Sustainability Prize in the Field of Psychology at the Department of Education and Psychology
To promote the initiation and implementation of sustainability projects in the field of psychology at the Department of Education and Psychology, a Sustainability Award will be established starting in 2026. The award aims to provide an incentive for the development and realization of a wide range of environmental protection projects.
Projects may be implemented in various ways, for example on the campus of Freie Universität Berlin or within the professional working environment (e.g., sustainable travel practices, initiatives for sustainable commuting, teaching or lab practices). Eligibility requires that the applicant is affiliated with the field of psychology at the Department of Education and Psychology (e.g., as a staff member or student) and that the project is related to the department and/or to work at Freie Universität Berlin.
We warmly encourage all members of psychology community to apply for this award and to help make environmental protection not only a topic of discussion, but a lived practice. You may also nominate someone. The prize is endowed with €150 and will be announced together with the gender-research award on 9th of July 2026, as well as featured on the department’s website.
Eligibility criteria
• The applicant/nominee is affiliated with the field of psychology at the Department of Education and Psychology (faculty/staff or student).
• The initiative was carried out within the last year.
• The initiative aimed to promote sustainability, for example by reducing carbon dioxide emissions, reducing waste, or other sustainability goals (see examples below).
Examples of sustainability initiatives
• Sustainable travel practices (e.g., traveling to an international conference by train rather than airplane)
• Initiatives for sustainable commuting
• Sustainability in teaching (e.g., paper-free classes)
• Sustainable lab practices (e.g., paper-free labs, reducing waste, energy saving measures, etc.)
• Student initiatives for a sustainable campus (e.g., garbage collection initiatives, initiatives to reduce disposable products etc.)
Evaluation Criteria
Applications will be evaluated based on:
• Environmental impact (estimated CO2 reduction or other sustainability benefit)
• Personal effort and commitment demonstrated
• Potential for others to replicate the initiative (transferability)
Prize Information
The prize is endowed with €150 and may be divided among multiple winners at the committee's discretion. The winner(s) will be announced on July 9th and featured on the department’s website.
How to Apply
Please send your one-page application (PDF) to sustain-team@psychologie.fu-berlin.de until the 14th of June, 2026. Your application should include:
• Your name, position, and contact information
• A brief description of your sustainability initiative
• An estimate of its impact (e.g., CO2 saved, waste reduced, people reached)
• Supporting materials (e.g., photos, tickets, documents) may be attached separately
Contact
For questions, please contact Sibylle Detel sustain-team@psychologie.fu-berlin.de
The winner(s) will be selected by the Sustainability Committee of the Department of Education and Psychology.