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Research

MCSI aims to catalyze and expand Pitt’s research capacity to accelerate equitable solutions to pressing sustainability challenges. With our faculty partners, MCSI creates research that informs policies, practices, and technologies that promote sustainability at the campus, local, regional, and global scales. View a complete list of affiliated faculty partners.   

Through a deliberate and collaborative process, we have identified four core research areas that build on Pitt’s current sustainability strengths while looking toward developing strengths as we solve our pressing societal challenges. Importantly, environmental and climate justice guide all of the core areas and is a touchstone of our research.

Reach out to us at MCSI@pitt.edu to explore how you can get involved. 

Construction of Gaucho Solar Project in partnership with Pitt, Vesper Energy
Research Focus Areas

Learn more about the main areas of focus for MCSI's research.

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Undergraduate Research Summer Program

Attention Students: Explore paid research opportunities in sustainability. If you are interested in going beyond classroom curriculum, developing your own ideas, and working independently on hands-on research all while getting paid, then this program is for you!

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Broader Impacts

MCSI is concerned with how our supported research impacts society, a focus on the Broader Impact than just collecting data in communities. Utilizing the framework published by Advancing Research in Society (ARIS) better guides research to align with National Science Foundation (NSF) standards.

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Research Seed Grant RFPs

Research Seed Grants seek to support convergent research teams who are focused on sustainability and associated solutions. Seed Grant recipients span a variety of disciplines and work to crucially enhance sustainability education and research, as well as further Pitt’s national recognition in sustainability and the visibility of sustainability research and education on campus.

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Innovation

Fostering opportunities for Pitt faculty and students to scale their technologies and processes developed at Pitt to meet sustainability challenges is part of MCSI’s broader strategy for accelerating our impact.

Building on both the value and example of our namesake Jack Mascaro and our inaugural Co-Director Eric Beckman, we continue to offer programs and support to students and faculty. These include the student prototyping program, our Faculty Fellowships, Research Grants, and the upcoming Innovation Distinction.

For more information or to get involved, email us at mcsi@pitt.edu.