Kansas University announced Friday that it had created a Center for Sustainability.

The center will work to position KU as a leader in sustainable practices and education by providing research and other learning opportunities for students and faculty.

The center’s goals include identifying research grants related to sustainability, creating research projects for students, developing “service-learning” courses and identifying cost-saving opportunities.

“As a major research institution, KU has a responsibility to help find new ways to reduce energy consumption and waste,” KU Provost Richard Lariviere said in a statement released Friday. “Through research and practical application, the Center for Sustainability will pioneer ways for the university to be environmentally sound. It is our hope that these can then be shared with society beyond campus, thereby conserving valuable resources and helping the state of Kansas and the world.”