Effective Interdisciplinary Collaborations and Careers

Workshop on “Effective Interdisciplinary Collaborations & Careers” 

Register: Effective Interdisciplinary Collaborations & Careers (uni-graz.at)

Today’s global societal challenges require interdisciplinary research and collaboration. Interdisciplinary collaborations can take different forms and come with unique sets of challenges that demand a high level of reflection regarding your motivation and vision, team building and communication, project development and research profile. This workshop will provide an overview of the contexts of and for interdisciplinary research to facilitate a reflection on the benefits of interdisciplinary collaborations and careers. In peer and group conversations, we will identify key challenges for interdisciplinary collaborations and barriers to interdisciplinary careers. Drawing on scholarship on interdisciplinarity and interdisciplinary career histories, we will then establish strategies for navigating those challenges and barriers. The workshop incorporates reflection and conversation so that you can bring deeper awareness to your interdisciplinary research practice, communicate effectively within and beyond your interdisciplinary projects, and articulate your knowledge and skills to future employers.

The workshop will be split into two parts:

Part I will focus on ‘Interdisciplinary Collaborations’

• understanding what we mean by interdisciplinarity;
• identifying the key attributes and behaviours of an effective interdisciplinary collaborator;
• challenges to interdisciplinary collaborations;
• practical tips for approaching interdisciplinary collaborations.

Part II will focus on ‘Interdisciplinary Careers’

• understanding ways of building an interdisciplinary research profile in line with career ambitions;
• addressing opportunities for interdisciplinary careers;
• highlighting the transferable skills acquired through interdisciplinary research and its application in academic and non-academic career paths.

Facilitator: Dr Anna Pilz is an Academic Developer and Trainer at the Institute for Academic Development (IAD) at the University of Edinburgh, where she supports researchers of all career stages in developing their research and funding profiles, project development, and research leadership. With a background in interdisciplinary research, Anna’s interest in research support in this area is based on over 15 years’ experience as a doctoral and postdoctoral researcher working across disciplines and with researchers from SHAPE and STEM disciplines at internationally leading research centres in Germany, Ireland, and the UK. Since joining the IAD in 2022, she has designed over 30 workshops for the core programme provision. Anna leads the IAD’s ResearcherRealities initiative that included a panel conversation on ‘Interdisciplinary Collaborations’ as part of the inaugural event, and developed the Open Educational Resource A Comprehensive Guide to Fellowship Applications.