Bringing SDG research to the forefront: A look at the Research Communities

The Research Communities help bridge the gap between research and global impact by spotlighting work aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Through features like SDG badges and curated content, these digital communities make it easier for researchers to discover, share, and amplify SDG-focused research.

I spoke with Yuanxin Zhang to learn more about the SDG-focused content being published on the Research Communities and how researchers can get involved to increase the visibility of their own work.

Tell me a little about the Research Communities

The Research Communities are vibrant digital communities which connect researchers and research-interested audiences around the world. By fostering connections on a global scale, the Communities help researchers expand their networks, discover new findings and hear directly from those at the cutting edge of research.  

In the Communities, researchers can explore the latest research findings, generate discussions with peers and dive into relevant news and opinions from leaders in the field. Whichever Community they join, all are united under the same goal – to provide them with access to the latest information and foster informed discussions to aid collaboration and drive the advancement of science and discovery by connecting the research community on a global scale. 

A new feature: the SDG badges. How do these work?

Content in the Research Communities that is especially relevant to one or more of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is now marked with an SDG badge.  

The aim is to increase the visibility of SDG-relevant work and help researchers better understand how their contributions connect to global sustainability challenges.  

These badges, added by the Communities team or the authors themselves, make it easier to identify, explore, and showcase SDG-related research. Researchers can filter content by SDG badge, see the badge displayed on individual posts, and browse SDG-specific pages (e.g. SDG 3) that bring together all related content in one place. 

Do you see a lot of SDG-relevant content being published on the Research Communities?

Yes – SDG-relevant content appears widely across the Research Communities, with contributions reflecting the many ways research from across disciplines supports the UN goals. 

The Sustainability Community in particular provides a strong focus, bringing together research on a wide spectrum of topics – from eco-friendly recycling for retired wind blades (SDG 12), urban walkability and climate adaptation (SDG 11 & 13), and wave energy technologies (SDG 7), to sustainable agriculture and food security (SDG 2), climate-related health and economic impacts (SDG 3), and social equity, institutional change, and community resilience (SDG 10 & 16). This diversity shows how SDG discussions cut across life sciences, social sciences, and applied sciences.

Across all Communities, content also appears in multiple channels – from Behind the Paper stories and editorial insights in the From the Editors category, to News & Opinion pieces, Events, and Opportunities – making it easy for researchers to discover and engage with work that supports sustainable development.

What is the top SDG-related content you’ve seen published in the last few months?

In the past few months, several blog posts focused on SDGs have stood out for their strong engagement. These include awareness day reflections linking research to global challenges, SDG Talks seminars that spark live discussion, curated SDG Newsletters highlighting recent research and news for specific SDG, behind-the-scenes research stories contributing to sustainable development, as well as call for paper posts to journals or Collections addressing SDG themes.

Recent popular SDG-related blog posts include:

• World Breastfeeding Week 2025: Creating Sustainable Support Systems
• SDG3 Newsletter: LGBTQ+ Health and Wellbeing
• Meet the speaker: Courtney Ryder
• Building the future with bamboo: a fully bio-based metastructure for modular composite design
• Gaza Nakba 2023–2024: Background, Context, Consequences
• Call for papers: Engineering and management of urban wetlands Collection

How can someone start their journey on the Research Communities?

It’s easy to get started – simply register to join the Research Communities. Once registered, researchers can easily stay up to date by following Communities and Topics that match their interests, as well as other members across the network. Their personalised Activity Feed then provides a curated stream of the latest content and interactions, while ‘Digest’ emails highlight newly tagged content directly in their inbox. Following ensures they never miss important developments and helps them stay engaged with the wider research conversation. 

Authors from across Springer Nature’s Journals and Books are invited to contribute a Behind the Paper post on their recently published work – or to share their perspectives through other types of blog posts such as Life in Research or News and Opinion. 

For more tips, a quick guide to navigating the Research Communities introduces these and other useful features. 

Take a closer look at the Research Communities to expand your network and discover the latest research findings. 

Yuanxin Zhang, Manager - Research Communities, Springer Nature

Yuanxin Zhang works with the Researcher Engagement team at Springer Nature, based in Beijing, China, supporting the Humanities and Social Sciences research areas across the Research Communities. Passionate about sustainability, she helps to promote SDG-relevant content through curated highlights and cross-disciplinary engagement. She also contributes blog posts and community updates that share exciting research, highlight new initiatives, and connect researchers with conversations on global challenges.

Related content:

• Highlighting the SDGs: Find and use research that makes a difference
• Driving Impact: Springer Nature's Initiatives for the SDGs

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