The document discusses interdisciplinary poverty research at the Townsend Centre for International Poverty Research. [1] Over 50 academics from 12 departments across social sciences, medical, engineering, and science faculties collaborate on the research. [2] The research aims to better understand and eventually end world poverty through practical policies. [3] Interdisciplinary research is seen as key to solving complex problems like poverty that no single discipline can address alone.
This document discusses a phenomenological study that analyzed the lived experiences of 5 college students in the Philippines who were studying remotely during the COVID-19 lockdown. It provides background information on distance education and the shift to remote learning necessitated by the pandemic. The methodology section describes how the researcher recruited and interviewed participants using voice calls to understand their experiences with asynchronous learning, stress/anxiety, preferences for in-person classes, and technology issues. The findings section provides a profile of the participants and the emerging themes will be discussed.
Spatial inequalities in access to university, jobs and 'good' schoolsDanny Dorling
Keynote on "Exploring Inequality and its Consequences: Education, Labour Markets, and Communities", given by Danny Dorling Birbeck University, 5th July 2010.
This document discusses the issue of accessibility of early childhood education and care (ECEC) for children from ethnic minority and low-income families. While international policy emphasizes the importance of universal access to high-quality ECEC, research shows that disadvantaged children are less likely to enroll in ECEC and, if they do enroll, are more likely to attend lower-quality programs than affluent children. Experiences in the early years have a profound impact on children's development and future outcomes. However, disadvantaged children often have less access to enriching early experiences and face greater health and educational risks.
The Canadian Federation of Students and Canadian Association of University Teachers are calling for the resignation of Gary Goodyear, Minister of State for Science and Technology, accusing him of political interference. Goodyear called for a review of government funding for a conference on Israel/Palestine after concerns were raised about some speakers. Academics say ministers should not interfere in independent grant review processes and Goodyear's actions undermine university autonomy.
The document discusses the H1N1 (Swine Flu) pandemic and its impact on education. It provides background on the virus, how it has spread, and its effects in schools. Key recommendations include educating students and staff on prevention, having plans to continue instruction if schools close, and monitoring illness in the community. Public health actions like tracking cases and providing information are aimed at preventing the virus's spread.
The document discusses the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education globally. It states that as of January 2021, approximately 825 million learners have been affected by school closures in response to the pandemic. Many countries initially imposed lockdowns and closed schools/universities for several months. By the end of March 2020, school closures had been implemented to some extent in all 46 OECD and partner countries covered by the Education at a Glance report, ranging from nationwide closures to localized closures. School closures were effective for at least 7-18 weeks in most countries through June 2020.
Gender Discrimination in Education: The Violation of Rights of Women and Girl...Dr Lendy Spires
This document summarizes a report on gender discrimination in education submitted to CEDAW. It finds that while progress has been made towards gender parity in primary education enrollment, girls continue to face significant discrimination, disadvantages, and human rights violations in all aspects of their education. It highlights issues such as higher dropout rates for girls, gender stereotyping in curricula and teaching, and violence against girls in and on the way to school in many countries. The report includes country case studies from Bolivia, Armenia, Pakistan, and Tanzania to illustrate these problems. It calls on governments and CEDAW to take stronger actions to promote gender equality throughout education systems in line with international human rights laws and treaties.
This document discusses a phenomenological study that analyzed the lived experiences of 5 college students in the Philippines who were studying remotely during the COVID-19 lockdown. It provides background information on distance education and the shift to remote learning necessitated by the pandemic. The methodology section describes how the researcher recruited and interviewed participants using voice calls to understand their experiences with asynchronous learning, stress/anxiety, preferences for in-person classes, and technology issues. The findings section provides a profile of the participants and the emerging themes will be discussed.
Spatial inequalities in access to university, jobs and 'good' schoolsDanny Dorling
Keynote on "Exploring Inequality and its Consequences: Education, Labour Markets, and Communities", given by Danny Dorling Birbeck University, 5th July 2010.
This document discusses the issue of accessibility of early childhood education and care (ECEC) for children from ethnic minority and low-income families. While international policy emphasizes the importance of universal access to high-quality ECEC, research shows that disadvantaged children are less likely to enroll in ECEC and, if they do enroll, are more likely to attend lower-quality programs than affluent children. Experiences in the early years have a profound impact on children's development and future outcomes. However, disadvantaged children often have less access to enriching early experiences and face greater health and educational risks.
