of transformative interdisciplinary research and graduate education impact on academic institutions MAY 2008 workshop report
of transformative interdisciplinary research and graduate education
impact
on academic institutions
MAY 2008
workshop report
of transformative interdisciplinary research and graduate education
impact
on academic institutions
MAY 2008
workshop report
SponSored By
National Science Foundation
Education and Human Resources Directorate
Division of Graduate Education
Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) Program
prepared By
Carol Van Hartesveldt, PhD
Judith Giordan, PhD
IGERT Program Directors
Table of Contents
Executive Summary
OrganizationandPurpose 1
KeyObservationsandRecommendations 2
Research 2
Faculty 3
GraduateEducation 4
AcademicInstitutions 5
Background and Rationale for the Workshop 7
Summary of Workshop Proceedings 9
TheImpactofInterdisciplinarityonResearch 9
MeasuringInterdisciplinarityinResearch 11
RecommendationsforAdvancingInterdisciplinaryResearch 11
TheImpactofInterdisciplinarityonFaculty 12
MeasuringandEnablingInterdisciplinarityinFacultyInteraction 13
RecommendationsforAdvancingInterdisciplinarityandEngagingFaculty 14
TheImpactofInterdisciplinarityonGraduateEducation 15
MeasuringandEvaluatingInterdisciplinarityandItsImpactonGraduateEducationandStudents 19
RecommendationsforFutureInterdisciplinaryGraduateEducation 20
TheImpactofInterdisciplinarityonAcademicInstitutions 21
MeasuringInterdisciplinarityinAcademicInstitutions 23
RecommendationsforSupportingInterdisciplinarityinAcademicInstitutions 24
References 25
Photo Credits 27
Appendices
Appendix1:ListofWorkshopParticipantsOrganizedbyWorkingGroups 29
Appendix2:WorkshopAgenda 35
Appendix3:QuestionTemplatesforWorkingGroups 39
Appendix4:OverviewofWorkProcess 43
1
Anyopinions,findings,conclusionsandrecommendationsexpressedinthisreportarethoseoftheworkshopparticipantsanddonotnecessarily
reflectorrepresenttheviewsoftheNationalScienceFoundation.
Executive Summary
In May 2008, a two-day workshop was held in Arlington, Virginia with the
goal of defining the progress of interdisciplinary research and graduate
education and their impacts on academic institutions. The workshop was
sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Directorate of Educa-
tion and Human Resources, Division of Graduate Education, Integrative
Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) Program.
Organization and Purpose
Theworkshopwasconvenedbecause
ofthegrowingacknowledgmentof
theimportanceofdiscoveriesand
outcomesofinterdisciplinary,cutting-
edgescienceandtechnologyfor
economicandsocietalgrowthand
vitality.Recognizingthemanyimpacts
ofinterdisciplinaryresearchcan
catalyzeachangeinthelandscapeof
U.S.universitiestovalueandincrease
interdisciplinarygraduateeducation.
Framingoptionsforthefutureof
supportforinterdisciplinaryresearch
andeducationrequiresanunder-
standingofthecurrentinstitutional
landscapeandthechallengesof,
opportunitiesfor,andimpactsof
thetransformationsstimulatedby
interdisciplinaryresearchatuniver-
sities.Toensureabroadview,the
perspectivesofbothinstitutional
leadershipandthefacultyleading
interdisciplinarychangeprojects
suchasIGERTweresought.The
meetingengaged101participantswho
aretheprincipalinvestigators(PIs)of
IGERTprojectsaswellasthesenior
leadershipofU.S.universitiesthathad
activeIGERTprojectsatthetime.See
Appendix1foralistofparticipants.
Eightworkinggroupsaddressed
questionsfocusedonfourcritical
impactareasofinterdisciplinary
institutionalchange:
Research,
Faculty,
GraduateEducation,and
AcademicInstitutions.
Eachoftheworkinggroups,four
comprisingPIsandco-PIsofactive
IGERTprojectsandfourcomprising
leadingadministratorsatIGERT
institutions,wasaskedtoconsider
andsummarizecentralquestionson
thefourimpactareasthataddressed
thefollowingtopics:
Progressandimpactsmadetodate;
Whatworksandwhatdoesnot;
Opportunitiesandchallenges
goingforward;and,
Metricsforsuccessofinter-
disciplinaryresearchand
graduateeducation.
Themeetingagendaispresentedin
Appendix2andthespecificquestions
addressedbyeachworkinggroupare
summarizedinAppendix3.Forthe
purposeofthismeeting,participants
usedtheterm“interdisciplinary”to
meanresearchandeducationthat
crossesdisciplinarylines.
Discussionofthethemeofinter-
disciplinarityforeachtopicfrequently
touchedupononeormoreofthe
othertopics.Therefore,thesummaries
oftheworkshopthemesinthisreport
presentkeythoughts,contributions,
andrecommendationsderived
fromboththeworkinggroupswho
IGERT Workshop Report 1
specificallychosetofocusonthat
topicandfromotherdiscussionson
thattopicthatoccurredduringthe
two-dayworkshop.Thissummaryisa
synopsisratherthanacompleteand
detailedaccountoftheentirework
productthateachgroupdeveloped.The
processusedtodevelopthisreportis
describedinAppendix4.
Key Observations and Recommendations
Thefollowingarekeyobservations
andrecommendationsresultingfrom
theworkshopdiscussionsaspresented
intheworkinggroups’reports.
REsEaRch
Key Observations
Contentandmethodsusedin
researchareinconstantfluxboth
withinandbetweendisciplines,
andresearchersmustfrequently
employinterdisciplinaryapproaches
torespondtoemergingresearch
problems.Tocarryoutinterdisci-
plinaryresearch,onemusthave
bothdisciplinarycapabilityand
interdisciplinaryconversance.The
abilitytoconductinterdisciplinary
researchisnecessarytomaintain
U.S.competitivenessinhigh-value
industriesandhasimportant
economicandsocietalbenefitsthrough
inventionsandinnovationsthat
delivernewproductsandservices
orimprovetheeffectivenessand
efficiencyofexistingprocesses.
Fundingagenciesplayakeyand
ongoingroleinsupportinginnovation
andmustcontinuesupportforthe
advancesofcoredisciplinaryresearch
whilealsosupportingresearchthat
cutsacrossdisciplines.Whilefederal
fundingagenciesexpresstheneed
forinterdisciplinaryapproachesto
problems,theirstructuresandpractices
fallshort.Somefundingagencies
haverespondedbyfundingmulti-
investigator,interdisciplinaryproposals
orproblem-basedproposals,butthere
arestillconcernsaboutthelocusfor
reviewandfundingofindividual
investigator-initiatedgrants.
Recommendations for advancing Interdisciplinary Research
Universities
Developnewmodelsofuniversityorganizationalstructures
andfundingtofacilitateinterdisciplinaryresearchand
buildincentivesforinterdisciplinaryfacultycollaboration.
> Organizediscussionsaboutresearcharoundachieving
open-endedscientificdiscoveryandaddressing
socialchallengesratherthanframingdiscussionsin
termsofdisciplinaryversusinterdisciplinaryscience.
> Formresearchteamsdrivenbybasicorapplied
problem-orientedresearchchallengesthatserveto
reducetheemphasisonwhetheragivenresearch
matterisdisciplinaryorinterdisciplinary.
Developshort-term,intermediate-term,andlong-term
measuresofsuccessofinterdisciplinaryresearch
encompassingpedagogy,thestructureofacademia,
anddevelopingadiverseworkforceinscienceand
engineering,aswellasexternaleffectsonindustry,
society(societalproblems),andpolicymaking.
Funding agencies
Reducetheboundariesbetweendisciplinesateachof
thefundingagenciestoencouragecooperationon
reviewandfunding.Fosterinterdisciplinaryresearch
attheindividualresearchgrantlevelinadditionto
thelargerinterdisciplinarygrants.
Collaborateamongfundingagenciesandother
constituencygroupssuchasindustryorstates,and
learnfromeachother’sexperience.
Maintainabalanceoffundingbetweendisciplinary
andinterdisciplinaryresearch,emphasizingscientific
problemsasthemajordeterminantinthetypesof
fundingprogramsintheportfolio.
Increasethenumbersofgrantssupportinginter-
disciplinaryresearchandtrainingclustersand
centersinordertoenhancethetotalinvestment
ininterdisciplinaryresearch.
Ensuretheinclusionofmorereviewerswhoare
receptivetoandconversantwithinterdisciplinary
research.Multipledisciplinaryreviewsarenotthe
sameasreviewbycolleagueswhoareexperienced
ininterdisciplinarycollaborations.
IGERT Workshop Report2
Key Observations
Theprincipaldriverofinterdisciplin-
aryresearchisthefaculty,asfaculty
membersareinapositiontoidentify
newresearchopportunities.Faculty
hiringpracticesarechangingrapidly
asthenatureofresearchchanges.
Toaddresstheongoingchangesin
thenatureofinquiry,institutions
continuetodeveloparangeofhiring
strategies,includingclusterhires
withavarietyofmodelsandhires
withappointmentssharedbetween
oramonguniversityunits.
Whiletheexcitementofaddressing
significantnewresearchproblems
aswellastheadvantagesof
collaborativeresearchareintrinsic
incentives,successfulcollaboration
dependsuponfacultyrecognition
andappreciationofeachother’s
contributionstotheresearch.
However,successfulinterdisciplinary
collaborationsinbothresearchand
educationcanbedifficultand
time-consuminginmanycurrent
universitystructures.Toooften
facultylackinstitutionalincentives
andmayevenhavedisincentives
forinterdisciplinaryresearchand
education.Facultymaynotbeableto
findfundingforaninterdisciplinary
researchgrantormaynotbe
rewardedbyobtainingpromotion
ortenureforparticipationin
researchandeducationthatcrosses
universityunits.
Recommendations for advancing Interdisciplinarity and Engaging Faculty
University Policies and Procedures
Developmechanismsforfacultywithtraditional
disciplinaryexpertisetolearnandembracenew
interdisciplinaryapproachesandcollaborations.
> Establishincentivesandremovedisincentives
forfacultytoperforminterdisciplinaryresearch
andteaching.
> Addresstheincompatibilitybetweentraditional
hierarchicaladministrativestructuresandnew
interdisciplinarycross-cuttingprograms.
> Developpathstoreducethepotentialtension
betweendisciplinaryandinterdisciplinaryinterests
whenhiringfaculty.
> Rewardsuccessfulinterdisciplinaryinitiatives.
> Providementoringandtrainingofbothjunior
andseniorfacultyintheskillsneededtosucceed
ininterdisciplinaryresearch,includingeffective
communicationandteamwork.
Developnewandagreed-uponmodelsforevaluating
facultycontributionstointerdisciplinarywork.
> Establishpoliciesregardingdistributionofinter-
disciplinarygrantoverheadfundsandcreditfor
multi-authoredpublications,patents,andgrants.
> Defineamechanismforfacultytoexplicitlyidentify,
communicate,andobtaincreditfortheirindividual
contributionswithinmulti-investigatorinterdisci-
plinaryprojectsandpublications.
Inordertofacilitatethedevelopmentofabroader
moreinterdisciplinaryviewbyfacultyresearch
collaborators,considerseparatingtheresearch/graduate
teachingfunctionsfromtheacademicunit-driven
undergraduateteachingmission.
Collectdataandevaluatesuccessfulmodelsof
institutionsthathavedemonstratedsuccesswith
interdisciplinaryinitiatives.
Developwaystoensurebenefitformultipleacademic
departmentsbyusingeachother’scourses,avoiding
duplicationofeffort,andatthesametimeacknowledging
thevalueofwhattheircognatecolleaguesbring
tothetable.
IGERT Workshop Report 3
Recommendations for advancing Interdisciplinarity and Engaging Faculty –Continued
Faculty hiring, appointments, and assignments
Forbothprospectivefacultyandforcurrentfaculty
engagingininterdisciplinaryendeavors,provideabsolute
clarityandtransparencyinthefollowingareas:
> Policiesfortenure,promotion,andraises;
> Facultyworkloadassignmentswhenshared
acrossdepartmentsorotherunitstofosterinter-
disciplinarity;and
> Valuationofwork,whichmustbeexplicitandinclude
bothtraditionalmeasuresandnontraditional
measuresthatcaptureinterdisciplinarybreadth.
GRadUaTE EdUcaTIon
Key Observations
Thereisacurrentandfutureneedfor
scientificallytrainedprofessionalswho
cansolvemorecomplexproblems,
applytechniquesfromonefieldto
another,communicatewithothers
acrossdisciplines,takerisks,andbe
creative.Ithasbeenobservedthat
studentsattractedtointerdisciplinary
graduateeducationappeartobemore
independentandmorelikelyto“think
outsidethebox”thanothers.Onthe
otherhand,ithasalsobeenobserved
thatinterdisciplinarygraduate
trainingenablesstudentstotackle
morecomplexresearchproblems,tobe
morecreative,andtotakegreaterrisks.
Exposuretointerdisciplinarystudyas
undergraduatesisthebestpreparation
forinterdisciplinarystudyatthe
graduatelevel.Becausemanycomplex
problemsareinterdisciplinaryin
nature,graduatestudentsmust
acquireabroaderknowledgebase
Recommendations for Future Interdisciplinary Graduate Education
Ensurethatundergraduatesarepreparedtodoresearch
andhavesufficientdepthandbreadthinadisciplineto
undertakeinterdisciplinaryresearchwhentheyare
graduatestudents.
