Unlocking the Potential of Inter- and Transdisciplinary Research: A Roadmap for Funders and Policymakers

Momentum is building for interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research to address societal challenges both globally and in Switzerland. However, conflicting messages and unclear understanding of these approaches could limit their effectiveness. To maximize their impact, funders and policymakers need to better understand and integrate these approaches into research, funding, and policy efforts.

Today’s major global challenges – such as climate change, energy crises, and social inequality – are complex and need rapid and effective actions. These actions relate to inter- and transdisciplinary (ITD) research aiming to help society in manifold transition processes and advancing scientific development in meaningful, democratic ways.

Co-producing knowledge is inherently challenging, requiring both interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary lenses. Interdisciplinary research brings together knowledge from different academic fields, while transdisciplinary research additionally involves collaboration with people from outside the academic world, such as community members, sector experts, practitioners, funders and policymakers. These approaches and wider collaboration help to develop solutions that reflect the real-world needs of society.

Expertise in ITD research and funding has consistently grown in Switzerland, offering valuable insights for leadership, and policymaking. In 2023, the report by the Swiss Science Council SSC highlights the increasing importance of transdisciplinary research as part of mission-oriented research and innovation, to enhance coordination and resource efficiency in Switzerland.

For more than twenty years, the pioneering Network for Transdisciplinary Research (td-net) from the Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences has reinforced the transdisciplinary orientation in various areas of research. This focus is accompanied by funding initiatives led by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), such as the National Centres of Competence in Research (NCCRs), or the National Research Programmes (NRPs). Two other examples are the SWEET – “SWiss Energy research for the Energy Transition” and SOUR “SWEET OUtside-the-box Rethinking” programs from the Swiss Federal Office of Energy. In addition, the Sustainability Research Initiative of the Swiss Academy of Sciences issued a 2023 report describing the special requirements of research and innovation for sustainable development and how these could be effectively achieved by lighthouse programmes with a strong transdisciplinary component. In the same vein, government bodies, from the national to municipal levels, are experimenting with evidence-based policymaking via real-world laboratories, citizen panels, and cross-sectoral consultancies.

Despite the growing support for ITD research, knowledge about their nature and practice remains fragmented, not consistently referred to in policy literature. There is little cohesion between academic and policy literatures, resulting in a repetitive cycle where key challenges are outlined in policy documents, but the solutions offered by academic research are largely overlooked.

Our research reveals a persistent disconnect between policy and academic discourses on inter- and transdisciplinarity, posing barriers to the effective implementation of both research funding and science policy. This gap between different voices materialises in an instrumental perspective on inter- and transdisciplinary research in the policy literature, jeopardising, for example, the integration of the arts, humanities and social sciences.

We identified several key barriers to the successful implementation of ITD research:

1. Incomplete models: Researchers often base their work on incomplete or unclear policy models, limiting their effectiveness.
2. Simplified definitions: Policymakers and funders may adopt oversimplified views of interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research, leading to shallow collaborations and rushed projects.
3. Unrecognised expertise: Innovative inter- or transdisciplinary methods are still not fully understood or supported by funders and evaluators, making it harder for researchers to achieve high-quality inter- or transdisciplinary research.
4. Undervaluation: Research assessment processes often give more weight to traditional research formats, undervaluing inter- and transdisciplinary approaches.

In conclusion, a systemic overhaul is urgently needed, rather than piecemeal adjustments. A roadmap for funding agencies and policymakers to support ITD research includes the following recommendations:

1. Engage more substantively with ITD experts when designing, implementing and evaluating calls. Initiatives that facilitate exchanges among researchers, funders and non-academic collaborators allow for a cultural change in how ITD research are conceived and supported.
2. Allocate additional resources to enable ITD development, such as sustainable online repositories for inter- and transdisciplinary methods and tools.
3. Avoid short-termism in funding programs for ITD research to provide consistent, clear support, fostering deep collaborations, and ensuring that research evaluations consider both scientific and societal contributions.
4. Support and incentivise universities to build capacity in inter- and transdisciplinarity by taking steps to create career paths and integrate inter- and transdisciplinary approaches into education and training at an early stage.

Actions towards these recommendations will help ensure that Switzerland continues to lead in innovative research that addresses today’s most pressing global challenges.