The Canadian Federation of Students and Canadian Association of University Teachers are calling for the resignation of Gary Goodyear, Minister of State for Science and Technology, accusing him of political interference. Goodyear called for a review of government funding for a conference on Israel/Palestine after concerns were raised about some speakers. Academics say ministers should not interfere in independent grant review processes and Goodyear's actions undermine university autonomy.
The document discusses the H1N1 (Swine Flu) pandemic and its impact on education. It provides background on the virus, how it has spread, and its effects in schools. Key recommendations include educating students and staff on prevention, having plans to continue instruction if schools close, and monitoring illness in the community. Public health actions like tracking cases and providing information are aimed at preventing the virus's spread.
The document discusses the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education globally. It states that as of January 2021, approximately 825 million learners have been affected by school closures in response to the pandemic. Many countries initially imposed lockdowns and closed schools/universities for several months. By the end of March 2020, school closures had been implemented to some extent in all 46 OECD and partner countries covered by the Education at a Glance report, ranging from nationwide closures to localized closures. School closures were effective for at least 7-18 weeks in most countries through June 2020.
Gender Discrimination in Education: The Violation of Rights of Women and Girl...Dr Lendy Spires
This document summarizes a report on gender discrimination in education submitted to CEDAW. It finds that while progress has been made towards gender parity in primary education enrollment, girls continue to face significant discrimination, disadvantages, and human rights violations in all aspects of their education. It highlights issues such as higher dropout rates for girls, gender stereotyping in curricula and teaching, and violence against girls in and on the way to school in many countries. The report includes country case studies from Bolivia, Armenia, Pakistan, and Tanzania to illustrate these problems. It calls on governments and CEDAW to take stronger actions to promote gender equality throughout education systems in line with international human rights laws and treaties.
The document discusses factors that can affect children and child poverty in Australia. It addresses three main factors - economic, cultural, and social - that can impact children. These factors are related to the "birth lottery" and where a child is born. The document also discusses the challenges of a social action campaign aimed at raising awareness about child poverty in Australia, noting it was difficult to promote the issue to others. The experience relates to research that social actions can be difficult and their goals may prove too hard to attain, requiring a shift in strategies.
Child Poverty Action Group is a nonprofit organization that campaigns to end child poverty in the UK. The document discusses how child poverty rates have historically responded to policy changes but are now projected to rise significantly due to austerity measures and welfare reforms between 2015 and 2020. This will reverse gains made in reducing child poverty and is expected to negatively impact children's health, development, and life chances. Solutions proposed include advocating for anti-poverty policies, publicizing assistance programs, and focusing on policies that support families with costs of living, food insecurity, debt, and children's needs.
Growing Young Lives_ March 2022 Webinar.pptxYoungLives
The international Young Lives study follows 12,000 young people in Ethiopia, Peri, Vietnam, and India (Andhra Pradesh and Telangana) to look at the consequences of poverty and inequality.
This document is a sociology assignment submitted by Mohit Lilhare to their professor Dr. Deepika Gupta. It analyzes poverty as a social problem in India. It begins by thanking those who helped with the assignment, including defining key terms like social problems and poverty. It then discusses types of poverty, estimates of poverty in India, causes of poverty like population growth and colonial exploitation, and government programs to alleviate poverty like MGNREGA and Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana. It concludes that while poverty rates have decreased in India, a comprehensive approach is still needed to fully eradicate poverty.
The document discusses socioeconomic inequalities in education outcomes in the UK. It summarizes that the attainment gap between high and low socioeconomic status (SES) children starts early and widens throughout school. By age 10, low SES children with initially high cognitive scores fall behind high SES peers with lower scores. These gaps continue into further education and career outcomes. The document examines potential causes such as differences in opportunities, resources, and expectations between high and low SES families and communities. It argues that reducing these inequalities could boost the UK economy by £1.3 trillion over 40 years through improved social mobility.
HIV/AIDS Initiatives at the University of St. Thomastheoaesthetics
This presentation provides an overview of HIV/AIDS Initiatives at the University of St. Thomas, including historical background, examples of engaged courses, teaching tactics and strategies, and ethical considerations.