Developmechanismstosupport,recognize,and
rewardteamworkingraduateeducationandinthesis
topicresearch.
Developspecificoutcomegoalsforskilldevelopment
inthebroadtopicofprofessionalskillsandmatch
trainingtothesegoals.
Recognizetheuniquestressesongraduatestudents
ininterdisciplinaryprogramsandprovidesupport
andmentoring.
Makefundingmechanismsthataretypicallytiedto
departmentsmoreportableandguaranteemulti-year
support,butalsoensureamixofexperiences,
includingteachingexperience,forthoseaimingfor
careersinacademia.
Providecredentialingthroughdualdegreeprograms,
certificates,minors,concentrations,designated
emphases,orothermeanssoastorecognizeagraduate
student’sinterdisciplinarytrainingandpotentially
aidincommunicatingbothdisciplinarydepthand
interdisciplinarybreadthtopotentialemployers.
Utilizeandbuildonsuccessfulcollaborationsfrom
thepastandusetheseasmodelsfortransformative
interdisciplinarygraduatetraining.
IGERT Workshop Report4
anddifferentskillsinapproaching
complexinterdisciplinaryproblems.
Yet,departmentalresourcealloca-
tionmaylimittheirabilitytowork
acrossunits.Furthermore,graduate
studentsarestronglyaffectedbythe
complexityandbreadthofthe
researchtheypursueaswellasthe
numberoffacultyfromareasoutside
theirownwithwhomtheyinteract.
Therefore,studentsneedboth
traininginandexposuretointerdis-
ciplinaryresearchandeducation.
Themaximalamountofinterdisci-
plinarygraduateeducationwithin
aninstitutionisdeterminedbythe
amountofinterdisciplinaryresearch
attheinstitution.However,interdis-
ciplinaryresearchdoesnotensure
interdisciplinarygraduateeducation.
Therearemanyexamplesofuniver-
sitiesthathavefoundwaystomake
graduateeducationmoreflexible
andtoprovidebothdisciplinary
depthandinterdisciplinarybreadth,
rangingfromcross-campuspro-
gramstoindividualizedinterdisci-
plinarydoctoralprograms.
acadEmIc InsTITUTIonsKey Observations
Universityadministrationscanmake
arealdifferenceassupportersof
facultytoleadandadminister
visionaryinterdisciplinaryresearch
andeducationalprogramsand
collaborations.Maximalsuccessof
interdisciplinaryresearchrequires
institutionalrecognitionofits
importancethroughtheinvestment
ofresourcesandprovisionof
incentivesandrewardstofaculty
anddepartments.Thecentral
administrationofaninstitutioncan
facilitateinterdisciplinaryresearch
bythetypesofnewfacultypositions
createdandbytheresourcesprovided
tonewfacultyininterdisciplinary
areasofresearch.
Supra-departmentalstructuressuch
ascentersandinstitutescanplayan
importantroleinsupportinginter-
disciplinaryresearchandeducation
andareidealforhousingexpensive
corefacilitiestobesharedbyfaculty
ofvariousdisciplines,buttheycanalso
createtensionwithdiscipline-based
facultyanddepartments.Someof
thistensionrevolvesaroundgraduate
educationandtheparticipationof
graduatestudentsinresearchin
thesesupra-departmentalstructures.
Thevalueofinterdisciplinarycolla-
borationsandtheiroutputhavebeen
acceptedinternationallyandmodels
arebeingdevelopedandinstituted
abroadtoexploitthesebenefits.
Recommendations for supporting Interdisciplinarity in academic Institutions
Bestrategicinplanningforinvestmentininterdisci-
plinaryresearchandeducationbasedoninstitutional
strengths,size,andtype.
Moveawayfromrigidhierarchicalstructuresto
moredynamicandflexiblestructuresinwhichfaculty
havesomefluidityofmovementbetweenoracross
disciplinaryhomes.
> Providephysicalspaceandsharedfacilitiesthat
bringpeopletogethertosupportcollaborativework.
> Takeadvantageofnewinterdisciplinaryfunding
opportunitiesofferedbyfederalfundingagencies.
Clarifyexpectationsfornewandcurrentfacultydoing
interdisciplinaryresearchandeducation,andinclude
allpartiesinthecontract.
Addnewelementsinpromotionandtenureguidelines
toincluderecognitionandrewardforcontributionsto
interdisciplinaryresearchandeducation.
Continuetobaseinterdisciplinarygraduateeducation
solidlyindisciplinaryprogramswhileallowingmecha-
nismsfornewprogramstoevolve.
Extendsupportforinterdisciplinaryresearchand
educationintoundergraduateeducation.
Forgelinksbetweenmajorityandminorityinstitutions
inordertotakeadvantageoftheattractionofinter-
disciplinaryresearchtobroadenparticipationinscience
andengineering.
Examineinternationalmodelsforinterdisciplinary
researchandeducationandconsideradapting/
adoptingsuccessfulmodels.
IGERT Workshop Report 5
Background and Rationale for the Workshop
From global sustainability to renewable energy to the origins of life in the
cosmos to forecasting and potentially mitigating economic upheavals,
the largest scientific challenges—and those that may hold the greatest
opportunity for transformative technological solutions into the 21st
century—are interdisciplinary in nature. The skills required from a new
generation of trained scientists and engineers to address these challenges
have been and continue to be broadly discussed and debated.
TheNationalAcademyofSciences
(NAS)CommitteeonScience,
EngineeringandPublicPolicy
(COSEPUP),seeingthemounting
challenge,tookaleadinaddressing
theissuein1995.1TheNASreportwas
followedbyaseriesofotherworks,all
ofwhichemphasizetheimportance
andvalueofinterdisciplinarygraduate
trainingintheformofbroadened
researchandeducationalexperiences
bothasaresponsetomorecomplex
globalchallengesandtoenabling
broadercareeropportunitiesfor
graduatestudents.2
In1998,adistinctiveprogramwas
developedbytheNSFtoaddressthese
issues:theIntegrativeGraduate
EducationandResearchTraineeship
(IGERT)program.Inthedecadesince
itsinception,IGERThasfundedover
4800interdisciplinaryscience,
technology,engineering,and
mathematics(STEM)traineesin98
institutions.TheimpactofIGERTon
thefirstthreecohortswasevaluated
andtheresultspublishedin2006.3
Inaddition,outputfromallIGERT
projectsfrom2006—2007was
summarizedinanIGERTAnnual
Report.4Anevaluationoftheimpact
addressourlargerglobalinterdisci-
plinaryscientificchallenges.
Itisnownearly14yearssincethe
1995COSEPUPreport,andmany
otherreportsandpublicationson
Discovery increasingly requires the expertise of individuals with
different perspectives – from different disciplines… working
together to accommodate the extraordinary complexity of
today’s science and engineering challenges.
national science Foundation Investing in america’s Future.
strategic Plan FY 2006-2011 (nsF 06-48)
ofIGERTongraduatedtraineesand
theircareersisunderway.Other
reportshavecitedIGERT—andthe
interdisciplinarytrainingthe
studentsreceive—asanexampleof
thetypeofprogramthatcould
positivelyimpactandbeginto
interdisciplinarytrainingandresearch
havefollowedit.5Butmanyinstitu-
tions,aswellasthefederalfunding
agenciesonwhichtheseinstitutions
relyforfunding,stillstrugglewith
developingandimplementing
appropriateandsupportivestructures,
IGERT Workshop Report 7
procedures,andrecognitionand
rewardsystemstoenableinterdisci-
plinaryresearchandeducation.
Itiswiththishistoryandatthe10th
anniversaryoftheinceptionofthe
IGERTprogramasabackdropthat
theworkshopfromwhichthisreport
isdrawnwasconvened.Thepurpose
oftheworkshopwastogaininsights
fromthecountry’sleadinginstitutions
thathavehadatleastoneIGERTaward
onhowtocapitalizeonthevalueof
interdisciplinarySTEMresearchand
graduateeducationfortheeconomic
andsocietalhealthofthecountry,
andtodeterminewhatisrequiredfor
faculty,graduatestudents,academic
institutions,andtheresearchenter-
priseitselftothriveandcontribute
toU.S.competitivenesstoaneven
greaterextentintothefuture.
IGERT Workshop Report8
Summary of Workshop Proceedings
The workshop participants were faculty and administrative leaders
from some of America’s most prominent universities engaged in inter-
disciplinary transformation. Both the faculty and administrative leaders
who participated are involved with the implications of interdisciplinary
education, training, and research on a regular basis. These implications
affect the way that research is conducted; how students are trained and
educated; how faculty are hired, promoted, and rewarded; and even the
structure of the university itself.
Allinvitedparticipantsinthe
workshopwereactiveparticipantsin
theworkinggroupsandallwere
laterinvitedtocommentonthetext
ofthereportassummarizedhere.
TheSummaryofWorkshopProceed-
ingsispresentedinthefoursections
thatfollow.Thissummaryisasynopsis
andnotacompleteaccountofall
discussionsandwrittenmaterials.
Statementsandobservationsshared
bythevariousworkinggroupsthat
helptoillustratekeypointsareshown
throughoutthetextofthereport.
The Impact of Inter disciplinarity on Research
Researchthatcutsacrossdisciplinary
lineshasbecomeincreasinglypromi-
nentandimportant,bothinbasic
andappliedareas,concomitantwith
changesintechnologyandthe
increasingurgencyofcomplexprob-
lemswithsocietalimpact.Discoveries
andnewtechnologiescontinueto
changethewaywethinkabout
problemsinscienceandengineering
andhowtoapproachthem.Both
basicandappliedinterdisciplinary
researchareexpectedtobecomemore
importantsegmentsoftheresearch
ventureinthefutureasissuesand
problemssuchasthoserelatingtothe
biosphere,theimpactsoftechnology
onsociety,andrenewableenergy
becomemoreprominent.
Despitetheneedforandthevalue
ofinterdisciplinaryresearch,
rigorousdisciplinaryresearchalso
hasintrinsicvalueandprovidesthe
foundationforinterdisciplinary
IGERT Workshop Report 9
Interdisciplinary research can lead to major practical advances
and most ‘problem-oriented’ research is interdisciplinary.
Research Working Group, administrators
problem-orientedapproachesto
addressnewproblemsoflargescope.
Interdisciplinaryresearchhashad
importantimpactsondisciplines
intwoways.
First,paradigmswithinsingle
disciplineshaveoftenchanged
andbenefitedfromresearchers
borrowingfromandworking
withresearchersfromotherdisci-
plines.Respondingtonew
discoveriesandchallenges,
disciplineshaveadvancedby
utilizingtheoretical,experimen-
tal,andtechnologicaladvances
fromotherfields(e.g.,biological
sciencehasbeenadvancedby
discoveriesinphysicalsciences
andmathematics;archaeology
benefitsfromnewknowledgein
climatology,botany,geology,etc).
Second,manycurrentdisciplines
havegrownoutofinterdisciplin-
aryresearch;examplesinclude
cognitivepsychology,genomics,
bioinformatics,neuroscience,
andnanoscience.
Interdisciplinaryresearchmay
havesubstantialeconomicand
societalbenefittotheU.S.Ithasthe
potentialtomaintainU.S.competi-
tivenessinhigh-valueindustriesboth
throughinventionsandthrough
innovations,includingthosethat
decreasethecostandincreasethe
speedofmanyprocesses.Inindustry,
interdisciplinaryworkistherule
ratherthantheexception,and
potentialemployeeswhoknowhow
toworkwithteammatesoutside
theirownspecializedareasof
expertisearehighlyvalued.
Thecontinuingincreaseinandempha-
sisoninterdisciplinaryresearchhas
importantimplicationsforfaculty,
graduatestudents,andinstitutions
ofhighereducation.Theseissueswill
befurtherexploredinotherareasof
thisreport.Collegesanduniversitiesare
traditionallyorganizedaccordingto
disciplinarystructures,andmanyhave
nowstrategicallyoverlaiddisciplinary
structureswithsupportiveunitsor
newproceduresinordertofacilitate
interdisciplinaryinteractionsand
research.Theintegrationofthese
overlaidstructureswiththemore
traditionalstructuresalreadyin
placeneedstobearticulatedto
optimizeinterdisciplinaryresearch
andoutcomes.
Fundingagencieshaveaparallel
challenge:theymustmaintain
supportforadvancesbycore
disciplinaryresearchwhilealso
supportingresearchthatcutsacross
disciplines.Whilefederalfunding
agenciesexpresstheneedfor
interdisciplinaryapproachesto
problems,theirstructuresand
practicesfallshort.Fundingagencies
haverespondedbyfundingmulti-
investigator,interdisciplinary
proposalsorproblem-basedproposals
(suchasDepartmentofEnergyCenters
organizedaround“grandchallenges”).
However,eveninthosecaseswhere
thereisacallformoreinterdisciplin-
aryresearchproposals,theproposals
receivedareoftenreviewedbypanels
orstudysectionsthatmaynotbe
structuredtohandlethevarious
disciplinesreflectedintheproposal
contents.Therecontinuetobeconcerns
aboutthelocusofreviewandfunding
whenaproposalwithaninterdisci-
The challenge for disciplines is not to become interdisciplinary
per se, but to be responsive to new discoveries and challenges
associated with both scientific innovation and pedagogy.
Research Working Group, IGERT Principal Investigators
Interestingly, the structure of many funding agencies, like the
structure of universities, is still based on disciplines, as are the
major resource allocations. These structures face the same admin-
istrative challenges that the universities do, and are encouraged
to consider being leaders in terms of structural change.
