diff --git a/include/core/variableAttributeLoader.h b/include/core/variableAttributeLoader.h
index 55d8df3fe..a79a9b210 100644
--- a/include/core/variableAttributeLoader.h
+++ b/include/core/variableAttributeLoader.h
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ class variableAttributeLoader
    * \param name Name of variable at `index`
    */
   void
-  set_variable_name(const unsigned int &index, const std::string &name) const;
+  set_variable_name(const unsigned int &index, const std::string &name);
 
   /**
    * \brief Set the field type of the variable at `index` to `var_type` where `var_type`
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ class variableAttributeLoader
    * \param var_type Field type of variable at `index` (`SCALAR` or `VECTOR`).
    */
   void
-  set_variable_type(const unsigned int &index, const fieldType &var_type) const;
+  set_variable_type(const unsigned int &index, const fieldType &var_type);
 
   /**
    * \brief Set the PDE type of the variable at `index` to `var_eq_type` where
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ class variableAttributeLoader
    * \param var_eq_type PDE type of variable at `index`.
    */
   void
-  set_variable_equation_type(const unsigned int &index, const PDEType &var_eq_type) const;
+  set_variable_equation_type(const unsigned int &index, const PDEType &var_eq_type);
 
   /**
    * \brief Add dependencies for the value term of the RHS equation of the variable at
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ class variableAttributeLoader
    */
   void
   set_dependencies_value_term_LHS(const unsigned int &index,
-                                  const std::string  &dependencies) const;
+                                  const std::string  &dependencies);
 
   /**
    * \brief Add dependencies for the gradient term of the LHS equation of the variable
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ class variableAttributeLoader
    */
   void
   set_dependencies_gradient_term_LHS(const unsigned int &index,
-                                     const std::string  &dependencies) const;
+                                     const std::string  &dependencies);
 
   /**
    * \brief Insert dependencies for the value term of the RHS equation of the variable at
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ class variableAttributeLoader
   template <typename Iterable>
   void
   insert_dependencies_value_term_LHS(const unsigned int &index,
-                                     const Iterable     &dependencies) const;
+                                     const Iterable     &dependencies);
 
   /**
    * \brief Insert dependencies for the gradient term of the LHS equation of the variable
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ class variableAttributeLoader
   template <typename Iterable>
   void
   insert_dependencies_gradient_term_LHS(const unsigned int &index,
-                                        const Iterable     &dependencies) const;
+                                        const Iterable     &dependencies);
 
   /**
    * \brief Flag whether the variable at `index` is needed to calculate the nucleation
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ class variableAttributeLoader
    * \param flag true: variable is needed, false: variable is not needed.
    */
   void
-  set_need_value_nucleation(const unsigned int &index, const bool &flag) const;
+  set_need_value_nucleation(const unsigned int &index, const bool &flag);
 
   /**
    * \brief Flag whether the variable at `index` is can have a nucleation event.
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ class variableAttributeLoader
    * \param flag true: variable can nucleate, false: variable can not nucleate.
    */
   void
-  set_allowed_to_nucleate(const unsigned int &index, const bool &flag) const;
+  set_allowed_to_nucleate(const unsigned int &index, const bool &flag);
 
   /**
    * \brief (Postprocess only) Flag whether the postprocessing variable at `index` should
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ class variableAttributeLoader
    * false: do nothing
    */
   void
-  set_output_integral(const unsigned int &index, const bool &flag) const;
+  set_output_integral(const unsigned int &index, const bool &flag);
 
 protected:
   /**
diff --git a/src/core/variableAttributeLoader.cc b/src/core/variableAttributeLoader.cc
index 14f7d9ccf..c163b1c09 100644
--- a/src/core/variableAttributeLoader.cc
+++ b/src/core/variableAttributeLoader.cc
@@ -68,42 +68,41 @@ variableAttributeLoader::get_pp_attributes() const
 // Methods to set the various variable attributes
 void
 variableAttributeLoader::set_variable_name(const unsigned int &index,
-                                           const std::string  &name) const
+                                           const std::string  &name)
 {
   (*relevant_attributes)[index].name = name;
 }
 
 void
 variableAttributeLoader::set_variable_type(const unsigned int &index,
-                                           const fieldType    &var_type) const
+                                           const fieldType    &var_type)
 {
   (*relevant_attributes)[index].var_type = var_type;
 }
 
 void
 variableAttributeLoader::set_variable_equation_type(const unsigned int &index,
-                                                    const PDEType      &var_eq_type) const
+                                                    const PDEType      &var_eq_type)
 {
   (*relevant_attributes)[index].eq_type = var_eq_type;
 }
 
 void
 variableAttributeLoader::set_need_value_nucleation(const unsigned int &index,
-                                                   const bool         &flag) const
+                                                   const bool         &flag)
 {
   (*relevant_attributes)[index].need_value_nucleation = flag;
 }
 
