Environmentally Sustainable HeAlth REsearch (SHARE)

Health research plays a vital role in improving health and well-being but leaves a significant environmental footprint, from high energy consumption to generating plastic waste on a large scale. In response to these concerns, a growing number of tools have been developed to help researchers reduce their impact: carbon calculators, green lab guidelines, certification systems, among others. However, these tools do not fit with every context. As they are primarily developed in the Global North, these tools raise significant ethical, social, and practical issues regarding their use in research communities across diverse cultures and geographies. 

This project brings together a research team across multiple countries (UK, Kenya, Ghana, Brazil and India) to explore the intricate issues relating to the use of tools in diverse research communities. Using interviews, photovoice, and collaborative workshops, we aim to unpack how these tools are used in practice, including their challenges, across different cultures, countries and disciplinary contexts. Through this critical exploration, we endeavour to move beyond ‘tool-solutionism’ to a more context-sensitive, reflexive and just health research. 

Work packages

WP 1: Understanding tools in context

Objective: to investigate what it means to use tools in different research contexts and how tools (mis)align with local values and epistemic cultures. As part of this objective, we will be carrying out interviews and workshops with health researchers across the five geographical contexts: the UK (Europe), Kenya and Ghana (Africa), India (Asia), and Brazil (Latin America). 

WP2 Exploring guiding concepts for just environmentally sustainable research

Objective: to develop a conceptual and normative framework that supports context-sensitive, just, systems-focused and reflexive environmentally sustainable health research and tool use.

WP3: Co-designing practical resources with research communities

Objective: to design practical resources together with research communities to help them use tools in a way that is context-sensitive, just, systems-focused and reflexive.

WP4: Engaging a Research Community of Practice (RCoP)

Objective: to develop a RCoP that will act through an online hub, including a series of digital resources and activities to engage research communities in critical/constructive thinking about environmentally sustainable health research and tool use. 

 This project is funded by Wellcome Trust Reference number: 313907/Z/24/Z.