Submitted by A.J. Wilby on Tue, 05/11/2024 - 10:19
Cambridge Zero presents: Sustainable Labs competition
Have you ever wondered about the wider costs of your lab’s daily research practice? Have you ever speculated whether your lab’s scientific methods can be changed or made more efficient? Or maybe, you know that they can be made more efficient but frustratingly you do not have the means to make that happen?
Be it waste, water, energy or consumable use, our teaching and research laboratories are hotspots of the university’s environmental footprint – but they are also the playground for creative, innovative solutions that can make a significant impact in sustainable scientific research.
Who can enter?
If you are based in a teaching or research laboratory in the University of Cambridge, you are eligible to enter – regardless of the department and whether you are an undergraduate, postgraduate, postdoc, visiting student, laboratory technician or research assistant. Submissions should be made in teams consisting of one or more people. Principal investigators are not eligible.
How to enter?
Round 1: October-November 2024
Your team should submit a pitch of your idea using the template provided, detailing how it meets the criteria. A maximum of one pitch is allowed per individual/team.
To enter, please use the template here, and submit your entries to sustainability@ch.cam.ac.uk by 9am GMT on Monday 11th November.
Entries will be assessed by our panel of expert judges by the end of the Michaelmas term based on the marking criteria outlined below.
Round 2: December 2024-February 2025
Shortlisted entries will be invited to produce and submit a video during Lent Term, showcasing their idea and detailing the potential implementation of their solution.
Project Showcase: March 2025
We will host an awards evening in the Department of Chemistry to celebrate our winners and to share excellent sustainable laboratory practice at the end of Lent Term. The winner(s) will be supported in the implementation stage of their sustainable laboratory solution where possible, with the potential to secure up to £2,000 of funding for implementation. The University’s Carbon Reduction Fund may provide an opportunity to scale your solution if your initial implementation phase is successful.
Marking Criteria:
Please note criteria are weighted.
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Potential for impact (up to 20 points)
Your proposal should aim to quantify, as far as possible, the reduction in environmental impacts of your laboratory solution. This may be considered in the widest sense, including but not limited to those from:
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Energy and water consumption - including energy use from heat and electricity (provided as kWh) and water volume (m3) specifying type (i.e. tap water / purified)
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Materials - equipment, reagents and consumables - consider lifetime of equipment and specify where items are single use. Provide details on quantities and describe how it may support the circular economy (linking to 3)
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Waste production - specify type, weight and position in waste hierarchy. Any potential downstream impacts of waste may also be included e.g. eutrophication, acidification and eco-toxicity
We encourage full life cycle consideration to estimate the impact of your proposed solution. You may want to provide a carbon assessment using GHG carbon emission factors and/or refer to life-cycle assessment impact criteria.
We would also welcome proposals that consider other societal impacts, including education and health.
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Innovation and creativity of your solution (up to 5 points)
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Scalability of the potential solution’s impact across other labs, within the university and beyond (up to 5 points)
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Potential return on investment with respect to cost vs. impact (up to 5 points)
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Feasibility of implementation within your lab’s context (up to 5 points)
Our expert judges will be able to award an extra 5 points at their discretion.
The organising committee reserve the right to disqualify entries that do not meet a minimum standard of the marking criteria.