BOKU Sustainability Award

Category Research – Master Theses

In the context of the yearly Sustainability Award, BOKU wants to highlight the sustainability research which is conducted by BOKU researchers and students.

BOKU students and researchers are cordially invited to submit their sustainability-related research of the last three years for a presentation at the BOKU Sustainability Day and thus for the BOKU Sustainability Award in the category “Sustainability Research - Master Theses”.

What is sustainability related research?

In the project "Intellectual capital reporting and sustainability", a definition of different types of sustainability-related research was made in 2023. For the Sustainability Award, sustainability research in the narrower sense and transformative research for sustainability are considered in particular. This is characterised by

  • topical attribution to a sustainability topic
  • system-orientated approach
  • inter- and/or transdisciplinary approach
  • generation of target, orientation and transformation knowledge
  • transformative research: claim to intervention

Understandably, a Master's thesis cannot fulfil all of these criteria in full. This will be taken into account by the jury. We ask you to explain your efforts or considerations regarding the respective criteria. If you are unsure, please enquire at nachhaltigkeit(at)boku.ac.at.


There is a forum for questions under Submission (see below). Please use this if possible. Otherwise, please contact nachhaltigkeit(at)boku.ac.at .

Process – from your submission to the Sustainability Award

Process of your submission to the Sustainability Award

  1. All submissions will be reviewed by a jury consisting of the vice-rector for research, a member of the ÖH BOKU, of the Centre for Global Change and Sustainability and of the BOKU working group “sustainability research”
  2. The jury selects the submissions that will be presented at the sustainability day. All submitters will be notified by beginning of November about the results of the jury.
  3. Selection of three submissions for the BOKU Sustainability Award will be announced on site at the sustainability day (after the presentation)
  4. The winner of the BOKU Sustainably Award will be announced at the evening event of the BOKU Sustainability Day.

The BOKU Sustainability Award of this category is endowed with € 1.800,- in total. The 1st prize wins € 1.000,- and a trophy, the two other winners win € 400,- each[1].

The presentations at the BOKU Sustainability Day take place in the Pecha Kucha format (20 slides for 20 seconds each, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PechaKucha).

Requirements for submission:

  • Please use the pre-defined form for submission (see below). Complete publications should be submitted separately as pdf.
  • Submission is open to BOKU employees and BOKU students. Former BOKU students and employees can also submit master theses that were finished during their time as BOKU employees / students.
  • Only finished master theses will be accepted.
  • Master theses from the last 3 years can be submitted.
  • Several abstracts can be submitted per person, however, a maximum of one lecture per person will be awarded.
  • A work can be submitted by several people. If you win the sustainability award, the prize has to be shared.
  • Language for submissions and presentation: German or English
  • Maximum length of the abstracts: 350 words, sources should be limited to the short form, e.g. (Müller 2010)
  • By submitting you agree to the publication of your abstract.
  • Consent to the recording of your presentation in sound and image is requested (see form).

Please note: In the event of a nomination and subsequently in the event of a win, the relevant data (name and project-related information) will be used for communication and public relations purposes and published on BOKU-relevant communication channels (e.g. the BOKU screens in the university buildings or on social media channels) as well as on the BOKU website. If this is not an option for you, please contact nachhaltigkeit@boku.ac.at .

What to submit:

  • Submission form
  • your paper
  • a photo, which is related to your topic (incl. photo-credits)

Important Information:

Submit the completed form at BOKU learn. Please upload the submission form, your paper and a photo which is related to your topic (incl. photo credits) for the category "Sustainability Research - Master Theses" on bokulearn: Kurs: BOKU Nachhaltigkeitspreis 2024 - Forschung Masterarbeiten | BOKUlearn

Examples of Pecha Kucha Presentations at BOKU Sustainability Days:

[1] Applies to payment to non-BOKU employees or associations, as well as inter-company payments. Prize payments to persons employed at BOKU result in lower payments as it is considered as a salary bonus, which includes tax payments, etc.