Beyers, F. (Project staff), Laudan, J. (Project staff), Albrecht, S. (Project staff), Weber, H. (Project staff), Rathgens, J. (Project staff), Keβler, L. (Project staff), Hilser, S. (Project staff) & Juarez Bourke, S. (Project staff)
08.12.16 → 31.12.21
Project: Research
"Sustainability and Digitalization - a European perspective"
Barth, M. (Project manager, academic), Trittin-Ulbrich, H. (Partner), Lang, D. J. (Partner) & von Wehrden, H. (Partner)
01.12.19 → 31.08.22
Project: Teaching
Sustainability assessment of municipal climate protection with a focus on urban energy systems based on systemic analysis and stakeholder perspectives
Bickel, M. (Project manager, academic), Schomerus, T. (Project staff) & Lang, D. J. (Project staff)
01.04.14 → 01.04.17
Project: Dissertation project
Hoch-N: Sustainability at universities: develop - network - report - develop a guideline for the implementation of sustainability aspects for the operation of universities - sub-projects: Research field of action
Lang, D. J. (Project manager, academic), Barth, M. (Project manager, academic) & Kirst, E. (Project staff)
Federal Ministry of Education and Research
01.11.16 → 30.04.21
Project: Research
SUSTIL: Szenarien zur Umsetzung der UN-Nachhaltigkeitsziele in Stadt und Landkreis Lüneburg: Implikationen für die Steuerung von Landnutzung
Hörisch, J. (Project manager, academic), Lang, D. J. (Project manager, academic), von Wehrden, H. (Project manager, academic), Ackerschott, A. (Project staff), Kohlhase, E. (Project staff) & Schmidt, A. (Project staff)
Federal Ministry of Education and Research
01.02.20 → 31.01.25
Project: Research
tdAcademy: Modul Gäste und Fellows
Lang, D. J. (Project manager, academic), Grauer, C. (Project staff) & Lam, D. (Project staff)
01.05.20 → 31.05.25
Project: Research
sTeleBES : Telecoupled use of biodiversity and ecosystem services: synthesis of concepts, methods and evidence
Schröter, M. (Project manager, academic), Bonn, A. (Coordination), Koellner, T. (Project manager, academic) & Martín-López, B. (Project manager, academic)
01.11.16 → 01.11.17
Project: Research
Time matters. Unlocking the transformative potential of strategic approaches towards a more sustainable metal use
Weiser, A. (Project manager, academic), Lang, D. J. (Project staff) & Kümmerer, K. (Project staff)
01.01.15 → 31.03.19
Project: Dissertation project
Global TraPs: Transdisciplinary Processes for Sustainable Phosphorus Management
Vilsmaier, U. (Partner) & Lang, D. J. (Partner)
01.01.10 → 31.12.15
Project: Research
Understanding human-carnivore relationships: from social conflicts to ecosystem services
Martín-López, B. (Project manager, academic), Lozano Mendoza, J. (Project staff), von Wehrden, H. (Partner), Dorresteijn, I. (Partner) & Fischer, J. (Partner)
01.11.16 → 31.10.17
Project: Research