Library Item
How Academic Institutions Can Facilitate Interdisciplinary Research
Description:
This report provides a useful definition of “interdisciplinary research” (IDRDR) to inform the work of all stakeholders (students, postdoctoral scholars, researchers, institutions, funding organizations, professional societies, and those who evaluate research) to help IDRDR to reach its full potential.
“Four powerful ‘drivers’ of IDRDR are:
- the inherent complexity of nature and society
- the drive to explore basic research problems at the – interfaces of disciplines
- the need to solve societal problems
- the stimulus of generative technologies.
At the heart of interdisciplinarity is communication— the conversations, connections, and combinations that bring new insights to virtually every kind of scientist and engineer.”
Those making decisions about funding IDR should support efforts ensuring “key conditions” are in place.