Research Working Group, IGERT Principal Investigators
IGERT Workshop Report10
IGERT Workshop Report 11
plinarythemeishandledthrough
atraditionalreviewmechanism.
Measuring Interdisciplinarity
in Research
Althoughtherehasbeenagreatdeal
ofdiscussionconcerningtheimpacts
ofandneedforinterdisciplinary
research,ithasbeenchallengingto
explicitlymeasureitsvalue.Measures
ofthevalueofinterdisciplinary
researchanditsimpactcanbeframed
asshort-term(researchbreak-
throughs,developmentofnew
academicprograms);intermediate-
term(effectsonindustry,publicpolicy,
theworkforce);andlong-term
(creationofnewdisciplines).Societal
impactcanbeframedinthesame
way:broadeningparticipationin
theshort-term;developingamore
flexibleanddiverseworkforceinthe
intermediate-term;andattracting
moreK-12studentstoscienceand
engineeringinthelong-term.
Thedegreetowhichaspecificresearch
programisinterdisciplinaryandthe
extentoftheimpactofsuchaprogram
maybemeasuredbythefollowing
factors,someofwhichareeasily
recognized,andsomeofwhichwill
requireafundamentaldefinitionof
howtodevelopameasurement:
Multi-PI/co-PIexternalfunding;
Numbersofpeople(faculty,
graduatestudents,undergraduates)
activelyinvolvedinproducing
collaborativeoutcomessuchas
multi-authoredpapersin
high-impactjournals;
Filingofpatentsthatareinter-
disciplinary;
Organizediscussionsaboutresearcharoundachieving
open-endedscientificdiscoveryandaddressingsocial
challengesratherthanframingthemintermsof
disciplinaryversusinterdisciplinaryscience.
Leveloftransformationproduced
(interdisciplinaryresearchshould
partlyjustifyitsexistenceby
producinglevelsoftransformation
notpossiblewithindisciplines);
and
Connectivityamongparticipants
(aretheywellconnectedandhow
wideistheconnectivity).
Recommendations for advancing Interdisciplinary Research
Universities
Consultwithandlearnfromindustryonhowbestto
achieveteamworkoninterdisciplinaryresearchproblems
andhowtopreparepeopleforitinthefuture.
Developshort-term,intermediate-term,andlong-term
measuresofsuccessofinterdisciplinaryresearch,
encompassinginternaleffectsonpedagogy,thestructure
ofacademia,anddevelopmentofadiverseworkforcein
scienceandengineering,aswellasexternaleffectson
industry,society(societalproblems),andpolicymakers.
Formresearchteamsdrivenbyproblem-orientedresearch
challengesthatservetodefocusemphasisonwhethera
givenresearchchallengeisdisciplinaryorinterdisciplinary.
Removedisincentivesandcreateincentivesforfaculty
toengageininterdisciplinaryresearch.
Assessment of the impact of both the technology and edu-
cational outcomes (of interdisciplinary research) is extremely
difficult. A first difficulty is the time lag between when a
change is implemented and when outcomes can be measured.
Research Working Group, IGERT Principal Investigators
The need for continued support of single investigator, focused
research proposals is clear. However, it is equally clear that there
need to be efforts on the part of federal funding agencies to
foster and support interdisciplinary research.
Research Working Group, IGERT Principal Investigators
IGERT Workshop Report12
Recommendations for advancing Interdisciplinary Research – Continued
Developnewmodelsofuniversityorganizational
structuresandfundingtofacilitateinterdisciplinary
research.
Funding agencies Reducetheboundariesbetweendisciplinesateachof
thefundingagenciestofacilitatecooperationonreview
andfunding.
Maintainabalanceoffundingbetweendisciplinary
andinterdisciplinaryresearch,emphasizingscientific
problemsasthemajordeterminantinthetypesof
fundingprogramsintheportfolio.
Increasethenumbersofgrantssupportinginter-
disciplinaryresearchandtrainingclustersandcenters
inordertoenhancethetotalinvestmentforinter-
disciplinaryresearch.
Becausetheimpactofdiscoveriesisoftenunforeseen,
maintainaportfolioapproachtoresearchfunding
includingbothresearchwithexpectedshorterterm
practicalandeconomicimpact,andresearchwithless
definedbutpotentiallylongertermimpact.
Fosterinterdisciplinaryresearchattheindividual
researchgrantlevelinadditiontothelargerinter-
disciplinarygrants.Includemorereviewerswhoare
receptivetoandconversantwithinterdisciplinary
research.Multipledisciplinaryreviewsarenotthesame
asreviewsbycolleagueswhoareexperiencedininter-
disciplinarycollaborations.
Effectivelycollaboratewithotherfundingagencies
andotherconstituencygroups,suchasindustryor
states,andlearnfromeachother’sexperience
regardinginterdisciplinaryresearchandeducation.
Beaggressiveinstayingknowledgeableabout
currentandemergingresearchareas.Onemechanism
toachievethisgoalwouldbetoexpandsupportfor
workshopsinwhichscientistsandconstituencies
convenetobrainstormresponsestocriticalinter-
disciplinaryresearchissues.
Includeinterdisciplinaryskillstrainingasapartof
grant-writingworkshops.
The Impact of Inter disciplinarity on Faculty
Thefacultyisacriticaldriverofinter-
disciplinaryresearchandeducation.
Inresponsetothedemandsofthe
changingresearchenterpriseandthe
greaterneedtoworkacrossdisciplines,
themethodsforandtypesofnew
facultyhiresarechangingrapidly.
Someuniversitiesareengagingin
interdisciplinarystrategicplanning
forthefuture,includingplanningfor
facultyhires.Typesofappointments
includeclusterhires,jointormultiple
appointments,andappointments
tootherunitssuchascentersor
institutesinadditiontodepartments.
Universitiesareclearlyadoptinga
widerangeofhiringstrategies.
Examplesofsuchhiringprocesses
andfacultyappointmentsinclude
thefollowing:
AttheUniversityofAlabama,
clusterhiresareinitiatedby
severalinterdisciplinarycenters,
butsuccessfulcandidatesdecide
whichunittheywanttojoin.
AtRutgersUniversity,cluster
hiresareattheassociateprofessor
orhigherlevelonly.
AtOregonStateUniversity,the
interdisciplinaryprogramcan
makehires,althougheachhireis
typicallyassociatedwithone
department.
AttheUniversityofWashington,a
distinguishedprofessorwashired
andallowedtobringher/histeam.
AtMichiganTechnological
University,aninterdisciplinary
clusterhiringteamcomposedof
From a faculty perspective, the change in hiring practices has
injected energy into campuses, although problems remain.
Faculty Working Group, IGERT Principal Investigators
IGERT Workshop Report 13
researchersinsustainability
fromacrosstheuniversityinvited
candidatestoselectthedepart-
ments(uptotwoorthree)inwhich
theywouldbeplaced.
Atsomeschools,facultyhiresare
alignedwithstrategicstrengths.
AtSUNYBuffalo,forexample,
facultyhiresarealignedto
strategicstrengthsidentifiedvia
alengthybottom-upprocess.
AtNortheasternUniversity,
therehasbeenachangefrom
fillingteachingneedstofulfilling
interdisciplinaryneedswith
jointdepartmentalhires.Itis
alsocommontohavehireswith
jointdepartmental/center
appointments.
AgainatRutgersUniversity,a
facultymemberstartedin
chemicalengineeringbutwas
jointlyappointedtochemical
engineeringandbioengineering
afteracquiringtenure.
Facultymembershavemanyintrinsic
incentivestoengageininterdisci-
plinaryresearchandeducation.
Theseincludetheopportunitytodo
somethingnew,particularlyiffaculty
areatmid-career;theexcitementof
addressinglargeproblemswith
societalsignificance;abroaderrange
offundingpossibilities;opportunities
tonetworkwithotherfacultyoutside
thehomedepartment;thefunof
collaboration;theopportunityto
recruitbetterandmorediverse
students;andtheknowledgethat
thesestudentswillgetwhatthefaculty
considerabettereducation.While
theseincentivesandrewardsare
important,theymustbebolsteredby
institutionalrewardsandrecognition.
Althoughtherearemanyattractions
forinterdisciplinarywork,thereare
alsoconcernsatseverallevels.
Facultyengagingininterdisci-
plinaryactivitiesmayfindthat
tiestotheirtraditionaldisci-
plines,whetherthroughpersonal
relationshipsorprofessional
societyaffiliations,maybe
weakenedasaresultofbeing
moreengagedwithother
disciplines.
Fornewfaculty,theremaybea
riskinengagingininterdisciplinary
activitiestotheexclusionof
disciplinaryactivitiesandthus
theriskofalienationfroma
disciplinaryunit.Because
undergraduateteachingstill
revolvesarounddisciplines,there
maybeatensionbetweenthe
facultyroleasteacherand
interdisciplinaryresearcher.
Otherchallengesforfaculty
includetheneedforabroader
knowledgebasethantheirsingle-
disciplinecolleagues,thediffi-
cultyfordepartmentstoappreciate
orevaluateinterdisciplinary
research,andinterdisciplinary
team-teachingasanoverload.
Measuring and Enabling Interdisci-
plinarity in Faculty Interaction
Innovativemeasuresforthevalue
orsuccessoffacultyadoptingor
participatingininterdisciplinary
researchincludefulfillingtheneedsto:
Quantifyco-authorshipfrom
differentdisciplineswithroles
andcontributionsoffacultyon
interdisciplinaryscholarlywork
explicitlyidentified.Consider
givingeachauthorfullcredit
regardlessofauthorshipposition.
Quantifyparticipationinextra-
murallyfundedinterdisciplinary
researchandeducation.
Provetheachievementofbroader
impactswithevidenceofpolicy
impact,K-12curriculumchanges,
adoptionofresultsbytheprivate
The principal driver of effective interdisciplinary research in
areas amenable to it is the faculty.
Institutions Working Group, administrators
Is collaboration recognized at tenure time?
Faculty Working Group, administrators
IGERT Workshop Report14
sector,andlevelofsatisfaction
withinandacrossprograms.
Quantifytheeffortinvolvedin
developinginterdisciplinary
initiatives;forexample,partici-
pationinworkinggroups,
developmentoflettersofintent
orpreliminaryproposals,and
submissionoffullproposals.
Includethenumberofstudents
supervisedwhoarefromother
departmentsasaconsideration
infacultyevaluation.
Recommendations for advancing Interdisciplinarity and Engaging Faculty
University Policies and ProceduresInordertofosterinterdisciplinarywork,universitiesshould
takethefollowingstepstobenefitthefaculty:
Developmechanismsforfacultywithtraditional
disciplinaryexpertisetolearnandembracenew
interdisciplinaryapproachesandcollaborations.
Developpathstoreducethepotentialtension
betweendisciplinaryandinterdisciplinaryinterests
whenhiringfaculty.
Developnewmodelsforevaluationoffacultycontri-
butionstointerdisciplinarywork.Allpartiesshould
agreeonsuchpoliciesasdistributionofgrantoverhead
fundsandcreditformulti-authoredpublications,
patents,andgrants.Facultyshouldhaveamechanism
tomoreexplicitlyidentifyandcommunicatetheir
individualcontributionswithinmulti-investigator
interdisciplinaryprojectsandpublications.
Removedisincentivestointerdisciplinaryteachingand
researchsuchasteachingoverloads,barriersregarding
newcurricula,andexcessiveadministrativedemands.
Addresstheincompatibilitybetweentraditional
hierarchicaladministrativestructuresandnewinter-
disciplinarycross-cuttingprograms.
Considerseparatingtheresearch/graduateteaching
functionsfromtheacademicunit-drivenundergraduate
teachingmissionsuchthatabroadermoreinterdisci-
plinaryviewcanbedevelopedbyfacultycollaborators.
Establishincentivesforthefacultytodointerdisci-
plinaryresearch.
Assistfacultysothattheymaymostefficientlyand
effectivelycarryoutinterdisciplinaryresearch.Such
assistancecouldincludeaproactiveapproachtothe
formationofinterdisciplinaryteams,includingrelease
timeinrecognitionofthetimerequired;mentoring
andtrainingofbothjuniorandseniorfacultyinthe
skillsneededtosucceedininterdisciplinaryresearch,
includingeffectivecommunicationandteambuilding;
identifyingexternalfundingopportunities;and
providingincentivessuchasseedfundingorrelease
timeforinterdisciplinaryproposalpreparation.
Rewardsuccessfulinterdisciplinaryinitiatives,for
example,allocatespaceandadditionalfacultyfull-time
equivalents(FTEs).
Collectdataandevaluatesuccessfulmodelsof
institutionsthathavedemonstratedsuccesswith
interdisciplinaryinitiatives.
Faculty hiring, appointments and assignmentsBothforprospectivefacultyandforcurrentfaculty
engagingininterdisciplinaryendeavors,absoluteclarity
andtransparencyareessentialinthefollowingareas:
Policiesfortenure,promotion,andraisesmustbelaid
outwellinadvance.Thesedecisionsaretypicallymade
withindepartments,andinterdisciplinaryactivities
takeplaceacrossdepartments.
Facultyworkloadassignmentsshouldbetransparent.