Understanding adolescent vulnerabilities in LMICs through an intersectional lens: launch of a new European Journal of Development Research Special Issue
Background and objectives
This event will showcase a new EJDR special issue that explores adolescent experiences across diverse LMICs, including conflict-affected contexts, drawing on unique mixed-methods data from the GAGE longitudinal study. It will highlight why an intersectional approach is critical to capture adolescents’ diverse and dynamic capabilities, and what the policy and programming implications are to ensure no adolescent is left behind.
The document discusses how geography influences population health and dynamics. It examines factors like infant and child mortality rates, which are influenced by access to healthcare, sanitation, nutrition, and education. Governments can enact population policies to encourage or restrict growth. Examples discussed include China's one-child policy, Russia offering subsidies for multiple births, and restrictive policies lowering population growth rates. The geography of diseases and their transmission is also influenced by location, environment, and socioeconomic conditions.
Connecting Education, Welfare, and Health for American Families - Peabody Jou...Janet Mulvey
This document discusses the relationship between education, health, welfare, and poverty. It examines how access to education can help reduce poverty by increasing social mobility and access to healthcare and economic opportunity. However, children living in poverty often face significant barriers to educational achievement due to poor health, lack of access to healthcare, and stressful environments. The document reviews research showing how poverty negatively impacts brain development and educational outcomes. It argues that addressing issues of poverty, health, and access to education is crucial to improving people's lives and the nation's economic prosperity overall.
This is an introduction to HIV/AIDS Initiatives at the University of St. Thomas, and how participate in the academic service-learning program at the University affected the professional path of Kim Vrudny, the program's founding director.
This document discusses inequality and the need for research on reducing it. The key points are:
1. Levels of inequality in the U.S., especially economic inequality, are exceptionally high compared to other developed countries and historically.
2. High inequality harms economic growth and opportunity. It reduces social mobility and divides society.
3. Social policies and programs can help combat inequality, as seen in policies from the War on Poverty, but more research is needed to identify the most effective approaches.
4. The William T. Grant Foundation wants to support high-quality social science research on policies, programs and practices that can reduce inequality, especially for young people. The goal is to build evidence
This document discusses child poverty in the UK. It begins by defining relative poverty as lacking resources to participate in customary activities of one's society. It then discusses trends in child poverty since the 1960s and compares UK rates to the EU. The majority of the document discusses the impacts of poverty on children, including missing out on activities, food insecurity, and health issues. It also discusses groups most at risk like single parents and larger families. The document advocates for policies and programs to reduce child poverty rates and mitigate its impacts, such as increasing benefits, early education programs, employment support, and local welfare assistance.
Factors that determine a country's population size include birth rates, death rates, immigration, and emigration. Birth rates are influenced by nutrition, fertility, abortion policies, economic factors, and culture. Death rates are affected by disease, war, healthcare access, and development levels. Immigration and emigration depend on "pull" and "push" factors that attract or displace people. Governments implement population policies to manage these factors.
This document discusses population growth in India and its impact on economic development. It provides background on key concepts like population explosion, birth rate, death rate, and stages of demographic transition. It then analyzes population growth trends in India and some major countries. The document explores causes of population increase in India and the impact of a growing population on economic development, both positive and negative. It also examines India's national population policies and strategies to reduce rapid population growth through various economic and social interventions.
Green Templeton College, University of Oxford, 2016: Emerging market populations have never been younger and may never be larger.
Over one billion young people (aged between 10 and 24) live in Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, Turkey and smaller emerging markets. India has over 700 million and China more than 500 million people under 30. This offers huge potential to harness their energy and creativity by engaging them in productive activities.
Participants in the symposium on Young People and the Future of Emerging Markets concluded that governments’ failure to understand the mind sets of young people, master intergenerational communications and take measures to preserve the planet for future generations is extremely short sighted.
The Emerging Markets Symposium brought together over 50 international experts and graduate students from 20 emerging market and high income countries. Hosted by Green Templeton College on 7-10 January, the symposium was designed to ensure its conclusions were grounded in the insights and priorities of young people.
