Great! You have completed Chapter 3, gaining further expertise in transdisciplinary research projects (TDR). How is TDR carried out? In this chapter, we went into the phases and steps of the TDR process. You discovered the first of three phases, the phase where the project is jointly framed and set up.

Important co-design methods for this phase were introduced, helping to decide who could be important actors to involve in the project and to jointly find goals and research questions that are relevant to address a specific societal challenge. Furthermore, specific principles and questions were discussed that arise when working in international research collaborations.

The case studies explained how a concrete TDR project was developed. How did the initiators find the relevant actors to cooperate with and how did they develop their goals and research questions? In this phase, it is already important to think about how the project could make a difference.

This first phase of jointly framing problems and goals is highly important in TDR projects, as it decides if the project is of interest for the relevant public and private stakeholders as well as for the scientists, and if the goals, research questions, and planned interactions are likely to make a difference regarding the societal challenge.

After the projects are set up, how will the interaction between disciplines and knowledge co-production look? Continue with Chapter 4 to experience co-production in action, including pitfalls and strategies to overcome them.

Author: Tobias Buser