Interdisciplinary research is highly valued for its ability to address complex or “wicked” problems faced by organizations and society. However, despite its potential, such research is not always widely practiced due to the challenges and risks it poses in areas such as publication, promotion, and funding applications. Last week, in a doctoral orientation course for our PhD students, we reviewed an insightful paper titled “Forging Paths to Interdisciplinary Research for Early Career Academics.” The authors offer valuable recommendations for both researchers and institutions on how to actively foster and support interdisciplinary studies. It’s definitely worth a read. https://lnkd.in/dkS2hNEu "we suggest that, if scholars are not conducting interdisciplinary research early in their careers, they are not as likely to do so later, especially after they have become entrenched in a particular field. Furthermore, scholarly productivity declines after tenure, thus reducing the likelihood of interdisciplinary output produced during the post-tenure period." #ResearchFunding #Promotion #AcademicCareer #Publication #InterdisciplinaryResearch #Researchers

Trinity Western University: Pioneering innovation through global partnerships and cutting-edge research. To find out more, The Innovation Platform spoke with Philip G Laird, Vice President of Innovation, Global & Academic Partnerships and Vice Provost of GLOBAL at Trinity Western University. https://lnkd.in/eQ9farCf #canada #education #innovation #research #science #globalscience

The Dutch Research Council (NWO (Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek) has awarded Professor Julia Wittmayer, of the Erasmus School of Philosophy (ESPhil) and the Dutch Research Institute for Transitions, a Vidi grant. With this support, she will investigate how the academic system itself is changing – and must change – to better contribute to addressing urgent societal challenges such as climate change, inequality, and polarisation. Her research project, “Academia in Transition,” explores the ethical, epistemological, and institutional conditions for a university that acts responsibly within society. As Professor Wittmayer states: “With the NWO Vidi grant and the recognition it represents for my research avenue, I feel encouraged to combine a critical perspective with the social entrepreneurship and pragmatism of transition makers – and to bring that spirit into the university itself.” This project is part of Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam broader ambition to link reflection with action, in line with Strategy 2030. https://lnkd.in/ePFUMVF4

LSE and Georgetown University have announced the first recipients of the LSE–Georgetown University Research Seed Fund. Following a competitive review process, five projects have been selected for funding, each receiving up to £20,000 ($25,800). 🗣️ Welcoming the announcement, LSE's Professor Susana Mourato said "These successful projects will give us fascinating insights into vital areas of research and hopefully deliver lasting impacts. "Cooperation and collaboration, particularly on an international scale, are critical for us to face up to the numerous challenges in the world today.”

[Research Reflection] As a mentor of young researchers, one of the key topics that consistently arises in our discussions is: “What can we actually control in our work?” My answer is always the same: “We don’t control whether a paper is accepted or not, or whether we win an academic position. The only thing we truly control is the quality of the work we produce — and that is non-negotiable.” Of course, this answer can be difficult for younger researchers to accept at first. But over time, it becomes our guiding principle as a research group. How do we measure quality? My favorite metric is recognition by the community. Last week, we had a few inspiring examples of that: ·  My Master’s student Miguel Mota Cruz was awarded a Fulbright Portugal Scholarship with the support of FLAD - Fundação Luso-Americana para o Desenvolvimento ·  My PhD student Arthur Dantas Mangussi won third place in the Best Master Thesis Award by Sobrapo - Sociedade Brasileira de Pesquisa Operacional ·  My former PhD student Miriam Seoane Santos received the Recognising Excellence in Emerging Talent — the Cor Baayen Award from the European Research Consortium for Informatics and Mathematics (ERCIM). It seems that our focus on quality is paying off. 😊

Al-Mustaqbal University: Top 10 Global Research Collaborations (Based on Clarivate Data) Scientific research thrives through international collaboration. Working with global partners enables the exchange of ideas, access to broader resources and funding, and the benefit of diverse expertise and experiences. For this reason, Al-Mustaqbal University has established strong international research networks, reflecting its commitment to advancing knowledge and strengthening its global scientific presence. In addition, several cooperation agreements have recently been signed with universities from different countries to further enhance joint research and academic exchange.

If science is a human right, why are so many people still excluded from shaping it? This week, I was speaking at the United Nations Open Science & Open Scholarship Conference at the United Nations University in Tokyo: https://lnkd.in/gBB4uvUp In my talk — “Trust in Science as a Human Right – through Science Communication” — I argued that science communication must evolve. If trust in science is to be sustained globally, communication cannot be limited to explanation. It must become a pathway to inclusion and accountability by enabling: >Transparency – opening science-in-the-making, not just presenting final results >Participation – involving communities early as partners and decision-makers in science >Justice – making open science genuinely equitable, accessible, and multilingual Because trust is not a messaging problem. It is not restored by more facts alone. Trust is built when people feel respected within science — when they are seen, heard, and invited to contribute. People do not reject science because they lack understanding. They step away when they feel excluded from it. What do you think needs to change first: the way we communicate science, or the way we share power in science? #OpenScience #ScienceCommunication #UN #RightToScience #TrustInScience #Participation #KnowledgeEquity #PublicEngagement #DecolonisingScience

New Mexico State University’s research impact is growing: 50 faculty have been named among the top 2% of scientists worldwide, according to Stanford/Elsevier metrics. Read the full story: https://lnkd.in/gfB8hb_u

This year, the EU funding agency has received the highest number of proposals in its four-decade history, with no increase in budget. As Nature Magazine reports, success rates are plunging: https://lnkd.in/eQapb9zb Pushing this trend there is a culture of assessing a researcher’s success by how much money they attract. This metric benefits universities and research institutions, which rely on the overheads that grants bring. But let’s not forget: this is not a metric that drives better, more efficient science. If we wanted to globally maximise scientific output and creative innovation, we would measure what a researcher achieves with every euro/pound/dollar they receive, which would controversially put research income in the denominator, not the numerator of the success metric.

Wise words from Ricardo Grau-Crespo. Moreover, lower success rates also mean that more and more researchers spend a lot of their precious time writing research proposals that are ultimately rejected, leading to less time available for actively engaging in research, student supervision/mentoring etc.