People & Roles

Working on an interdisciplinary project presents both opportunities and challenges for early career researchers. A Postdoctoral Fellow in Philosophy and a Postdoctoral Research Associate in Psychology discuss some of the issues.

It is often assumed that the Principal Investigator or other senior members of an interdisciplinary research project will take sole responsibility for organising and chairing research meetings and for ensuring positive group dynamics. Here we introduce the role of the Creative Facilitator – someone independent who can harness the creative potential inherent to interdisciplinary working.

Across UK universities new Early Career Researcher (ECRs) posts have recently emerged which involve a significant responsibility for supporting public engagement and impact, within specific projects and universities more widely. This Project Short considers some of the challenges of these multi-skilled, collaborative and interdisciplinary positions.

Drawing on data from early career researchers, this Project Short sets out some best practice guidelines for PIs, funding bodies, and universities in an era of interdisciplinary research and casualised academic labour.

Describes the main challenges and responsibilities that come with managing an interdisciplinary research project and the administrative systems that can be put in place, as well as providing advice for those who might be considering a similar role themselves.