A woman in a black turtleneck gestures while speaking at a conference table with laptops and blue coffee cups. A Notre Dame campus poster with the Golden Dome and a presentation screen displaying "UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME RESEARCH" are in the background.

Consortium for Adaptive Futures

The Consortium for Adaptive Futures is a community of practice and research for faculty across all disciplines running project-based, community-based, or challenge-based learning in the climate and sustainability space. The group's research focuses on experiential learning pedagogy and the resulting outcomes for both students and the community.

The Consortium, based in Notre Dame Dublin, is a joint initiative between the University of Notre Dame and Dublin City University. The participating institutions include:

  • Clemson University
  • Dublin City University
  • University of Edinburgh
  • University of Galway
  • University of Louisville
  • University of Notre Dame
  • Youngstown State University

The Consortium meets monthly to share findings across projects ranging from sustainability, resilience, and reducing community vulnerability, health equity, community impact measurement, and sustainable funding resources.

Publications

"Structural Shifts and Sustainable Futures: Transforming Higher Education for the Climate Century," published in Sustainability (2026)

Higher education must move beyond traditional, siloed teaching to prepare students for complex global challenges like climate change. This article argues that experiential approaches like challenge-based and place-based learning—supported by institutional investment and faculty development—are key to building the interdisciplinary, real-world skills needed for a sustainable future.