The Interacting Minds Centre and the School of Culture and Society will offer a new training programme to support postdoctoral-level researchers in developing interdisciplinary research skills and experiences, starting in June 2024. The programme will consist of a series of workshops on core aspects of multidisciplinary collaboration, combining theory, exercises and networking opportunities. Seed Funding will also be offered as part of the programme for research activities, where at least one researcher has an affiliation with the School of Culture and Society.
Interdisciplinary collaboration is considered crucial by researchers, policymakers, and funders to solve the grand challenges facing society – energy, climate and health. As a result, interdisciplinary research skills are in high demand in both academic and industry settings. However, working at the interface of different disciplines is a challenge for experienced and early career researchers alike.
Workshops will blend theory on interdisciplinarity, and conceptual frameworks, with practical exercises, group work, and guest lectures from international researchers. We will discuss the need for interdisciplinary research, along with its unique challenges. Practical exercises will involve trying out problem formulation and defining interdisciplinary research questions. Through group work, course participants will practice navigating uncertainties, and finding a common language and theoretical foundation. Each workshop will be planned as a day-long event, open to researchers across the university, thereby offering networking opportunities to attendees.
Sign-up will be required for each workshop and lunch, as well as tea and coffee will be provided.
Workshop spaces will be limited to 25 – 30, and we will prioritise early career researchers for the available spaces. More senior researchers, from Associate Professor and above, are welcome to attend if space permits.
Answer: Our target group is researchers who have completed their PhD and who have titles such as postdoc, Researcher, Assistant Professor, but who are not yet in a permanent academic position.
Answer: The workshops are for in-person only attendance, as we emphasise network building and group discussions.