Iftheworkloadissharedacrossdepartmentsand/or
otherunits,thenaformal,writtenagreementsuchas
aMemorandumofUnderstandingshouldbereached
amongallparticipatingparties.Thepotentialdifficulties
IGERT Workshop Report 15
Recommendations for advancing Interdisciplinarity and Engaging Faculty – Continued
ofappointmentscrossingunitswithdifferentmissions
andworkloadsmustberecognizedandaddressed.
Valuationofworkmustbeexplicit,includingboth
traditionalmeasuressuchasproductivityandfunding
obtained,andnontraditionalmeasuressuchasforma-
tionofinterdisciplinarygroups;publishingoutsidethe
homedisciplineincollaborationwithotherfaculty;
mentoringstudentsoutsidethehomedepartment;
valuingcourseofferingsthatattractstudentsfrom
otherdisciplines;andsupportingstudentsoutsidethe
homediscipline.Appropriaterewardsmustalsobe
madeexplicit.
The Impact of Inter disciplinarity on Graduate Education
Todayandinthefuture,themost
excitingresearchtopicsinclude
manythatmustbeapproached
fromtheperspectivesofmorethan
onediscipline.Tobecomesuccessful
leadersandinnovatorsintheinter-
disciplinaryscienceandengineering
oftomorrow,graduatestudentsneed
bothdisciplinarydepthandinter-
disciplinaryeducation.Inpart,the
debateaboutthekindofpreparation
graduatestudentsneedisembed-
dedintheenduringdiscussionon
breadthversusdepthingraduate
educationaswellastheemerging
discussiononthevalueoftransfor-
mativeresearch.Moreover,theques-
tionofappropriategraduate-level
preparationisrelatedtothetopics
oftransformativegraduatetrain-
ingandinterdisciplinarygraduate
training.Yetregardlessofthetype
ofgraduateeducationalprogram,it
isacceptedthatdisciplinarydepth
enablesscientistsandengineersto
bringknownandrespectedexpertise
tothetableinanycollaborativeproj-
ect.Thus,deepdisciplinaryknowl-
edgewillcontinuetobecriticaland
mustcontinuetobeinstilled.
Whilecriticalthinkingskills,creativity,
andthecapacitytocreatenew
knowledgewillcontinuetobethe
foundationsofallgraduateeducation,
so-called“softskills”mustalsobe
developedingraduatestudents.
Teamworkskillsareanecessityfor
allgraduatestudentsregardlessof
theirgraduateprograms.Teamwork
skillsincludethecriticalabilityto
communicateacrossdisciplines,and
teamworktrainingcantakeplace
eitherasapartofcourseworkor
duringworkonaresearchproject.
Governmentandindustryhavehad
moreemphasisonandexperiencein
workinginteamsthanacademia
and,thus,haveexpertiseinthisarea
thatshouldbeutilizedandadapted
foracademiccontexts.Theability
tocommunicatethevalueand
importanceofsciencetopublic
stakeholdersisalsobecomingmore
important.Therefore,effective
interdisciplinarytrainingmustalso
includemechanismsofeffective
communicationtononscientificas
wellasscientificaudiencesoutside
agivenareaofexpertise.
Inconsideringwhatconstitutes
transformativeinterdisciplinary
graduatetraining,thefollowingare
importantelements:
Trainingthatleadsstudentsto
workcomfortably,independently,
andeffectivelyatinterfaces,i.e.,
notonlyhavingtheknowledge
ofhowinterdisciplinaryteams
couldbeputtogetherandhowto
workwithpeopleinotherfields,
butalsohowtodevelopresearch
Interdisciplinary training will prepare students for the careers of
the future, which may be vastly different from the careers of today.
Graduate Education Working Group, IGERT Principal Investigators
IGERT Workshop Report16
visionandcarryouttheresearch
atinterdisciplinaryinterfaces.
Mechanismstohelpgraduate
studentsdevelopskillsthat
enablethemtoreinventthem-
selvesthroughouttheircareers,
trackingchangesinscienceas
knowledgeevolves.
Integrationofethicalconsider-
ationsintoprofessionaldevelop-
mentofgraduatestudents.
Inadditiontoitsimportanceasan
elementoftransformativegraduate
training,interdisciplinaryresearch
stronglyattractsstudents.K-12,
undergraduate,andgraduate
studentsalikeareexcitedbythe
chancetoworkonproblemstheysee
asrelevantandimportanttosociety,
whichareofteninterdisciplinary
problems.Thereisanongoing
discussionwhetherinterdisciplinary
graduateeducation,particularlyin
areassuchassustainability,maybe
particularlyattractivetowomen
andminorities.
Studentsattheundergraduatelevel
needtodevelopflexibilityearlieron
iftheyaretomoveintointerdisci-
plinaryfieldsatthegraduatelevel.
Someundergraduateinstitutionsare
becomingmoreinterdisciplinaryin
theirundergraduatecurriculumas
occurredinresponsetotheNational
ResearchCouncil’sReportBIO 2010:
Transforming Undergraduate
Education for Future Research
Biologists.6Interdisciplinarythemes
mayprovidemorecreativeand
attractivevenuesforundergraduate
students,improvingtheretentionof
creativeanddiversestudents.
Graduatestudentsseekinginterdis-
ciplinarytrainingareperceivedto
havebroaderbackgrounds,more
independence,greatercreativity,and
morewillingnesstotakerisksthan
thoseenteringsingle-discipline
programs.Graduatestudentsgetting
interdisciplinarytrainingare
perceivedbyfacultytobecome
highlymotivated,focused,willingto
tacklecomplexproblems,more
creative,andmorewillingtotake
risks.Theymayalsoacquirethe
flexibilitynecessarytotransform
themselvesthroughouttheircareers
asresearchopportunitieschange.
Graduatestudentsundertaking
interdisciplinaryresearchare
stronglyimpactedbyanumberof
factors.Thesefactorsincludethe
numberoffacultyfromdifferent
areaswithwhomtheyinteract,as
wellasthecomplexityandbreadth
ofcurrentresearchtopics,which
demandofthemadifferentknow-
ledgebasethanthatrequiredfor
disciplinaryresearch.Positive
impactsofconductinginterdisciplin-
aryresearcharedevelopingskillsto
approachproblemsthatcannotbe
solvedbysingledisciplinesanda
broaderrangeoffacultyinputand
guidance.Potentialnegativeimpacts
mayincludelessspecializedtraining
incertainareas,aless-well-marked
professionalidentity,andamore
nebuloussetofcriteriaforsuccess.
Finally,thedepartmentalstructure
ofresourceallocationcansometimes
negativelyimpactstudentswho
workbetweendepartments.
Interdisciplinaryresearchcanbean
effectivemeansofbroadening
participationbycreatingbridges
betweenminority-servinginstitu-
tions(MSIs)andmajority-serving
institutionsatseverallevels.Exam-
plesofthewaythatthesebridges
maybebuiltareasfollows:
Strong core disciplines still provide an important foundation
for undergraduate study, but undergraduate exposure to inter-
disciplinary themes can be a strong value-added component.
academic Institutions Working Group, IGERT Principal Investigators
We must do more to promote and support undergraduate
interdisciplinary training.
Graduate Education Working Group, administrators
IGERT Workshop Report 17
Interdisciplinaryresearch
projectscanenhancetheresearch
infrastructureavailabletofaculty
andstudentsatMSIs.Collabora-
tiveresearchprojectsenable
cost-effectiveleveragingofNSF’s
andotheragencies’investments
inresearchinfrastructure.
Researchtiesoftenleadto
educationalties,particularlyat
thegraduatelevel.Forexample,
teleconferencedresearchgroup
meetingsarethefirststepina
naturalprogressionthatcanlead
tothesharingofresearch
seminarsandgraduatecourses.
Interdisciplinaryresearchisan
effectivemeansforbuildingstrong
recruitingpipelinesbetweenMSI
andnon-MSIinstitutions.For
example,studentsfromMSIswho
workoncross-campusinterdisci-
plinaryresearchprojectsare
morelikelytoconsidergraduate
orpostdoctoralpositionsatthe
partnerinstitution.
Strongfaculty-to-facultyconnec-
tionsareinvaluableinrecruiting.
FacultyatMSIscanbeoutstanding
ambassadorsforlargeresearch
institutions.Insomecases,these
pipelinescanbeformalizedthrough
bridgeprograms.TheNSF’s
PartnershipforResearchand
EducationinMaterials(PREM)
programisanexcellentexample
ofthebridgingrolebetween
MSIsandmajorityinstitutions
thatinterdisciplinaryresearch
mayserve.
Newapproachestointerdisciplinary
trainingincludeadmissionspolicies
thatallowstudentstomakechoices
concerningtraditionaldepartments
orinterdisciplinaryprogramsor
mixturesofthese;commonintro-
ductorygraduatecoursesshared
amongdepartments;co-advisorsfrom
differentdisciplines;rotationsacross
researchlaboratories;designated
emphases,specializations,or
concentrations;interdepartmental
programsthatcutacrossdepartments;
newstructuredinterdisciplinary
programs;andindividuallydesigned
interdisciplinaryprograms.
Examplesofmechanismstoallow
orpromotestudentflexibilityand
breadthincludethefollowing:
AtSUNYBuffalo,emphasison
interdisciplinaryeducationhas
ledgraduatedirectorsfrom
differentengineeringand
physicalsciencedepartmentsto
begindevelopingcommon
introductorycoursesshared
amongdepartments.These
coursescreatespaceinthe
curriculumtodomoreinterdisci-
plinaryworkattheupperlevels.
AttheUniversityofCalifornia-
Davis,oneofthemechanisms
usedtoallowgreaterflexibility
andbreadthwhileensuring
depthinarecognizeddiscipline/
fieldisthe“DesignatedEmphasis
(DE).”Thecampushasanumber
ofDEs,suchastheDEinBiotech-
nologyandDEinBiophotonics,
whichallowPh.D.studentsfrom
avarietyofgraduategroups/
programstoreceiveadditional
traininginaparticularinter-
disciplinaryareathatisrecognized
ontheirdiplomasandtranscripts.
Forexample,theymaycomplete
aPh.D.inChemicalEngineering
alongwithaDEinBiotechnology.
Thisapproachprovidesaformal-
izedstructurethatissimilarto
“specializations”or“concentra-
tions”atotherinstitutions.
Oneofthemostimportant
considerationsistostrikeabalance
betweendisciplinaryexpertiseand
interdisciplinarytraining.
ThePennsylvaniaStateUniversity
offersgraduatestudentsadual-
titlegraduatedegreeprogram.
Studentsenterthroughadiscipline-
basedgraduateprogramand
mustthenapplytoandbe
Providing opportunities to participate in an interdisciplinary
program of study may enhance efforts to recruit a diverse
student body. The integration of undergraduate and graduate
training should be enhanced in order to improve the recruit-
ment of a diverse graduate population. The pipeline needs to
be broadened at the undergraduate level…
Faculty Working Group, IGERT Principal Investigators
IGERT Workshop Report18
admittedintothesecondaryarea
ofstudyforsubstantialcoursework
underthesupervisionofafaculty
advisorfromthatarea.The
GraduateCouncilmustapprove
anynewlyconstituteddual-title
degree.Thestudent’sdiploma
carriesthenameofboththe
majorandthedual-titleoffering.
Anothermechanismtoencourage
interdisciplinary,collaborative
researchistoallowstudentsto
includejointlyauthoredchapters
intheirdissertations.Graduate
schoolsattheUniversityofIdaho
andtheUniversityofMinnesota
allowstudentstoincludechapters
thatareco-authoredbymultiple
students,i.e.,thesamechapteris
usedinmultipledissertations.
Thispracticegoesastepbeyond
allowingjointlyauthored
chapterstobeincludedinthe
seniorauthor’sdissertation,
whichmostuniversitiesdo.
Anothernovelapproachisthe
ACCESSprogramattheUniver-
sityofCalifornia-LosAngelesin
whichstudentsareadmittedto
graduatestudyinagiven
interdisciplinaryfieldandreceive
fundingpledgedbyparticipating
departmentsbeforetheyhave
evenselectedtheparticular
degreeprograminwhichthey
willenroll.Theycanthenselect
thedepartmentandresearch
grouptheywilljoinlateronin
theirprogram.Thisapproach
maybeeasiertoimplementin
somefieldsthanothers.For
example,sucharotationsystem
iscommoninbiologybutnotin
engineering,inwhichstudents
usuallyjoinresearchgroups
withintheirfirstyear.
The“Matrix”organization
employedatMichiganState,the
UniversityofMinnesota,andthe
UniversityofIdahoconsistsof
interdepartmentalprograms
thatenablecollaboration,
interaction,andjointefforts
amongstudentsandfacultyin
differentdepartments.
AttheUniversityofFlorida,
studentsmayenteraninterdisci-
plinaryprogramandthendecide
onthedepartmentwithwhich
theyhaveanaffinity,givingthem
exposureandoptionsacross
disciplines.
InadditiontoInterdepartmental
DegreePrograms,theUniversityof
Michiganoffersgraduatestudents
theoptionofcombiningstudies
fromtwoPh.D.programsthatwill
leadtoasinglePh.D.(theStudent-
InitiatedDegreeProgram).
AttheUniversityofMaine,
studentsintheInterdisciplinary
Ph.D.(IPhD)programmust
establishaninterdisciplinary
graduatecommitteeandnegotiate
boththeprogramofstudyand
theirsupportwithrelevant
facultymembers.
