CÚRAM, the Research Ireland Centre for Medical Devices based at University of Galway has just received the 2025 Lab Programs and Initiatives Award for Pioneering Green Labs in Ireland from the International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories (I2SL).
Led by Dr Una FitzGerald, CÚRAM researchers have implemented and advocated for green lab practices extending beyond the University to a national level since 2019, when researchers implemented sustainable practices such as raising the temperature of ultra-low freezers from -80 to -70, which, over a period of 4 years, avoided 6.7 mega tonnes of CO2 emissions.
Speaking about the award, Dr FitzGerald commented
This is a wonderful acknowledgement of all of the hard work that has been put into the Green Labs initiative by colleagues across the country. We really appreciate the support for this important work that started with CÚRAM and continues to be supported by its Founding Director Prof Abhay Pandit.
In 2020, Dr. FitzGerald developed a graduate course, Green Lab Principles and Practice, introducing students to topics such as the circular economy, green lab practices, and how to implement them. Over 170 students have taken the module to date, which is also publicly available as a microcredential course from the University of Galway. Further educational resources have been developed for secondary-school students through CÚRAM’s Teachers in Residence programme.
Along with other members of the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, Dr FitzGerald also established Irish Green Labs (IGL) in 2022. The IGL network, run entirely on volunteer time, promotes sustainable methods within public and private laboratories across Ireland, supports over 37 organizations and has been critical in expanding and supporting the green lab movement in Ireland. Representing IGL, Dr FitzGerald has given over 100 green lab talks sharing CÚRAM’s sustainability journey.
Advocacy for lab greening is also supported through CÚRAM doctoral candidate Paolo Serrano Bravo at University of Galway, who, under the supervision of Drs Jessamyn Fairfield and FitzGerald, is researching paths to greener medical device research.
Further information on IGL is available at https://irishgreenlabs.org/home-page/