 void
 variableAttributeLoader::set_allowed_to_nucleate(const unsigned int &index,
-                                                 const bool         &flag) const
+                                                 const bool         &flag)
 {
   (*relevant_attributes)[index].nucleating_variable = flag;
 }
 
 void
-variableAttributeLoader::set_output_integral(const unsigned int &index,
-                                             const bool         &flag) const
+variableAttributeLoader::set_output_integral(const unsigned int &index, const bool &flag)
 {
   (*relevant_attributes)[index].output_integral = flag;
   (*relevant_attributes)[index].calc_integral   = flag;
@@ -129,9 +128,8 @@ variableAttributeLoader::set_dependencies_gradient_term_RHS(
 }
 
 void
-variableAttributeLoader::set_dependencies_value_term_LHS(
-  const unsigned int &index,
-  const std::string  &dependencies) const
+variableAttributeLoader::set_dependencies_value_term_LHS(const unsigned int &index,
+                                                         const std::string  &dependencies)
 {
   std::vector<std::string> dependencies_set =
     dealii::Utilities::split_string_list(strip_whitespace(dependencies));
@@ -141,7 +139,7 @@ variableAttributeLoader::set_dependencies_value_term_LHS(
 void
 variableAttributeLoader::set_dependencies_gradient_term_LHS(
   const unsigned int &index,
-  const std::string  &dependencies) const
+  const std::string  &dependencies)
 {
   std::vector<std::string> dependencies_set =
     dealii::Utilities::split_string_list(strip_whitespace(dependencies));
@@ -189,9 +187,8 @@ variableAttributeLoader::insert_dependencies_gradient_term_RHS(
 
 template <typename Iterable>
 void
-variableAttributeLoader::insert_dependencies_value_term_LHS(
-  const unsigned int &index,
-  const Iterable     &dependencies) const
+variableAttributeLoader::insert_dependencies_value_term_LHS(const unsigned int &index,
+                                                            const Iterable &dependencies)
 {
   (*relevant_attributes)[index].dependencies_value_LHS.insert(dependencies.begin(),
                                                               dependencies.end());
@@ -201,7 +198,7 @@ template <typename Iterable>
 void
 variableAttributeLoader::insert_dependencies_gradient_term_LHS(
   const unsigned int &index,
-  const Iterable     &dependencies) const
+  const Iterable     &dependencies)
 {
   (*relevant_attributes)[index].dependencies_gradient_LHS.insert(dependencies.begin(),
                                                                  dependencies.end());
@@ -379,4 +376,56 @@ variableAttributeLoader::strip_whitespace(const std::string &_text)
   std::string text = _text;
   text.erase(std::remove(text.begin(), text.end(), ' '), text.end());
   return text;
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
+
+// Template instantiations
+template void
+variableAttributeLoader::insert_dependencies_value_term_RHS<std::vector<std::string>>(
+  const unsigned int             &index,
+  const std::vector<std::string> &dependencies);
+template void
+variableAttributeLoader::insert_dependencies_gradient_term_RHS<std::vector<std::string>>(
+  const unsigned int             &index,
+  const std::vector<std::string> &dependencies);
+template void
+variableAttributeLoader::insert_dependencies_value_term_LHS<std::vector<std::string>>(
+  const unsigned int             &index,
+  const std::vector<std::string> &dependencies);
+template void
+variableAttributeLoader::insert_dependencies_gradient_term_LHS<std::vector<std::string>>(
+  const unsigned int             &index,
+  const std::vector<std::string> &dependencies);
+
+template void
+variableAttributeLoader::insert_dependencies_value_term_RHS<std::set<std::string>>(
+  const unsigned int          &index,
+  const std::set<std::string> &dependencies);
+template void
+variableAttributeLoader::insert_dependencies_gradient_term_RHS<std::set<std::string>>(
+  const unsigned int          &index,
+  const std::set<std::string> &dependencies);
+template void
+variableAttributeLoader::insert_dependencies_value_term_LHS<std::set<std::string>>(
+  const unsigned int          &index,
+  const std::set<std::string> &dependencies);
+template void
+variableAttributeLoader::insert_dependencies_gradient_term_LHS<std::set<std::string>>(
+  const unsigned int          &index,
+  const std::set<std::string> &dependencies);
+
+template void
+variableAttributeLoader::insert_dependencies_value_term_RHS<std::list<std::string>>(
+  const unsigned int           &index,
+  const std::list<std::string> &dependencies);
+template void
+variableAttributeLoader::insert_dependencies_gradient_term_RHS<std::list<std::string>>(
+  const unsigned int           &index,
+  const std::list<std::string> &dependencies);
+template void
+variableAttributeLoader::insert_dependencies_value_term_LHS<std::list<std::string>>(
+  const unsigned int           &index,
+  const std::list<std::string> &dependencies);
+template void
+variableAttributeLoader::insert_dependencies_gradient_term_LHS<std::list<std::string>>(
+  const unsigned int           &index,
+  const std::list<std::string> &dependencies);
\ No newline at end of file