Belfast community scholarships
Our commitment to greening our campuses, in conjunction with teaching and learning practices, creates sustainability-driven graduates who are socially aware with the skills needed to succeed in the modern workforce and beyond.
There are many ways that our students can develop knowledge and skills to solve global sustainability concerns.
Our teaching is driven by high quality research and real-world examples encouraging students to explore and tackle the biggest challenges in their discipline.
At a Glance
Ulster University’s Strategy for Learning and Teaching Enhancement (SLaTE) embeds Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) as a core priority, ensuring sustainability is integrated across curricula, teaching practice, and graduate outcomes. Through the curriculum design framework, all programmes are aligned with the UN SDGs, supported by professional development, ESD mapping tools, and a dedicated ESD Resources Hub. This strategy promotes innovation in learning and teaching, with sustainability embedded into assessment, pedagogy, and real-world learning experiences, reinforcing Ulster’s commitment to preparing graduates who are equipped to address global challenges.
Ulster University has been awarded the Students Organising for Sustainability UK (SOS-UK) Responsible Futures Accreditation. Responsible Futures is a whole-institution supported change programme and accreditation mark to embed sustainability across all aspects of student learning.
The Responsible Futures Working Group, chaired by ESD Lead Dr Amanda Platt, coordinates activities aligned with the Responsible Futures framework. The Working Group is a space for dialogue, collaboration and participation around ESD and comprises staff and student representatives from all faculties, professional services, and the Students' Union.
Find out more about Responsible Futures Accreditation.
Ulster University is committed to integrating ESD across its academic landscape. Through the Integrated Curriculum Design Framework (ICDF), sustainability is embedded as a curriculum priority, guiding academic teams to incorporate ESD principles into programme and module design. ICDF workshops covering ESD have been delivered to 60 staff over the last two years.
Ulster University provides bespoke ESD workshops for programme teams preparing for revalidation. There have been ten workshops delivered to 120 staff in the last two years.
Ulster staff developed a curriculum design toolkit aligned with the Advance HE Framework for Education for Sustainable Development. The toolkit provides a structured yet adaptable approach to help educators critically reflect on, map, and enhance how their modules or programmes support the development of ESD competencies.
Newly appointed lecturers with limited HE teaching experience and who hold no level of Advance HE professional recognition nor a qualification to teach in HE are required to complete the PgCHEP, which has ESD embedded in the curriculum. In the last two years, 155 participants have engaged with the PgCHEP.
Ulster University’s Centre for Digital Healthcare Technology (CDHT) uses the 'Living Lab' approach by offering learners the opportunity to engage directly with clinicians and patients in a real clinical setting. The Community Innovation Living Lab focuses on primary and home-based care.
The School of Geography and Environmental Sciences runs the 'Our Living Classroom' project which utilises the Coleraine campus for teaching biodiversity and conservation. They established 25 experimental ecology plots, working with students on invasive species and implemented bird and bat boxes for monitoring wildlife on campus.
By embedding Living Labs into the academic experience, Ulster University fosters an educational ecosystem where innovation, research, and community health challenges intersect.
Ulster University leads the Future Island-Island project, a Green Transition Ecosystem initiative. This interdisciplinary programme focuses on co-design, circular economy modelling, and community engagement to address environmental challenges in Northern Ireland.
Ulster contributes to the Land Use for Net Zero Hub, providing evidence-based research to inform land use policies aimed at achieving Net Zero by 2050. The role includes developing sustainable solutions in land use that balance food production, economic growth, and carbon emission reductions.
In May 2023, the Ulster University Business School hosted the "Socio Economic Models for Sustainable Futures" conference, promoting interdisciplinary collaboration on sustainability and climate action.
In partnership with Action Renewables, Ulster University offers a fully-funded scholarship for the MSc in Energy Storage. This initiative supports students pursuing careers in renewable energy.
