The Sustainability Scholars Program is an innovative paid internship program. We match UBC graduate students with on- and off-campus sustainability partners to work on applied research projects that advance sustainability across the region. Managed by the UBC Sustainability Hub.
Apply your research skills to real-world sustainability challenges
Get paid and gain valuable professional work experience
Develop applied skills and knowledge under the guidance of a mentor
Build your professional network and enhance your career prospects

How It Works

The program is open to full-time UBC graduate students from any program or discipline. As a Sustainability Scholar, you work under the guidance of a mentor on an applied research project that supports their organization's sustainability goals.

Apply

UBC Sustainability Scholars work on applied research projects across a wide range of environmental, economic and social sustainability topics. See our list of current paid internship opportunities.

Project Library

The Scholars Project Library contains hundreds of reports, charts, tool-kits, and more, documenting the applied research produced by Scholars since 2010. A useful body of knowledge to support further research around sustainability.

Fraser Estuary Research Collaborative (FERC)

A new stream in the Sustainability Scholars Program focusing on applied research with the goal of restoring and protecting the endangered Fraser Estuary.

Partner with us

Partner organizations are essential to the UBC Sustainability Scholars Program. Partners provide work experience for UBC graduate students and benefit from their applied research.

Meet the scholars

UBC Sustainability Scholars come from all kinds of backgrounds and academic disciplines. Scholars stand out for being passionate about sustainability, having a strong work ethic, and for their applied research skills.

Fund scholars

Climate change, biodiversity loss, and growing inequality are some of the most urgent issues facing our world today. Support from donors will allow scholars to make a direct impact through organizations doing the on-the-ground work needed to address climate change and other critical sustainability challenges.

Program History

Sustainability Scholars’ projects have been helping to move the dial on sustainability across the region for over 10 years. Find out more about our history, milestones, and impact.

Project Library

Racialized and Indigenous communities (and other historically marginalized groups) are often disproportionately impacted by pollution and unsustainable resource development. Through the development of an interactive dashboard with maps that chart racialized, Indigenous, and lower-income communities and highlight their proximity to industrial polluters such as toxic waste facilities, landfills, or other environmentally hazardous activities, and impactful resource development projects, the study seeks to track the disproportionate impacts of environmental harms on historically marginalized groups in British Columbia (BC). By identifying the environmental racism faced by communities in BC, West Coast Environmental Law seeks to target their environmental legal aid efforts better to support the environmental protection and sustainability of marginalized communities. 

Partner: West Coast Environmental Law
Keywords: environmental racism, environmental justice, climate justice

2021
Blessing Mangwanda

The purpose of this project was to assemble the Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) portion of the Climate Caucus Councillors Handbook. The Handbook serves as a toolkit for elected leaders and their allies to take action on climate change. This project serves as a living handbook for councillors across Canada, providing them the resources needed to present nature-based solutions to their councils.  

Partner: Climate Caucus Council
Keywords: leadership & behaviour change, nature-based solutions, green infrastructure

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2021
Vanessa Sun

Sustainable Product and Service Factsheets help inform more environmental, ethical, and social purchasing decisions in large public institutions across Canada, including cities, universities, and government agencies. More Canadian organizations want to align their purchasing with their sustainability goals and their staff needs simple tools to make sustainable choices when purchasing thousands of products and services every day. 

Partner: Canadian Collaboration for Sustainable Procurement (CCSP)
Keywords: social sustainability, supply chain management & green procurement, sustainable development & green economy

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2021
Varshini Baskar

The Net-Zero Energy-Ready Challenge (NZERBC) supports the development of new buildings that are more energy efficient, less polluting, and more comfortable. This project analysed nine of the winning projects to explore trends in the architectural and mechanical features as well as the GHG emissions potential of the buildings.

Partner: Zero Emissions Building Exchange
Keywords: green buildings, leadership & behaviour change, passive housing, building emissions

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2021
Priyadharshini Krishnan Ponnammal

City governments globally are recognizing the benefits of living with nature, and are launching efforts to protect and regrow urban biodiversity. However, these efforts can reinforce existing inequities,  through green gentrification or ecosystem disservices (for example). How might we build cities that are biophilic, just, and equitable? This project offers a framework for understanding urban social-ecological justice and offers a practical planning tool based on a scoping review.

Partner: Urban Biodiversity Society
Keywords: biodiversity, ecological systems, social sustainability

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2021
Joanne Fitzgibbons

This project provides insights on a framework for tracking progress of the UC3 Strategic Plan 2020-2025, including a discussion of the factors considered in designing the framework. The purpose of this document is to provide assistance to the UC3 in future planning exercises and is meant to inform the UC3 leadership on discussions related to how progress may be measured and tracked moving forward.

Partner: UBC Sustainability Initiative
Keywords: leadership & behaviour change, social sustainability, sustainability in education 

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2021
Arthur Zhang

The purpose of this project is to improve the individual and collective wellbeing of Indigenous, Black and People of Colour (IBPOC) staff and faculty at UBC through development of a podcast series focused on IBPOC wellbeing, equity, and community.

Partner: UBC Athletics & Recreation
Keywords: leadership & behaviour change, social sustainability, equity, inclusion, BIPOC

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2021
Erin de Sousa

 An assessment of the current state of UBC Department of Athletics & Recreation's equity, diversity, and inclusion initiatives, and a review of related programs in peer institutions across Canada. The report includes recommendations for resources and tools that can be developed at UBC to support identified needs for education and/or growth for staff and students in this area.

