• The annual Charles Sturt Sustainability grants have been awarded to researchers and to general staff whose ideas and aims contribute to societal and campus betterment
• Includes Research Seed Grant funding for ‘Feasibility of turning mining waste into a sustainable building material’
• Also provides Project Grant funding for ‘Campus biodiversity walk offering health and well-being benefits to staff and students’ (Orange, and Wagga Wagga)

Charles Sturt University Sustainability grants have been announced for seven projects in 2023 to benefit healthcare, natural resources, sustainability in Work-Integrated Learning, and LGBTIQA+ access to mental health support.

Sustainability, Coordinator Partnerships Ms Zoe Rodwell said Sustainability at Charles Sturt is the University’s business area dedicated to driving the University’s commitment to creating a sustainable future for all.

“These high-calibre projects will nurture staff collaboration across research and project streams, and contribute towards building a sustainable future,” Ms Rodwell said.

Sustainability Research Seed Grants allow research staff to undertake sustainability-related projects across any discipline, to demonstrate alignment with the Charles Sturt Research Strategy and further the University’s commitments towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Four academic staff received seed grant funding of up to $10,000 to lead research projects during 2023:

• Dr Shanna Cargill-Fealy, Lecturer Nursing and Midwifery in the Charles Sturt School of Nursing, Paramedicine and Healthcare Services in Port Macquarie, will lead an interdisciplinary team in the initial phases of a research program designed to inform the development of innovative and sustainable models of care for older people with Chronic Disease and/or multi-morbidity living in regional, rural, and remote areas of New South Wales.

• Dr Nariman Saeed, Lecturer in Engineering in the Charles Sturt School of Computing, Mathematics and Engineering in Bathurst, will collaborate with a local mining operation to investigate the potential for upcycling copper/gold tailings as a useful material in concrete production. This research hopes to result in the conservation of finite natural resources extensively used in the construction industry and to reduce the environmental impacts related to mining wastes.

• Dr Brian Sengstock in the Charles Sturt School of Nursing, Paramedicine and Healthcare Services and team will research LGBTQIA+ people’s barriers to accessing mental health services in regional, rural and remotes settings in New South Wales. The findings from this initial study hope to lead to a larger project that will inform practice and assist in developing interventions to support access to mental health services.

• Dr Clare Power, Workplace Learning Coordinator and Lecturer in the Charles Sturt Faculty of Arts and Education in Bathurst, will lead a cross-institutional research project exploring how sustainability is integrated in Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) throughout Australian higher education institutions. This project will address a gap in the WIL and sustainability research literature and contribute to discourse about sustainability and WIL.

Projects Grants up to $10,000 offer students and staff from across faculties, divisions and areas of study a great way to turn a sustainability idea into reality.

Manager, Sustainability, Mr Ed Maher said, “We are thrilled with the level of innovation and aspiration for sustainable solutions coming from staff and students that our annual grant program is able to inspire.”

Staff members to receive Sustainability Project Grant funding for 2023 project implementation are:

• Mr Robert Shaw will work collaboratively to develop a walkway through the biodiversity zone at Charles Sturt campus in Orange to increase usability for staff and students. This project will involve the instillation of fencing, a gravel path, park benches, and educational signage about the diverse wildlife within the biodiversity zone and the adjacent dams.

• Mr James Stephens and Mr Will Pollack will adopt best practice guidelines and take the lead on Wagga Farm Healthy Dam project. This project aims to demonstrate how grazing livestock can successfully integrate with farms dams to improve water quality and biodiversity around watering points, as well as improving the welfare and performance of stock grazing.

• Mr Collin James will collaborate with members from the Environmental Action Group Ensuring Restoration and Reconciliation (EAGERR) and the Charles Sturt Division of Facilities Management to undertake woody weed management and to install informative signage at the Charles Sturt campus in Wagga Wagga on the Western Hill biodiversity zone. This project aims to encourage responsible use of the hill area through land improvements and the installation of educational resources.

“Congratulations to all grant recipients, and we look forward to seeing your work unfold during 2023,” Ms Rodwell said.