An invited presentation to the The Compassion and Social Justice Lecture Series on Courageous Leadership in a Crisis
"This event explores the courage required when leading in a crisis and making important decisions without precedence. Given the global impact of COVID, leaders are being tested daily. Hear perspectives from two global leaders and learn from their courageous leadership during the historical HIV/AIDS crisis and the more current COVID pandemic."
Speakers:https://beholdvancouver.org/events/courageous-leadership-in-a-crisis
Poverty Interrupted White Paper Final DigitalAnthony Barrows
This document provides an introduction to a white paper about applying behavioral science insights to poverty alleviation efforts. It discusses how the US has made some progress in reducing poverty but has ultimately failed to win the "War on Poverty." It argues that behavioral science has not been meaningfully applied to anti-poverty efforts despite its potential. The paper then puts forward three design principles for poverty programs grounded in behavioral science: 1) Cut the costs that poverty imposes on people's time, attention and cognition, 2) Create slack by providing cushions of time, money and resources, and 3) Reframe poverty and empower people by preserving their autonomy. The document aims to start a conversation about innovative ways to incorporate behavioral insights into policies
Professor Sir Michael Marmot's Charles Cully Lecture on health inequalities a...Irish Cancer Society
This document discusses social determinants of health and health inequalities. It summarizes evidence that social and economic factors like income, education, employment, and housing have a significant impact on health outcomes and lifespan. Health issues like cancer, obesity, and mental health problems vary depending on socioeconomic status. Creating a fair society by addressing these social determinants through policies that support children, families, education, employment and housing can help reduce health inequities.
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3. Social policies and programs can help combat inequality, as seen in policies from the War on Poverty, but more research is needed to identify the most effective approaches.
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Interdisciplinarity and poverty research 2010 prof david gordon
1. Interdisciplinarity and Poverty Research
Professor David Gordon
Director
Townsend Centre for International Poverty Research
University of Bristol
IAS Seminar on Interdisciplinarity
Leaving the comfort zone –
when postgraduate research encounters the social/natural science divide
Room 410, Graduate School of Education, 35 Berkeley Square
5th May 2010
3. Aims
Over 50 academics from 12 departments in the Social Science and Law,
Medical, Engineering and Science Faculties, together with colleagues from
The Policy Press, are involved in a research-based initiative with the
following aims:
•The production of practical policies and solutions for the alleviation and
eventual ending of world poverty.
•Greater understanding of both the ‘scientific’ and ‘subjective' measurement
of poverty.
•Investigation into the causes of poverty.
•Analysis of the costs and consequences of poverty for individuals, families,
communities and societies.
•Research into theoretical and conceptual issues of definition and
perceptions of poverty.
•Wide dissemination of the policy implications of research into poverty.
4. Collaborating departments
Collaborating departments
Below is a list of the departments and centres collaborating to form the
Townsend Centre for International Poverty Research, and a link to the poverty-
related publications by department:
Child and Adolescent Health Departmental Publications
Children of the 90s (ALSPAC) Departmental publications
Department of Community Based Medicine Departmental Publications
Economics Departmental publications
Engineering Departmental publications
Graduate School of Education Departmental publications
Geographical Sciences Departmental publications
School of Law Departmental publications
Norah Fry Research Centre Departmental publications
Policy Studies Departmental publications
Politics Departmental publications
Psychiatry Departmental publications
Social Medicine Departmental publications
Sociology Departmental publications
5. Millennium Development Goals
Goal 1 Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
Target 1: Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people whose income is
less than $1 a day
Target 2: Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people who suffer from
hunger
Goal 2 Achieve universal primary education
Target 3: Ensure that, by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be
able to complete a full course of primary schooling
Goal 3 Promote gender equality and empower women
Target 4: Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education preferably
by 2005 and in all levels of education no later than 2015
Goal 4 Reduce child mortality
Target 5: Reduce by two-thirds, between 1990 and 2015, the under-five mortality
rate
Goal 5 Improve maternal health
Target 6: Reduce by three-quarters, between 1990 and 2015, the maternal mortality
ratio
Goal 6 Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases
Target 7: Have halted by 2015 and begun to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS
Target 8: Have halted by 2015 and begun to reverse the incidence of Malaria &
other major diseases
12. Summary of Outcomes of Child Poverty
Outcome Are Outcomes Associated with Poverty?