Partner: UBC Athletics & Recreation
Keywords: leadership & behaviour change, equity, inclusion

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2021
Aayza Asim

This project aims to understand ways in which the resources, materials, and facilitator training for a family health promotion program known as Healthy Together can be optimized by partner organizations to work for newcomer immigrants to Canada. The findings from the project have informed several recommendations in which the materials and facilitator training can be adapted to facilitate delivery for newcomer families to Canada.

Partner: The Bridge Youth and Family Services
Keywords: food systems, leadership & behaviour change, social sustainability 

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2021
Abdul-Fatawu Abdulai

This project explores the supports and challenges that Squamish Nation members living with physical disabilities face in their everyday lives. The report discusses the accessibility and inclusion challenges of working with various partner organizations and service providers in order to provide useful recommendations to support Squamish Nation members living with physical disabilities.

Partner: Squamish Nation
Keywords: food systems, leadership & behaviour change, social sustainability

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2021
Ling-En Lo

Applying an equity, inclusion, and reconciliation lens this project reflects on the biases and discrimination long-established in the Real Estate sector. It demonstrates how systems of oppression and injustice have been challenged within the sector, equipping individuals and organizations with access to resources and positive examples. Includes an annotated bibliography, list of resources, glossary of terms and examples of initiatives explored by members of the Social Purpose Real Estate Collaborative.

Partner: Social Purpose Real Estate Collaborative (SPEC)
Keywords: leadership & behaviour change, real estate sector

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2021
Danielle Bizinelli

This project seeks to understand the barriers to implementing a Green Industrial Innovation District (GrIID) in the False Creek Flats. The report discusses land affordability, climate action, existing industrial policy, and the active and eager business community that form the unique landscape of forces to be considered in what would be Vancouver's first circular economy hub.

Partner: Recycling Alternative
Keywords: supply chain management & green procurement, sustainable development & green economy, waste management & recycling, circular economy 

 

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2021
Anika Bursey

This research project includes a jurisdictional scan of income-qualified home retrofit programs across North America and makes recommendations for better practices for an equity-focused program delivery model. Furthermore, an in-depth analysis of BC Hydro and FortisBC's Energy Conservation Assistance Program (ECAP) is completed and supported by a customer journey map to illustrate points of stress in the ECAP customer journey.

Partner: Ecotrust Canada
Keyword: leadership & behaviour change, real estate sector, retrofits

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2021
Laura MacTaggart

This project aims to understand the state of youth engagement in Metro Vancouver and evaluate CityHive's youth programming through survey evaluations and focus groups. Includes an environmental scan of youth engagement programs and opportunities in Metro Vancouver and recommendations to deepen CityHive's connection with alumni, improve their programming, and reach out to under-engaged youth.

Partner: CityHive Youth Engagement Society
Keywords: leadership & behaviour change, social sustainability

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2021
Adriana Valentina Farias

The purpose of this project is to enable government officials and community champions to not only better understand what sustainable procurement is, but to also drive sustainable procurement pilot projects and programs in their city. This guide outlines key sustainable procurement terms, case studies, and a best practice framework for getting started. 

Partner: Canadian Collaboration for Sustainable Procurement (CCSP)
Keywords: leadership & behaviour change, supply chain management & green procurement

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2021
Andrea Barriga Guerra

This project investigates potential approaches to leverage data and enhance the functionality of the Business Energy and Emission Profile (BEEP) a carbon mapping tool for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) used by Climate Smart. Specifically, this project developed ways to present quantitative and qualitative emissions data, identified potential analysies to provide new insight into SME emissions and reductions, and provided recommendations on estimating cost savings associated with emissions.

Partner: Climate Smart Business Inc.
Keywords: sustainable development & green economy 

 

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2021
Minjeong Park

This project aims to understand how the City of Kelowna has aligned local sustainability efforts with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In conducting Canada's first Voluntary Local Review the project identified localized targets, trends, challenges and opportunities relevant to each of the 17 SDGs. The project highlights the relevance of local governance to meet global goals through local action towards a more in inclusive, resilient and sustainable society.

Partner: British Columbia Council for International Cooperation (BCCIC)
Keywords: social sustainability, sustainable development & green economy

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2021
Jonah Erickson

The purpose of this project was to support the long-term vision of the South Vancouver Food Hub by exploring the food asset landscape in South Vancouver and describing what has made for successful Food Hubs in Canada. The report focuses on the current barriers, trends and gaps in food spaces and programs and the best practices in food hub design.

Partner: South Vancouver Neighbourhood House
Keywords: food systems, social sustainability

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2021
Shanti Thurber

This project aims to visually communicate the importance of restoration work completed throughout the Lower Fraser River region. Visualization of restoration efforts such as this may increase public support and capital investment for restoration efforts in the region. The Sturgeon Bank Sediment Enhancement Pilot Project was utilized as a demonstration project, illustrating the opportunity to improve community resilience and ecological health at Sturgeon Bank.

Partner: The Rivershed Society of BC
Keywords: biodiversity, ecological systems

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2021
Lexi Maxwell

This project outlines a strategy to help inform Blockchain for Climate Foundation's establishment of a working group to assist in the development of a blockchain solution for the operationalization of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. The final deliverable provides an overview of the initiative, as well as key considerations for building flexibility into the working group design by offering different means of engaging with the blockchain solution and offering feedback.

Partner: Blockchain for Climate Foundation (BfCF)
Keywords: international cooperation, climate change mitigation

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2021
Nadine Van Dalen

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