ArizonaStateUniversityhas
developedmultipleplatforms
bywhichstudentsmayenter
doctoralprograms:theymayenter
intoamoretraditionalPh.D.
programheavilygroundedina
discipline;theymayenterthrough
atraditionalPh.D.programthat
hasdevelopedahostofconcen-
trationsthataresharedbyother
interdisciplinaryprogramsand
beincourseswithstudentsfrom
otherdisciplines(withinthe
concentration);ortheymayenter
trulyinterdisciplinaryPh.D.
programswherestudentsare
partofamoreinterdisciplinary
Researchers with interdisciplinary training and a solid disciplin-
ary foundation will be required for many careers of the future.
Graduate Education Working Group, IGERT Principal Investigators
The ability to effectively work in teams to solve complex
problems will be essential to many careers in the future.
Graduate Education Working Group, IGERT Principal Investigators
IGERT Workshop Report 19
worldandyetcantakeconcentra-
tionsandcourseworkinother
programs.Intheuniversity’s
experience,thekeyistofindthe
bestmatchforthestudents
dependingontheirgoals,
perspectives,andcareeraspirations.
Emergingfieldsareexpectedto
presentnewjobopportunities.The
promiseofacareeraftergraduation
isastrongmotivatorforgraduate
studentstoacquiretheskillsand
expertisetheywillneedforthese
careersandtocompletetheirdegrees.
Flexibilityandadaptabilitywillbe
hallmarksofsuccessfulscientistsof
thefuture,andwhileinterdisciplinary
trainingmaynotbeanadvantagein
obtainingpositionsdefinedbysingle
disciplineexpertise,itwillimprovea
graduate’spossibilitiesofobtaining
otherpositions.
Inaddition,thereisanimportantrole
fortrainingprogramsthatmakeit
possibleforgraduatestoadaptto
changesincareeropportunitiesthat
theyfaceaftergraduationandto
planforflexiblecareerpaths.Itmay
beimportanttoscreenapplicantsto
graduateprogramsnotonlyfor
academicprowessinthediscipline,
butalsoforevidenceofleadership,
communicationskills,andteamwork
experiencethatwouldenablethem
tobeflexibleintheircareers.
Measuring and Evaluating Interdis-
ciplinarity and Its Impact on Gradu-
ate Education and Students
Evaluationofinterdisciplinary
educationalprogramsmightinclude
topicsasoutlinedbelow,someof
whichareeasilymeasurableand
someofwhichwillrequirenew
methodsofmeasurement.
Numbersofstudentsattending
meetingsoutsidetheirhome
disciplines;
Numberandqualityofteam-
taughtclassesbridgingmultiple
disciplinesandacademicunits;
Studentparticipationininter-
disciplinarycollaborationsand
leadershiprolesininterdiscip-
linaryteams;
Publicationrecordsofthe
studentsintheprogram,
includingjointpublications
acrossdisciplines;
Compositionsofthesis
committeesthatincludean
interdisciplinarymix;
Thenatureoftheresearchdone
asdescribedinthethesisabstracts;
Comparinginterdisciplinary
thesesanddissertationswith
thoseofstudentsintraditional
departmentsforimpactthrough,
forexample,citations,publica-
tionsand/orcitationsininfluen-
tialjournals;and
Opportunitiesandcareerout-
comesforstudentsaftergradua-
tion.Specifically:
> Doestheemployment
obtainedmeetthestudent’s
goals?
> Dostudentsgetjobsadver-
tisedasinterdisciplinary?
> Dostudentswithinterdisci-
plinarytraininghavedifferent
careertrajectoriesthan
studentswhohavenot?Do
theyadvancemorerapidly,
havegreaterflexibility,or
followdifferentcareerpaths?
> Dothesestudentscontribute
todiscoveriesatthe“white
spaces”betweendisciplines?
> Dotheymoreoftenbecome
entrepreneurs?
> Arestudentswithinterdisci-
plinarytrainingeffective
educators,communicators,
andteambuilders?
Future STEM graduates must be able to explain why science
matters to society and how basic science and technology relate
to each other.
Graduate Education Working Group, IGERT Principal Investigators
As a nation, we cannot continue to rely on the availability of
international talent.
Graduate Education Working Group, administrators
IGERT Workshop Report20
Recommendations for Future Interdisciplinary Graduate Education
Undergraduatesshouldbebetterpreparedtodore-
searchandshouldhavesufficientbreadthtoundertake
interdisciplinaryresearchwhentheybecomegraduate
students.
Graduatestudentsshouldbebetterpreparedtofor-
mulateandimplementbroad-basedinterdisciplinary
researchquestionsandhelpedtodevelopbetterbasic
analyticandquantitativeskills.
Newlearningtechnologiesshouldbeintegratedinto
graduateeducation.
Graduateeducationofthefutureshouldfreeitself
fromthe“3-creditintellectualstructure”andbegin
creatingmoreimmersionandmoduleexperiencesthat
focusonknowledgeandcompetencieswithappropriate
learningoutcomesattheendoftheexperience.Asthe
breadthanddepthofknowledgeandskillsrequiredby
interdisciplinarystudentsincrease,theorganizationof
trainingexperiencesmustbereconfiguredforthemost
effectiveandefficientdelivery.
Mechanismsshouldbedevelopedtosupportteamwork
ingraduateeducationandinthesistopicresearch.
Modelsfortransformativeinterdisciplinarygraduate
trainingmaybefoundinsuccessfulcollaborationsfrom
thepastwhereinterdisciplinaryteamsmadeincredible
advances.Thisapproachcouldbeusedmorebroadly
toengageyoungscholarsfromdisparatedisciplines
totacklesignificantscientificchallengesandsocietal
problems.Itwouldfostercollaborativeeffortsinfields
wheresingle-investigatorresearchistraditionallymore
common.
Specificoutcomesforskilldevelopmentinthebroad
topicofprofessionalskillsneedtobedevelopedand
trainingneedstobematchedtotheseoutcomes.Skills
forcommunicationandengagementwiththepublic;
traininginethicsandresponsibleconductofresearch;
globalawareness;andtheabilitytousenewlearning
technologies,incorporatingmorecooperativeand
collaborativelearningtechniquesandgreaterbreadth
shouldbeincluded.
Recognizingtheuniquestressesongraduatestudents
ininterdisciplinaryprograms,mentoringandtracking
shouldbecarefullyplanned.
Fundingmechanismswithintheuniversityaretypically
tiedtodepartmentsbutshouldbemoreportable.A
fundingmechanismforthefirstyearofgraduateschool
shouldallowgreaterexplorationpriortochoosingan
advisorandresearcharea.Further,supportmechanisms
shouldbefoundtofundgraduatestudentsinaway
thatallowsandencouragestheireducationandre-
searchtocrossinstitutionalunits.
Multi-yearsupportshouldbeguaranteed,butamix
ofexperiencesshouldbeensured,includingteaching
experienceforthoseaimingatcareersinacademia.
Dissertation-yearfellowshipsupportisdesirableso
thatgraduatestudentsmaycarryoutinterdisciplinary
thesisresearch.
Buildingcollaborativeinterdisciplinaryresearch
involvingbothminority-servingandmajorityinstitutions
shouldbeutilizedasameanstobroadenparticipation
inscienceandengineering.
Credentialingthroughdual-degreeprograms,certificates,
minors,concentrations,designatedemphases,orother
meansshouldbefoundtoidentifyagraduatestudent’s
interdisciplinarytrainingandpotentiallyaidincommu-
nicatingbothdisciplinarydepthandinterdisciplinary
breadthtopotentialemployers.
WhilethereisaneedtoincreasethenumberofU.S.
citizensandpermanentresidentsinscienceand
engineeringsothatinnovationisnotoutsourced,
admissionspoliciesshouldtakeintoaccountnotonly
studentdemandandstudentfundingavailabilitybut
alsoworkforceneedsandtheplacementsofgraduates
inspecificfields,includinginterdisciplinaryfields.
RecruitmentofunderrepresentedminoritiestoSTEM
graduatestudyshouldfocusongrowingtheentire
pipelineratherthanredistributingafixednumberof
minoritystudentswhowouldbeboundforgraduate
schoolinanycase.Interdisciplinaryresearchontopics
ofsocietalsignificancecanbeanimportantattractant.
IGERT Workshop Report 21
The Impact of Inter disciplinarity on Academic Institutions
Themagnitudeandscopeofinterdis-
ciplinaryresearch—andstructures
andincentivestosupportit—vary
significantlyacrossacademic
institutions.Thoseinstitutionsthat
havefocusedondisciplinesthatare
historicallybasedonsolitaryrather
thancollaborativescholarshipareby
designlessinterdisciplinaryin
structureandoutlook.Boththesize
ofaninstitutionandtheamountof
disciplinaryteachingresponsibilities
haveanimportantimpactonthe
faculty’sabilitytofocusonandthe
freedomtopursueopportunities
outsidetheirowndisciplines.Small
departmentsmaynothavethe
resourcestoallocatetointerdisci-
plinaryresearchorteachingwithout
threateningtheirabilitytodeliver
theircorecurriculum.Yetsmaller
institutionsmayalsohavethe
advantageofbeingabletoimple-
mentchangeintargeted,strategic
areasmorequickly.Largerinstitu-
tionsmayhavemoreresourcesand
mayhavemoreopportunitiesto
“grow”interdisciplinaryresearchor
educationatrelativelylittlerisk.
Disciplinesarenotfixedintimebut
continuetoevolve,andthusthe
universitymustadaptadministra-
tivelyandstructurallytoaccommo-
datethisevolution.Departments
mayretainthesametitle,butthey
canbequitedifferentthanthey
wereseveraldecadesago.Examples
includeBiologyandMechanical
Engineering.Someresearchareas,
suchasMaterialsScience,didnot
existasdisciplinesuntilquiterecently.
Somedepartments,suchasNeuro-
science,beganasinterdisciplinary
endeavors,andsometimesformation
ofnewdepartmentstakesplacelong
aftertheirfoundingdisciplinesare
recognized,asinthecaseofComputer
Science.Instillothercases,research
centersandinstitutesratherthan
departmentshavebeencreatedto
bringfacultytogethertoworkon
researchproblemsthatcross
disciplinaryboundaries.
Changesindepartmentaland
universitypracticeareoftenbased
onnewresearchchallenges,and
thesechangesarenumerous.
Traditionaldepartmentsarehiring
facultyoutsidetheirowndisciplines
(chemistshiringbiologists,chemical
engineeringunitshiringchemistry
andbiologymajors).Newinter-
disciplinarydepartmentsarenaturally
evolvingfromclusterhiresorcenters.
Traditionaldepartmentsarebeginning
tolookoutward,andtheirfacultyare
moreconnectedacrossdisciplines.
Facultymayhavejointormultiple
appointments.Physicallocationsof
facultyfromtraditionaldepartments
andinterdisciplinaryprogramsmaybe
atvariousplacesoncampus.Faculty
officesmaybeinacentralized
locationbuttheirlaboratoriesmaybe
inotherbuildingswhereequipment
canbesharedacrossdisciplines.
Thesenewstructuresareoften
formedbasedonnewchallenges,
andnotonthecorediscipline,
providingacontextinwhichto
engageandconnectfaculty.
Centralunitscanfacilitateinter-
disciplinaryresearchbythetypeof
facultypositionscreatedandby
providingproximalresearchspaceand
corefacilities.Continuedsuccessful
facultycollaborationrequires
recognitionoftheimportanceof
theseinterdisciplinaryeffortsasthey
arefrequentlyoutsidetheusual
criteriafortenureandpromotion.
Strategicfacultyhiringwithshared
positionsbetweendepartmentscan
bekeytofosteringthedevelopment
ofnewareasofinterdisciplinary
collaboration.Successintheseshared
Evolution is pervasive!
academic Institutions Working Group, Principal Investigators
IGERT Workshop Report22
positionsrequiresclearandtrans-
parentunderstandingsbetween
deans,departmentchairs,andfaculty
aboutpromotionandtenurecriteria.
Whiletheincentivesforinterdisci-
plinarycollaborationaresubstantial,
therearealsosignificantdisincentives
forchangetowardinterdisciplinary
researchandeducation.Amongthe
mostimportantdisincentivesare
structuresandpoliciesthatplace
disciplinaryresearchandtrainingin
conflictwithinterdisciplinaryresearch
andtrainingorthatdonotsupportthe
infrastructurerequiredforinterdisci-
plinarysuccess.Observationsfromthe
workshopregardingstructureand
policychallengesincludethefollowing:
Policiespertainingtofaculty
incentivesandrewardsincluding
tenureandpromotioncriteriaare
oftenimplementedprimarilyby
departments.
Stringentwithin-discipline
accreditingcriteriaatthe
institutioncanlimitshared
facultytimeforinterdisciplinary
teachingandresearch.
Departmentalresponsibilitiesfor
theundergraduatecurriculum
canimpactnotonlyfaculty
participationininterdisciplinary
activities,butalsograduatestudent
participationthroughheavy
requirementsfordepartmental
teachingassistantshipsthatare
importantforstudentsupport.
Thecurrentrankingsystemsbya
varietyofenterprises,including
theNationalResearchCouncil,
havetaxonomiesrootedin
traditionaldisciplines.These
rankingsareusedbothexternally
andinternallytoevaluate
programsanddepartments.
Thoseprogramsthathavemoved
towardinterdisciplinaryeducation
arerankedinappropriatelyornot
rankedatalland,therefore,are
atadisadvantageforapplicants
usingtherankingsystemsas
importantcriteriainevaluating
theirchoiceofwhichinstitutions
toattend,oradministrators
valuingtheprogramswithin
theinstitution.