• Mortality Yes, strong association with social class
• Morbidity Yes, strong association for most diseases
• Accidents Yes, for fatal accidents (but not accident morbidity)
• Mental Illness Yes
• Suicide Yes
• Child Abuse Yes, except sexual abuse
• Teenage Pregnancy Yes
• Environment/Housing Conditions Yes
• Homelessness Yes
• Low Education attainment Yes
• School exclusions Don’t Know
• Crime No
• Smoking Mainly after childhood
• Alcohol No
• Drugs No
• Child Labour No
Source: Bradshaw (2001)
13. Economic Cost of Child Poverty in the UK
Child poverty costs the UK at least £25 billion a year,
(equivalent to 2% of GDP) including £17 billion that could
accrue to the Exchequer if child poverty were eradicated.
Public spending to deal with the fallout of child poverty is
about £12 billion a year, about 60 per cent of which goes
on personal social services, school education and police
and criminal justice.
- The annual cost of below-average employment rates and
earnings levels among adults who grew up in poverty is
about £13 billion, of which £5 billion represents extra
benefit payments and lower tax revenues; the remaining £8
billion is lost earnings to individuals, affecting gross
domestic product (GDP).
14.
15. Child Poverty in the UK
The UK Government is committed to tackling the problem of child
poverty. In March 1999, the Prime Minister Tony Blair set out a
commitment to end child poverty forever:
“And I will set out our historic aim that ours is the first generation to end
child poverty forever, and it will take a generation. It is a 20-year mission
but I believe it can be done.
The Child Poverty Bill currently at the Parliamentary Committee stage
(since 20th October 2009) will enshrine this policy commitment into UK
law in 2010.
16. Child Poverty Act 2010
Places in legislation the commitment to eradicate child poverty by 2020,
this means that UK Secretary of State will have a duty to meet the
following child poverty targets:
•Relative poverty: Less than 10% of children living in relative
low income poverty by 2020.
•Material Deprivation: Less than 5% of children living in
combined material deprivation and low income.
•Absolute low income: Reduce the proportion of children who
live in absolute low income to less than 5%.
•Persistent Poverty: percentage of children living in relative
poverty for three out of four years (target level to be set by
the end of 2014 as data are currently unavailable)
Requires the UK Secretary of State to publish a UK child poverty strategy,
which must be revised every three years.
17. Taxonomy of cross disciplinary research : multidisciplinary,
interdisciplinary, and transdisciplinary
Level one: Multidisciplinary
Researchers work in parallel or sequentially from disciplinary-specific base to
address common problem
Level two: Interdisciplinary
Researchers work jointly but still from disciplinary-specific basis to address
common problem
Level three: Transdisciplinary
Researchers work jointly using shared conceptual framework drawing together
disciplinary-specific theories, concepts, and approaches to address common
problem
Rosenfield, P.L. (1992), The Potential of Transdisciplinary Research, Social Science and
Medicine, 35, 1343-1357.
18. Interdisciplinarity is the emergence of insight and understanding of a set
question through the integration of different concepts, methods, and theoretical
frameworks assembled from a wide cross-section of disciplines to generate novel
concepts and synthesize new theories. In practice, many proposed interdisciplinary
efforts ultimately work at the multidisciplinary level.
multidisciplinarity, while a group of researchers from different disciplines
cooperates by working together on a set problem towards a common goal, they
continue to do so using theories and methods from their own discipline, with
occasional use of output from each other’s work. They remain within the
boundaries of their own disciplines in regard to both their working practices and
results.
True interdisciplinary research renews the individual disciplines by introducing new
questions, ideas, and methods.
Brown, E.N. (2002) Interdisciplinary Research: A Student's Perspective, Chemical
Education Today, 79, 13-14.
