Five principles for catalysing collaboration

Monash University researchers have identified five key principles to facilitate collaboration between biophysical and social scientists to help solve the world’s urgent sustainability problems.

In a comment published in the journal Nature, Professors Rebekah Brown, Ana Deletic and Tony Wong outline the collaborative approach they have taken to bridge the divide between the biophysical and social sciences to achieve solutions-focused research outcomes that deliver real-world impact. They explain that their work has followed the following principles:

1. Forge a shared mission.
2. Develop ‘T-shaped’ researchers.
3. Nurture constructive dialogue.
4. Give institutional support.
5. Bridge research, policy and practice.

The paper reveals how a shared mission and constructive dialogue between researchers, policymakers and industry have been crucial to supporting the development of water management strategies which have now been successfully adopted in cities across Australia, as well as in Singapore, China and Israel.

Professor Brown, who recently took part in a parliamentary briefing in Canberra regarding Australia’s role in achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, suggests that if we are truly committed to solving the world’s sustainability problems, interdisciplinary collaboration needs to become mainstream.

“Despite our rewarding experiences, interdisciplinary research that brings the more diverse disciplines together is still on the margins and must be encouraged and supported if we are to achieve significant research breakthroughs and tangible global outcomes that benefit people and the planet,” she said.

Professors Brown, Deletic and Wong are continuing their successful interdisciplinary approach with new impact-focused research projects in sustainable water management supported by the Australia-Indonesia Centre and the Asian Development Bank. They have also issued a call for action, urging others to follow suit.