Researchandadministrative
staffmembersareimpacted
byinterdisciplinaryprograms,
sincetheymustrespondtoa
broaderclientele.Thefinancial
supportfortheseindividualscan
beasharedresponsibilityamong
variouscentralunitsortheycan
betemporarypositionspaid
fromanyinterdisciplinary
funding(e.g.,IGERT).Theformer
modelprovidesthemoststability
butistheleastused.Thesecond,
soft-moneysolutionisthe
morecommonandistheleast
desirableformanyreasons
includinglackofstability,
insufficientfundsforthese
functions,andtemporarystaff
thatlackinstitutionalmemory
orsufficienttrainingingrants
oracademicmanagement
processes.
Therecanbeamajorimpact
ongrantsmanagementbythe
institution,sinceinterdisciplinary
proposalsubmissionandman-
agementaremorecomplex.This
impactcanbeaburdenforsmall
departmentsorpotentially
confusingifthereisnotsufficient
clarityontheprocess.
Inaddition,severalchallengesarise
inmeasuringproductivityand
assigningcreditforinterdisciplinary
endeavorsacrossinstitutionalunits:
Perspectivesconcerningauthor-
shipsdifferamongdisciplines
(e.g.,perceivedmeritofsingle
versusmulti-authorpublications,
authororderinrecognitionof
contribution,etc.),
Theassignmentofcreditfor
collaborativeproducts(proposal
submission,funding,graduate
thesiswork)isdifficult.
FTEdistributionacrossunitsfor
courseswithstudentsenrolled
fromdifferentdisciplines
oftendiffers.
Many pressing problems requiring solution are interdisci-
plinary, so there is a mismatch between current disciplinary
structure and the nature of inquiry.
Graduate Education Working Group, IGERT Principal Investigators
IGERT Workshop Report 23
Theimportanceofinterdisciplinary
collaborationsforthefutureofthe
scientificenterprisehasalsoprompt-
edexaminationinternationally,and
modelsforinterdisciplinaryresearch
andgraduateeducationarebeing
developedthatsucceedinrespecting
existingculturaldifferences.Itis
importanttoexploreinstitutional
arrangementsthatmightbeusefully
adoptedoradapted.TheU.S.model
ofgraduateeducationfocuseson
purelyacademicinstitutionsand
independentresearchinstitutes,most
ofwhicharestructuredmuchlike
academicinstitutions.
Incontrast,manyEuropeanmodels
linkinginterdisciplinaryresearchwith
graduateeducationincludemuch
closercollaborationsbetween
academicinstitutionsandtheprivate
sector.Theprivatesectorcollaboration
canworkverywellforbothbasicand
appliedresearch,dependingonthe
fieldandindustryinvolved.Amajor
limitation,however,istheconflictof
interestbetweenthefacultymember’s
freedomtopublishandtheprivate
sector’sintellectualpropertyposition.
Anothercommonresearchand
educationmodelthatisusedoutside
theU.S.isinterdisciplinaryresearch
andgraduateeducationconcentrated
ingovernmentlaboratories.The
currentlimitationsintheU.S.forthe
governmentlaboratorymodel
comparedtoothercountriesinclude
differentmodelsofprimaryand
secondaryeducationinothercountries,
differentmodelsforthestructureof
thescientificworkforce,different
accreditingstructuresanddiffering
viewsofandrolesofgovernmentlabs.
U.S.accreditingassociationshave
beenreluctanttograntaccreditation
tonon-academicinstitutions,sothe
lattermustpartnerwithanacademic
institutiontobeaccreditedfor
graduateeducation.Theprincipal
tensionistheperceptionthatthe
facultyofoneunitisresponsiblefor
theteachingandtheothergetsthe
benefitofthetrainedstudent.
Someexamplesofinternational
modelsinclude:
TheMaxPlanckInstitutes
(Germany)modelforindustry
andgovernmentparticipation
alonginterdisciplinarythemes.
TheAustralianCommonwealth
ScientificandIndustrialResearch
Organisation(CSIRO)modelin
whichindustry,government,and
academiacollaboratewith
aspectsofathinktankoperation
includingvisitinginternational
scientists,afluidandopen
environment,numerousstudent
opportunities,anunderstanding
ofindustryneeds,andconsul-
tancyareanormalexpectation
forCSIROresearchers.
Theincreasingimportanceof
graduateeducationatinternational
sitesservesasareminderthat
scienceandengineeringareglobal,
andthatU.S.Ph.D.graduateswillbe
incompetitionwithdoctoral
graduatesfromabroad.TheU.S.
mustcontinuetonurturecreativity
anddevelopthoseskillsthatwill
serveitsgraduateswellinthefuture.
Measuring Interdisciplinarity in
Academic Institutions
Generallyspeakingthesame
metricsusedtoevaluatedisci-
plinaryresearchandeducation
(e.g.,publications,funding,
studentoutcomes)canbeusedto
evaluateinterdisciplinary
programs,buttheyneedtobe
evaluatedindependently.
Specificmetricsneedtobe
developedatalllevels—faculty,
student,andinstitutional.
The university, department or school must establish metrics to
reward interdisciplinary activity.
academic Institutions Working Group, administrators
The most important incentives for interdisciplinary research
and education are that they attract and retain high-quality
faculty and students.
academic Institutions Working Group, administrators
IGERT Workshop Report24
Recommendations for supporting Interdisciplinarity in academic Institutions
Institutionsmustbestrategicinplanningforinvest-
mentininterdisciplinaryresearchandeducationbased
ontheirstrengths,sizes,andtypes.
Institutionsshouldmovefromhierarchicalstructuresto
moredynamicandflexiblestructuresinwhichfaculty
havesomefluidityofmovementbetweenoracross
disciplinaryhomes.
Physicalspaceandsharedfacilitiessuchasmicroscopy
unit,analyticallabs,etc.,thatbringpeopletogether
shouldbeprovidedtosupportcollaborativework.
Interdisciplinarygraduateeducationshould,inmost
cases,remainsolidlybasedindisciplinaryprograms
whileallowingforamechanismfornewprogramsto
evolve.
Newfacultypositionsforinterdisciplinaryresearchand
educationrequireclarityofexpectations,andallparties
mustbeincludedinthecontract.
Newelementsofpromotionandtenureguidelines
needtobeaddedtoincluderecognitionandrewardfor
contributionstointerdisciplinaryresearchandeducation.
Supportforinterdisciplinaryresearchandeducation
shouldbeextendedintoundergraduateeducation.
Supportisrequiredforadministrativehelpandother
personnelandmayneedtoincludefundingsources
externaltotheinstitution.
Linksbetweenmajorityandminorityinstitutions
shouldbeforgedinordertotakeadvantageofthe
attractionofinterdisciplinaryresearchtobroaden
participationinscienceandengineering.
Institutionsshouldexploreestablishinginternalgrant-
ingprogramsthatrequireinterdisciplinarycollaboration.
Waysofbetterorganizingtheinstitutionshouldbe
foundtotakeadvantageofnewexternalinterdisciplin-
aryfundingopportunities.
IGERT Workshop Report 25
References
1 CommitteeonScience,Engineer-
ingandPublicPolicy(COSEPUP).
(1995).Reshaping the Graduate
Education of Scientists and
Engineers.Washington,DC:
NationalAcademiesPress.
2 CommitteeonFacilitating
InterdisciplinaryResearch,
CommitteeonScience,Engineer-
ing,andPublicPolicy(COSEPUP).
(2004).Facilitating Interdiscip-
linary Research.Washington,DC:
NationalAcademiesPress.
3 NationalScienceFoundation.
(2006).Evaluation of the Initial
Impacts of the National Science
Foundation’s Integrative Gradu-
ate Education and Research
Traineeship Program(NSF06-17).
Arlington,VA:NationalScience
FoundationPrintingOffice.
4 NationalScienceFoundation.
(2008).Integrative Graduate
Education and Research Trainee-
ship (IGERT): 2006-2007 Annual
Report(NSF08-40).Arlington,VA:
NationalScienceFoundation
PrintingOffice.
5 CommitteeonFacilitating
InterdisciplinaryResearch,
CommitteeonScience,Engineer-
ing,andPublicPolicy(COSEPUP).
Facilitating Interdisciplinary
Research.(2004).Washington,DC:
NationalAcademiesPress.
6 NationalResearchCouncilofthe
NationalAcademiesofScience.
(2003).BIO 2010: Transforming
Undergraduate Education for
Future Research Biologists.
Washington,DC:National
AcademiesPress.
IGERT Workshop Report 27
Photo Credits
FrontCover(lefttoright):
IGERTFellowAmyHenry
andThaiPh.D.student
PanpimThrongsripong
collectingdiseasevectors
inatropicalforestnear
KhaoYaiNationalPark
inThailand.(0549514:
Wilcox,University
ofHawaii)
Credit: Ron Paik,
University of Hawaii
Climatechange
representsoneoftoday’s
mostprominentscientific
challenges,andpolar
bearsareoneofthemany
speciesaffectedby
climatechange.Charles
Kolstad,principal
investigatorofanIGERT
projectbringingtogether
economicsand
environmentalscience
attheUniversityof
CaliforniaatSanta
Barbara(UCSB),gave
graduatestudentNick
Burgeranopportunityto
workwithhimasalead
authorofasectionofthe
fourthreportofthe
IntergovernmentalPanel
onClimateChange(IPCC).
(0114437:Kolstad,
UniversityofCalifornia-
SantaBarbara)
Credit: Susanne Miller, U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service
BLMco-campdirector,
ChristopherNoyles,using
theSUBRGPSequipment
tomeasurethelocationof
aMichiganTechseismic
monitoringsystem
deployedontheBering
Glacier,Alaska.(0333401:
Sutherland,Michigan
TechnologicalUniversity)
Credit: Bob Shuchman,
MTRI
UniversityofWashington
IGERTtraineesandfaculty
workwithSichuan
Universitystudentsand
JiuzhaigouNationalPark
Stafftoestablish
permanentecological
plotsinformerTibetan
pasturesandfarmland.
(0333408:Hinckley,
UniversityofWashington)
Credit: Julie Combs
BootCamp2007IGERT
traineeSilviaCermelli-
Ferrantepreparessamples
inIGERTfacultymember
Dr.EdwardNelson’slab.
IGERTstudentswere
introducedtoflow
cytometry,whichis
atechnologythat
simultaneouslymeasures
andthenanalyzesmultiple
physicalcharacteristicsof
singleparticles,usually
cells,astheyflowina
fluidstreamthrough
abeamoflight.(0549479:
Li,Universityof
California-Irvine)
Credit: Rachel Mangold
Page3:Membersofthe
departmentofbiological
sciencesattheUniversity
ofAlabama,areshownat
theSipseyRiverfloodplain
inwest-centralAlabama,
afieldsiteusedfor
researchbyIGERT
trainees.(9972810:Ward,
UniversityofAlabama-
Tuscaloosa)
Credit: Dr. Amelia K.
Ward, Center for
Freshwater Studies,
University of Alabama
Page4:Avoidingthe
tropicalheat,Hawaii
IGERTstudentssort
collectedmosquito
sampleslateatnightnear
KhaoYaiNationalParkin
Thailand.(0549514:
Wilcox,Universityof
Hawaii)
Credit: Ron Paik,
University of Hawaii
Page8:Anorthern
saw-whetowl(Aegolius
acadicus)inthePacific
NorthwestForest,partof
aresearchstudyinthe
PacificNorthwestForest
byJohnMarzluff,College
ofForestResources,
UniversityofWashington.
(0114351:Bradley,
UniversityofWashington)
Credit: John Marzluff,
College of Forest Resources,
University of Washington
Page9:ALandsat
ThematicMappersatellite
imagefrom2002showing
landcoverforcentral
PugetSoundinWashington
State.Thesetypesofmaps
areusedbyIGERTPIs
andtraineestobetter
understandthewaysin
whichhumansinteract
withtheirenvironment.
(0114351:Bradley,
UniversityofWashington)
Credit: Jeffrey Hepinstall,
Urban Ecology Research
Laboratory, Department
of Urban Design and
Planning, University of
Washington
Page10:Thispicturewas
takenin2007,oneyear
afterthe2006Tripod
ComplexFireinnorthern
WashingtonState.The
wildfireswereinitiatedby
twolightningstrikesand
spreadover175,000acres
ofmixedconiferforestin
theOkanoganNational
Forest.TheTripod
Complexwasoneofthe
largestwildfiresin
Washingtoninthepast
half-century,costingmore
than$82millionin
resourcestofight.
(0333408:Hinckley,
UniversityofWashington)
Credit: Joanne Ho, College
of Forest Resources,
University of Washington
Page13:AnO’ahuEarly
DetectionProjectintern,
JoshuaAtwood,and
internshiphostDanielle
Frohlichuseakeyto
identifyanon-native
palmspeciesduringa
botanicalsurveyin
Waipahu,O’ahu.