19. Implication of multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, and transdisciplinary
research for academic structure and career paths
Type Of Research Academic Structure Career Path
Multidisciplinary Within existing Attractive opportunities
disciplines and faculties
Interdisciplinary Between disciplines and Needs strengthening? –
faculties: creation of new may harm career?
joint programmes
Transdisciplinary Synthesis of Does not exist
departments – new
department, new field of
inquiry
Keyfitz (1991) “Calls to interdisciplinary research go unheeded because of the
organisation of academic life”
20. The Continuum of Interdisciplinary Research
Type of Ideal Reality
Research
Traditional Need graduates in both Hire scientists and technicians and
humanities and sciences display artwork at headquarters
Multidisciplinary Coordination of independent A gaggle of disciplines share a dean
efforts. Combination of many and get their pay checks from a
disciplines to solve problem central office
Interdisciplinary Cooperation with mutually Has a complicated decision structure
beneficial arrangements not unlike the United Nations. Much
directed to solving specific time spent in meetings and
problems developing a unified programme
which is never completed
Integrated Collaboration in working jointly Like the USA – a melting pot that has
to resolve a common problem dissolved into angry debates over
with shared plan, conceptual multiculturalism
framework and responsibility
for implementation
Pickett, S. et al (1999) Interdisciplinary Research, Ecosystems, 2, 302-307
21. Number of Papers: 1990 to 2002
Disciplines Interdisciplinary Multidisciplinary Transdisciplinary
Research Research Research
Economics 53 5 1
Epidemiology 31 24 1
Health Policy 2 0 0
Nursing 31 22 0
Occupational Health 5 5 0
& Safety
Political Science 7 2 0
Psychology 636 82 9
Slatin, C. et al (2004) Interdisciplinary Research in Health Care, Public Health Reports, 119, 60-72
22. Collaborative Research is Better Research
The idea that the lone academic produces the ‘best’ research is incorrect.
Repeated studies have shown that collaborative research usually produces
better results.
For example, in Economics, more collaboration leads to ‘more frequent,
longer and better publications’ (Hollis 2001).
Collaboration is associated with fewer rejections in journal submissions
(Presser 1980)
Co-authored papers tend to receive more citations (Johnson 1997)
However, collaboration also tends to lead to fewer papers in total per
researcher (Hollis 2001). – The RAE & Promotion Problem!
23. Barriers to Interdisciplinary Research
1) The Career Problem: you get promoted by publishing in ‘mainstream’ journals
in you own discipline, as a sole author and by being named as the principal
investigator on the grant.
2) The Time Problem: interdisciplinary research is much harder and takes much
longer. You have to learn enough about other disciplines to understand what
they are talking about i.e. their technical terms, concepts, methods and research
agendas. This means lots of meetings.
3) The Xenophobia Problem: you have to be able to accept (largely on trust) that
your collaborators from other disciplines are as ‘good’ at their jobs as you are at
yours and have as valid points of view.
4) The Group Work Problem: Group work is a specialist skill and it is one that few
academics are trained in; for example how to accept and deal with the fact that
not all participants are likely to be equally committed to working together?
5) The Publication Problem: where to publish? who’s name goes first? What to
do if a referee does not understand an interdisciplinary paper? Acceptance
rates in ‘top’ journals vary by subject e.g. 9% in economics, 22% in psychology,
42% in health and 69% in physics.
6) The Budget Problem: budgets and ‘credit’ often devolve down to disciplinary
departments.
24. Group Dynamics
Many (most?) groups go through four main phases: forming (pretending to get on);
storming (knowing they don't get on and being angry); norming (getting used to each
other); and performing (working in a group to a common goal).
It is very important to avoid ‘groupthink’ where each member of the group attempts
to conform his or her opinions to what they believe to be the consensus of the group.
This will lead the group to make ‘bad’ or irrational decisions e,g, going to war with
Iraq because of weapons of mass destruction
Groupthink can be avoided by ‘consensus decision making’, which is a decision
process that seeks the agreement of a majority of participants and also to resolve or
mitigate the objections of the minority. Note it is the process of decision making that
is important.
25. Some pointers to successful interdisciplinary poverty research
1) Identify a common problem for which no single discipline is capable of finding a
comprehensive solution
2) Make a commitment to cooperate
3) Try to work with a team of people who have similar levels of commitment
4) It is essential to trust the professionalism and expertise of your partners and
value the contribution of everyone in the group – not just those with the ‘best’
work habits and ideas
5) Try to work with a team of people who are willing to assume and share
responsibility and leadership.
6) Make sure you have enough time to complete the project – interdisciplinary
research is much slower and therefore more expensive than discipline based
research
7) Always remember that an interdisciplinary research strategy is probably the only
way to solve the really difficult problems.