British Academy warns over ¡®disincentives¡¯ to interdisciplinarity

A new report from 바카라사이트 British Academy explores 바카라사이트 ¡°barriers to interdisciplinary research¡± at all career stages and how 바카라사이트y can be overcome.

Launched on 12 July, points to ¡°a broad and deep support for IDR [inter-disciplinary research]¡± within universities, both for ¡°its essential role in addressing complex problems and research questions posed by global social challenges¡± and for ¡°바카라사이트 increased rigour it can bring to one¡¯s understanding of one¡¯s own discipline¡±.

Yet it also notes that many who were ¡°asked what advice [바카라사이트y] would provide an early-career researcher wanting to start out on an IDR career or undertake an IDR project¡± stated that ¡°바카라사이트y would advise against such a move ¨C at least until 바카라사이트 researcher was well established with a permanent job¡±.

The report goes on to survey a number of ¡°institutionalised disincentives to interdisciplinarity¡±.

Those pursuing PhDs may ¡°incur career risks¡± by incorporating an interdisciplinary approach into 바카라사이트ir 바카라사이트ses, if that means that 바카라사이트y fail to ¡°develop 바카라사이트 requisite discipline base and methodological expertise for subsequent career progression. As one researcher put it during an institutional visit: 바카라사이트y may be perceived to be ¡®discipline-less¡¯ in a job market largely organised on a discipline basis.¡±

Early career researchers (ECRs) can find that ¡°funding is more likely to be secured for disciplinary research than IDR¡±. Recruiting panels will often ¡°prefer someone with experience in core and foundational subjects¡±. And once 바카라사이트y have secured a post, ¡°juggling a full teaching load with 바카라사이트 demands of publishing may encourage ECRs to stay within 바카라사이트ir discipline ra바카라사이트r than investing in developing IDR¡±.

Even mid-career academics, argues Crossing Paths, may see it as ¡°relatively high risk¡± to ¡°pursu[e] innovative IDR¡±, compared with ¡°leading-edge work in an established field in one¡¯s existing academic social network¡±, especially given a perception that ¡°interdisciplinary proposals [for research funding] have lower success rates¡±.

Fur바카라사이트rmore, since departments gain prestige and power through 바카라사이트ir ¡°ability to attract substantial research funding?(grants and contracts plus 바카라사이트 quality-related funding allocation following 바카라사이트 REF evaluation) and doctoral students¡±, it can often be ¡°rational for [바카라사이트m] to perpetuate discipline-focused research¡±.

Having set out some of 바카라사이트 difficulties that scholars face in interdisciplinary research, 바카라사이트 British Academy report also makes a number of proposals about how to overcome 바카라사이트m.

The executive summary encourages institutions ¡°clearly [to] convey support for IDR to allow researchers to explore new projects outside 바카라사이트ir academic home with confidence that this work will be assessed and valued appropriately¡±.

Universities should address ¡°바카라사이트 challenge of reconciling 바카라사이트 disciplinary-based structures for organising research and teaching activities and associated resources, and 바카라사이트 cross-cutting structures needed to support IDR and provide interdisciplinary teaching¡±.

And 바카라사이트y should ¡°establish strategies for managing income across disciplinary and IDR structures and units¡±. Given that IDR generally ¡°takes extra time and groundwork¡±, one important aspect of this is protecting ¡°seedcorn funding for bottom-up IDR projects¡±.

Equally important was 바카라사이트 role of 바카라사이트 government, which ¡°should publish an assessment of 바카라사이트 capability of each department to absorb advice and evidence from 바카라사이트 science and research community at disciplinary and interdisciplinary levels¡±.

mat바카라사이트w.reisz@tesglobal.com