(0504103:August,
UniversityofRhode
Island)
Credit: Joshua Atwood,
University of Rhode Island
Page14:AMEIGERT
personnelworkwitha
strokesurvivorusingthe
mediatedrehabilitation
systemdevelopedbythe
program.(0504647:
Rikakis,ArizonaState
University)
Credit: Hari Sundaram,
Arizona State University
Page15:AnO’ahuEarly
DetectionProjectintern,
JoshuaAtwood,assists
botanistsfromtheO’ahu
InvasiveSpecies
Committeeinremoving
theinvasiveplantMiconia
calvescensfromManoa
Valleyontheislandof
O’ahu.(0504103:August,
UniversityofRhode
Island)
Credit: Joshua Atwood,
University of Rhode Island
Page16:BrianSchulkin,
anIGERTtraineeand
doctoralstudentin
physicsatRensselaer
PolytechnicInstitutehas
inventedanultralight,
handheldterahertz
spectrometercalledthe
Mini-Z.(0333314:Wang,
RensselaerPolytechnic
Institute)
Credit: Rensselaer/
Kris Qua
Page17:TTUWindfluvana:
Studentsandinstructors
visitingwindfarmnear
Lubbock,Texas.(0221688:
Mehta,TexasTech
University)
Credit: Courtesy of Wind
Science and Engineering
Research Center, Texas
Tech University - Kishor C.
Mehta
Page18:Shubha
Chakravartyconducting
fieldworkinKenya.
(0333418:Stiglitz,
Affiliation)
Credit: Shubha Chakravarty
Page21(bottom):This
pictureoverlookspartsof
theOkanoganNational
Forestthatwerenot
consumedbythe2006
TripodComplexwildfire.
Thebrown-coloredtrees
signalthattheareahas
beenattackedbythebark
beetle.Dead,standing
trees(brown)intermixed
withlivetreesincrease
thechancesoffire
occurring,andreducesthe
chanceofsurvivalofthe
neighboringlive,green
trees.Thisisbecause
standingdeadtreesactas
dryfuelsinthecanopy.
Theyallowfirenotonlyto
burnontheground,but
alsoinducecrownfirein
thecanopy.(0333408:
Hinckley,Universityof
Washington)
Credit: Joanne Ho, College
of Forest Resources,
University of Washington
Page21(top):Susannah
Gordon-Messer
demonstrateshowto
makeslimeduringa
programattheDiscovery
MuseumsinActon,MA.
(0549390:Marder,
BrandeisUniversity)
Credit:Vicki Green, The
Discovery Museums
IGERT Workshop Report28
Page22:Referencestand
10oftheH.J.Andrews
Long-termEcological
Research(LTER)site
provideslong-term
monitoringofforest
conditions,allowing
researcherstoreconstruct
pastdisturbancesand
understandhowthese
pasteventshaveshaped
thecharacteroftoday’s
forest.(0333257:Jones,
OregonStateUniversity)
Credit: Al Levno,
USDA Forest Service,
Pacific Northwest
Research Station
BackCover(lefttoright):
BootCamp2007IGERT
studentsaretrained
insidetheIntegrated
NanosystemsResearch
Facilityonmicrofabrica-
tiontechniques.Richard
Chang(center)back-
groundIGERTtrainee
MarkMerlo.(0549479:
Li,Universityof
California–Irvine)
Credit: Rachel Mangold
Electrodearraysmaller
thanapenny.(0549352:
Touretzky,Carnegie
MellonUniversity)
Credit: Ryan Kely,
Matthew Smith, and Tai
Sing Lee, Center for the
Neural Basis of Cognition,
Carnegie Mellon University
IGERTTraineeScotWaye
presenteda30-minute
discussionofcommon
indoorairpollutantsand
theirsourcestokickoffa
trainee-organizedpublic
workshoponindoorair
quality.(Corsi:University
ofTexasAustin)
Credit: Ralph Barrera,
Austin-American
Statesman
Appendix 1List of Workshop Participants Organized by Working Groups
IGERT Principal Investigators
Dr. John Flach
Professor / Chair of Psychology
Wright State University
Dr. Melissa Hines
Professor, Director, Cornell Center
for Materials Research
Cornell University
Dr. Hutchison Keith
Professor of Biochemistry, Micro -
biology and Molecular Biology
UniversityofMaine
Dr. Timothy A. Kohler
Regents Professor of Anthropology
Washington State University
Dr. Kenneth A. Oye
Associate Professor of Political
Science and Engineering Systems
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Dr. Anu Ramaswami
Professor of Civil Engineering
University of Colorado Denver
Dr. John W. Sutherland
Henes Chair Professor
of Mechanical Engineering
Michigan Technological University
Dr. Branka Valcic
(for Dr. Gary Kofinas)
Assistant Professor of Economics
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Dr. Ouri Wolfson
Professor of Computer Science
University of Illinois Chicago
Dr. Neal W. Woodbury
Professor of Chemistry
and Biochemistry
Arizona State University
Administrators
Dr. John A. Bantle II
Vice President for Research
and Graduate Studies
Wright State University
Dr. Joe Benson
Interim Vice President for Research
University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
Dr. John Brighton
Vice President for Research
and Economic Development
Iowa State University
Dr. James A. Calvin
Interim Vice President for Research
Texas A&M University
Dr. Larry H. Danziger
Interim Vice Chancellor for Research
University of Illinois Chicago
Dr. Sandra Degen
Vice President for Research
University of Cincinnati
Dr. Arthur Ellis
Vice Chancellor for Research
University of California San Diego
Dr. Pierre Hohenberg
Senior Vice Provost for Research
New York University
Dr. Jorge V. José
Vice President for Research
University at Buffalo, The State
University of New York
REsEaRch WoRkInG GRoUP
IGERT Workshop Report 29
IGERT Workshop Report30
Dr. Richard W. Linton
Vice President for Research
and Graduate Studies
University of Oregon Eugene
Dr. Thomas N. Parks
Vice President for Research
University of Utah
Dr. Sandra Schneider
Associate Vice President for Research
University of South Florida
Dr. James Siedow
Vice Provost for Research
Duke University
Dr. M.J. Soileau
Vice President for Research
and Commercialization
University of Central Florida
Dr. Michael Witherell
Vice Chancellor for Research
University of California
Santa Barbara
IGERT Principal Investigators
Dr. Peter V. August
Director, Coastal Institute
University of Rhode Island
Dr. Lee Fitzgerald
Associate Professor of Wildlife
and Fisheries Sciences
Texas A&M University
Dr. Thomas M. Hinckley
Professor of Forest Resources
University of Washington
Dr. David C. Johnson
Professor of Chemistry
University of Oregon Eugene
Dr. John Little
(for Dr. Michael Hochella)
Professor of Civil
and Environmental Engineering
Virginia Polytechnic Institute
and State University
Dr. Bangalore S. Manjunath
Professor of Electrical
and Computer Engineering
University of California Santa Barbara
Dr. Prabhas V. Moghe
Professor of Biomedical Engineering;
Chemical and Biochemical
Engineering
Rutgers University
Dr. David D Myrold
Professor of Crop and Soil Science
Oregon State University
Dr. Alan Rabideau
Professor of Civil, Structural and
Environmental Engineering
University at Buffalo,
The State University of New York
Dr. Susan Roberts
Associate Professor of Chemical
Engineering
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Dr. Sara Wadia-Fascetti
Associate Professor of Civil
and Environmental Engineering
Northeastern University
Dr. Amelia K. Ward
Professor of Biological Sciences
University of Alabama Tuscaloosa
Administrators
Dr. John Cunningham
Deputy Provost and Dean
of Undergraduate Education
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Dr. Patrick V. Farrell
Provost
University of Wisconsin – Madison
Dr. Brad Fenwick
Vice Chancellor for Research
and Engagement
University of Tennessee Knoxville
Dr. Steve Fluharty
Vice Provost for Research
University of Pennsylvania
Dr. Michael R. Gottfredson
Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost
University of California Irvine
Dr. Jim Hageman
Associate Vice Chancellor for Research
University of Colorado Denver
Dr. John Huchra
Senior Advisor to the Provost
for Research Policy
Harvard University
FacUlTY WoRkInG GRoUP
IGERT Workshop Report 31
Dr. Mark S. Kamlet
Provost and Senior Vice President
Carnegie Mellon University
Dr. Charles Louis
Vice Chancellor for Research
University of California Riverside
Dr. Michele Marcolongo
Associate Vice Provost
Drexel University
Dr. Stephen McKnight
Vice Provost for Research
Northeastern University
Dr. Mark G. McNamee
Senior Vice President and Provost
Virginia Polytechnic Institute
and State University
Dr. Buck Sharpton
Vice Chancellor for Research
University of Alaska Fairbanks
GRadUaTE EdUcaTIon WoRkInG GRoUP
IGERT Principal Investigators
Dr. Nilsa Bosque-Perez
Professor of Plant, Soil
and Entomological Sciences
University of Idaho
Dr. Mary Anne Carroll
Professor of Atmospheric Oceanic
and Space Sciences; Chemistry;
Geological Sciences
University of Michigan
Dr. Alexander N. Cartwright
Professor of Electrical Engineering
University at Buffalo,
The State University of New York
Dr. Fred C. Dyer
Professor of Zoology
Michigan State University
Dr. Robin Garrell
Professor of Chemistry
and Biochemistry
University of California Los Angeles
Dr. Shaik Jeelani
Vice President for Research
and Sponsored Programs /
Director of the Center for
Advanced Materials
Tuskegee University
Dr. Karen McDonald
Professor and Associate Dean
of Chemical Engineering
and Materials Science
University of California Davis
Dr. Ray Newman
Professor of Fisheries, Wildlife,
and Conservation Biology
University of Minnesota Twin Cities
Dr. Paul S. Russo
Professor of Chemistry
Louisiana State University
and A&M College
Dr. Joe B. Whitehead
Professor of Physics and Astronomy
University of Southern Mississippi
Administrators
Dr. Maria Allison
University Vice Provost and Dean
of the Graduate College
Arizona State University
Dr. Jonathan Bagger
Vice Provost for Graduate
and Postdoctoral Programs
Johns Hopkins University
Dr. Sally Francis
Dean of the Graduate School
Oregon State University
Dr. Henry Frierson
Associate Vice President and Dean
University of Florida
Dr. Karen Gleason
Associate Dean of Engineering
for Research
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Dr. Jon Harbor
Associate Vice President for Research
Purdue University
Dr. Mary Lidstrom
Vice Provost for Research
University of Washington
Dr. Patrick S. Osmer
Vice Provost for Graduate Studies
and Dean of the Graduate School
The Ohio State University
Dr. Roberto Peccei
Vice Chancellor for Research
University of California Los Angeles
IGERT Workshop Report32
Dr. Daniel H. Sandweiss
Dean and Associate Provost
for Graduate Studies
University of Maine
Dr. Brian B. Schwartz
Vice President for Research
and Sponsored Programs
The Graduate Center of the
City University of New York
Dr. Carol Sigelman
Associate Vice President for Graduate
Studies and Academic Affairs
George Washington University
Dr. Stein Sture
Vice Chancellor for Research
and Dean of the Graduate School
University of Colorado Boulder
Dr. Andrew Szeri
Dean of the Graduate Division
University of California Berkeley
acadEmIc InsTITUTIons WoRkInG GRoUP
IGERT Principal Investigators
Dr. Christopher Atkeson
Professor of Robotics Institute
and Human-Computer
Interaction Institute
Carnegie Mellon University
Dr. Shekhar Bhansali
Associate Professor
of Electrical Engineering
University of South Florida
Dr. Alexander Couzis
(for Dr. Morton Denn)
Professor of Chemical Engineering
City University of New York
City College
Dr. Abhaya Datye
Distinguished Professor of Chemical
and Nuclear Engineering
University of New Mexico
Dr. Susan E. Duncan
Professor of Food Science
and Technology
Virginia Polytechnic Institute
and State University
Dr. Jeffrey L. Feder
Professor of Biological Sciences
University of Notre Dame
Dr. William Inskeep
Professor of Land Resources
and Environmental Sciences
Montana State University
Dr. Kishor C. Mehta
Horn Professor of Civil Engineering
Texas Tech University
Dr. Claudia M. Neuhauser
Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs /
HHMI and Distinguished McKnight
University Professor
University of Minnesota Rochester
Dr. Jonathon A. Patz
Professor of Environmental Studies
and Population Health
University of Wisconsin – Madison
Dr. Thanassis Rikakis
Professor of Arts, Media
and Engineering Program
Arizona State University
Dr. Mary E. Watwood
Professor / Chair of Biological Sciences
Northern Arizona University
Administrators
Dr. Robert J. Bernhard
Vice President for Research
University of Notre Dame
Dr. Royce C. Engstrom
Provost and Vice President
for Academic Affairs
The University of Montana
Dr. Joseph Fedock
Senior Vice Provost
Montana State University
Dr. Bernadette Gray-Little
Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost
University of North Carolina
Chapel Hill
Dr. Karlene Hoo
Associate Vice President for Research
Texas Tech University
Dr. Barbara Horwitz
Interim Provost & Executive
Vice Chancellor
University of California Davis
Dr. Laura Huenneke
Vice President for Research
Northern Arizona University
IGERT Workshop Report 33
Dr. George Klinzing
Vice Provost for Research
University of Pittsburgh
Dr. Bruce E. Koel
Interim Vice Provost for Research
Lehigh University
Dr. Lesley Lovett-Doust
Provost and Vice President
for Academic Affairs
Michigan Technological University
Dr. Eva J. Pell
Senior Vice President for Research /
Dean of the Graduate School
Pennsylvania State University
Dr. Maria Pellegrini
Vice President for Research
Brandeis University
Dr. John Russell
Associate Dean
for Graduate Education
Washington University School
of Medicine
Dr. Wolf W. von Maltzahn
Acting Vice President for Research
Rensselaer Polytech Institute
Dr. Luther S. Williams
Provost and Vice President
for Academic Affairs
Tuskegee University
IGERT Workshop Report 35
Appendix 2Workshop Agenda
DAY 1: TuESDAY MAY 20, 2008
1:30pm–2:30pm SessionI:Welcome
Speakers Dr. Kathie L. Olsen
Deputy Director,NationalScienceFoundation
Dr. Wanda E. Ward
Acting Deputy Assistant Director,EducationandHumanResourcesDirectorate
Ms. Carol F. Stoel
Acting Division Director,DivisionofGraduateEducation
Dr. Carol Van Hartesveldt
Program Director,IGERT
2:30pm–2:45pm MeetingOverviewandAnticipatedOutcome(s)
SummaryreportontheInstitutionalImpactsofInterdisciplinaryResearchandGraduateEducation
andtheroleofIGERT.Reporttoincludewhathasbeenaccomplishedtodate;whatstillneedstobe
done;howwillitgetaccomplishedandthemetricsrequiredformonitoringprogressandout-
comes.Topicstobediscussedareembodiedinthebreakoutgroups.
Dr. Judith Giordan
Program Director,IGERT
2:45pm–3:00pm BREAKandrepositioning
IGERT Workshop Report36
3:00pm–5:00pm SessionII:ConcurrentWorkingBreakoutSession
Determiningtheprogressandimpactsmadetodate;whatworksanddoesn’t;opportunities,
challengesandoptionsgoingforwardandmetricsforsuccessofinterdisciplinaryresearchand
graduateeducationon:
SessionIIaandb:Faculty
SessionIIcandd:GraduateStudents
SessionIIeandf:Research
SessionIIgandh:Institutions
Work Introductionsofparticipants
Definitionofworkplan,timing,rolesandresponsibilities
Kick-offofworkpertemplatesprovided
5:00pm–6:00pm SessionIII:Cross-GroupInteraction(includesbreak)
Work Cross-groupcomparisonanddiscussion–Faculty/Adminonsametopics
Cross-groupdiscussionandcomparison–Faculty/Adminondifferenttopics
6:30pm–9:30pm SessionIV:WorkingDinnerwithSpeaker
Host Dr. Cora Marrett
Assistant Director,DirectorateforEducationandHumanResources
Speaker The Honorable Vernon J. Ehlers
Ranking Member
SubcommitteeonResearchandScience
CommitteeonScienceandTechnology
HouseofRepresentatives
WorkinggroupstobeseatedtogetherfordinnertocontinueworkfromSessionIIandincorporate
speakercommentsintotheirthinking.
Work Incorporateremarksofspeakerintothoughtprocessforgroup
Addresstemplatequestionsandissuespergroup
Defineworkplanfornextday
IGERT Workshop Report 37
DAY 2: WEDNESDAY MAY 21, 2008
8:00am–8:15am SessionV:WelcomeandAgendaOverview
CarolVanHartesveldt/JudithGiordan
8:30am–1:00pm SessionII(continued):ConcurrentWorkingBreakoutSession
includeslightrefreshmentsduringthemorningat9:30andaworkinglunch(box)
(Pickuplunchandreturntoworkingsessions)
SessionIIaandb:Faculty
SessionIIcandd:GraduateStudents
SessionIIeandf:Research
SessionIIgandh:Institutions
Work Addresstemplatequestionsandissues
Determinewaysforgainingadditionalinput
9:30am–9:45am Break
1:00pm–2:00pm SessionII(continued):ConcurrentWorkingBreakoutSession
SessionIIaandb:Faculty
SessionIIcandd:GraduateStudents
SessionIIeandf:Research
SessionIIgandh:Institutions
Work Beginsummaryofworkaccomplished
Definenextstepswhenbackatinstitutionsforfinalizinginputsummary
toNSFinaccordancewithtimelines
Determinerolesandresponsibilitiesforfollow-upandnextsteps
DevelopreportoutforSessionVI(tofollowimmediately)
2:00pm–2:15pm Break
2:15pm–3:30pm SessionVI:NextStepsfromSessionII(BreakoutSessionChairs)
Wrap-up CarolVanHartesveldt
IGERT Workshop Report 39
Appendix 3Question Templates for Working Groups
Research
PleaseExplicitlyAddress
Whatarethebarriers,ifany,totransformativeinterdis-
ciplinaryscientificadvancementsandwhatshouldbe
donetoeliminatethesebarriers?
Howshould/couldtraditionaldisciplinesrespondto
newlyemerginginterdisciplinaryresearchareas?
Whatrole,ifany,hasinterdisciplinaryresearchplayed
inaidingadvancementswithinsingledisciplines?
Whichinterestgroups(bothinternalandexternalto
theuniversity)aremostimpactedbytransformational
interdisciplinaryresearchadvancements,andhowcan
thisimpactbeassessed?
Howcaninterdisciplinaryresearchplayaroleinbridg-
ingbetweenresearchersatminorityservinginstitu-
tions(MSIs)andnon-MSIinstitutions?
Howhavethefederalfundingagenciesrespondedto
newinterdisciplinaryscience?Dothecurrentfunding
mechanismsworkatthevariousagenciestowhich
youapply?Dosomehandlefundingoftransformative
interdisciplinaryresearchbetterthanothers?Whatare
someofthemodelsthatshouldbefollowedandwhy?
moving Into Future
PleaseExplicitlyAddress
Whatwillbetheroleofinterdisciplinaryscientific,
technology,engineeringandmathematics(STEM)
research,anditsimpactonsociety,intothefuture?
Howshouldthevalueofsuchtransformativeinter-
disciplinaryresearch,anditsimpactonsociety,be
measuredorassessedtodayandintothefuture?
Whatfactorswillinfluencetheemergence/growth
ofinterdisciplinarySTEMresearchintothefuture?
For Your consideration
PleaseExplicitlyAddress
Inyourcollectiveview,whatisthepotentialeconomic
valueofinterdisciplinarydiscoveries,andwhatcriteria
areyouusingtodevelopthisview?
Shouldthepotentialeconomicvalueofinterdisciplinary
discoveriesplayarole,ifatall,inshiftingresearch
towardsinterdisciplinarythemes?
IGERT Workshop Report40
Faculty
PleaseExplicitlyAddress
Howhaveorshouldhiringpracticesforfacultychange
asaconsequenceoftheevolutionofresearchparadigms
towardquestionsofgreatercomplexityandbroader
scope(e.g.,interdisciplinaryormulti-disciplinary;cross
department;crosscollege;crossinstitution;other)?
Whatdofacultyviewasthevalueofinterdisciplinary
researchandcollaborationstotheircareersandwhy?
Whatdofacultyviewasthechallengesofinter-
disciplinaryresearchandcollaborationstotheircareers
andwhy?
Whataretheincentivesordisincentivesforfaculty
toadoptinterdisciplinaryperspectives:
> Ingraduateeducation?
> Intheirownresearch?
Whatmeasurescouldbe/shouldbeusedtodetermine
thelevelofvalueorsuccessforfacultyadopting/
participatingininterdisciplinary:
> Researchefforts?
> Graduateeducation?
moving Into Future
PleaseExplicitlyAddress
Whatmechanismsdoyoubelieveshouldbedeveloped
orimplemented–andbywhom–tosupportfaculty
adoptionofinterdisciplinaryperspectivesin:
> Theirownresearchnowandintothefuture?
> Graduateeducationnowandintothefuture?
For Your consideration
PleaseExplicitlyAddress
Arethereuniversitiesthathaveaddressedoverarching
facultyquestionssuccessfully?Ifso,howhavethey
beenaddressed?Willthesequestionschangeintothe
futureorremainthesame?Willthesemethodsof
addressingoverarchingfacultyquestionsremain
thesameintothefutureorwillthesemethodsneed
tochange?
Whatwillbetheimpact,ifany,onthefacultypipeline
forthefutureascurrentfacultyretireandnewpotential
facultyhaveacombinationoftraditionalaswellas
interdisciplinarytraining?
Havefacultyhireswhohavehadinterdisciplinary
trainingbeensuccessfulinyouruniversitysetting?
Pleasediscusstherelativeeaseorchallengeforinter-
disciplinaryinteractionsamongfacultyasafunctionof
thedisciplinesinvolved.
IGERT Workshop Report 41
Graduate students
PleaseExplicitlyAddress
Whatdoyouseeastheimpactthatinterdisciplinary
research/science/engineeringhashadandwillhave
ongraduateeducation?
Whatmechanismshasyourinstitutionadoptedto
alloworpromotestudentflexibilityintheirgraduate
educationorresearch?
Howareyourgraduatestudentspreparedtodothe
interdisciplinaryresearchofthefuture?
Howcanwebroadentheparticipationbyunderrepre-
sentedgroupsinscience,technology,engineering,and
mathematics(STEM)graduateeducation?Whatrole,if
any,can/doesinterdisciplinarySTEMgraduatetraining
playinachievingthisgoal?
Howdoesonedefine“transformativegraduate
training”?Whatelementsmustbeinvolvedforitto
besuccessful?Whatwouldbetheobjectivemeasures
forsuccessforsuchtraining?
Howhasinterdisciplinarytrainingimpactedtheability/
easeofgraduatestudentstoget:
> TheirPhDdegrees?
> Apositionafterattainingtheirdegree?
Whatmeasuresormethodsofevaluationandassessment
couldbe/shouldbeusedtodeterminetheimpactof
andvaluefrominterdisciplinarygraduateeducation:
> Forgraduatestudents?
> Onthecareersofgraduates?
moving Into Future
PleaseExplicitlyAddress
Howisinterdisciplinarytrainingimportantforthe
careersofthefuture?
Whatshouldthescience,technology,engineering,
andmathematics(STEM)graduatetrainingforthe21st
centuryencompass?
Whatmechanismsneedtobedeveloped,changedor
added,ifany,tograduateSTEMtrainingforthe21st
centuryascomparedwithcurrenttraining?
Whatisthevalueof/whatroleshouldtraineeship
programsplayfor21stcenturyglobalscienceand
theeconomy?
For Your consideration
PleaseExplicitlyAddress
Howshouldinstitutionpoliciesforacceptanceof
graduatestudentschangeintothefuture?
> Isthereamandateforchange?
> Shouldthenumbersofstudentsbeingaccepted
increase,decrease,staythesame?Pleaseshare
thereasonsforyourresponses.
Whatrole,ifany,shouldcareerandjobopportunities
forgraduatesplayinaffectingacceptancepoliciesfor
graduatestudents?
Whatisthevalue/relativeimportanceofattracting
U.S.citizens/permanentresidentsintograduate
traininginSTEMfields?
AspertainstograduateSTEMtraining,pleasediscuss
therelativeeaseorchallengeforinterdisciplinary
interactionsasafunctionofdisciplines.
IGERT Workshop Report42
Institutions
PleaseExplicitlyAddress
Fromyouroverallperspective,ininstitutions,whatis
themagnitudeandscopeof:
> Interdisciplinaryresearch?
> Interdisciplinarygraduateeducation?
Atyourinstitution,howdoyoumeasuremagnitude
andscopeandassessthevalueof:
> Interdisciplinaryresearch?
> Interdisciplinarygraduateeducation?
Havechangestakenplacewithinorbetweenstructures
representingthetraditionaldisciplinesduetoemerging
interdisciplinaryinteractions,andifso,how?
Whataretheincentivesordisincentivesforchange
duetointerdisciplinaryresearchandeducationand
whatmechanismsdoyoubelieveshouldbedeveloped
orimplementedbyinstitutionstomaximizethese
opportunities?
Whichpersonnelgroupsareimpactedbyinstitutional
changesduetointerdisciplinaryadvancements,and
howcanthisimpactbeassessed(e.g.,groupsother
thanfacultyandstudents)?
Whatistherole,ifany,ofinterdisciplinarytraineeship
programsincatalyzinginstitutionalchange?
moving Into Future
PleaseExplicitlyAddress
Howshould/willinterdisciplinaryresearch/science/
engineeringaffecthowyourinstitutiondoesbusiness
inthefuture?
Whatshould/willyourresponsebetotheways
interdisciplinaryresearch/science/engineeringwill
affecthowyourinstitutiondoesbusinessinthefuture
foryourinstitution?Foryourfaculty?Foryour
graduatestudents?
For Your consideration
PleaseExplicitlyAddress
Whatrole,ifany,docenters/researchinstitutesand
othersuchsupra-departmentalstructuresplayin
supportinginterdisciplinaryresearchandeducation?
Howdoesthesizeortypeofinstitution,ifinanyway,
impacttheinstitution’sabilitytoembraceanduseto
greatestbenefit:
> Interdisciplinaryresearch?
> Interdisciplinarygraduateeducation?
Aretheremodelsforinterdisciplinaryresearchand/or
graduateeducationthathavebeendevelopedinter-
nationallyandcould/shouldbeappliedintheU.S.?
IGERT Workshop Report 43
Appendix 4Overview of Work Process
NSFdevelopsDRAFTquestionsforeachtopicasbasisfordiscussion
Topicgroups(8breakoutgroups)meetatWorkshoptodiscussDRAFTquestions
andothersoftheirselection
NSFsharesDRAFTquestionsforeachtopicpriortomeeting
Topicgroups(8breakoutgroups)workupinformationandsendbacktoNSF
afterWorkshopforSummary
Topicgroups(8breakoutgroups)shareinitialinformationatreportsession
NSFsummarizesinformationandshareswithWorkshopparticipants
forcomment
NSFincorporatescommentsfromWorkshopparticipants,developsreport
andpublishes
nsf 09-33