Transdisciplinary Coordination: Building Bridges for the Future of Knowledge Co-production

The report argues that transdisciplinary (TD) research—which integrates diverse scientific disciplines and non-academic societal actors to solve real-world problems—is often hindered by a lack of formal coordination. Based on a 2024 workshop, the authors propose a framework for improving TD coordination centered on three goals: shifting scientific culture toward societal impact, transforming funding mechanisms to be more inclusive and flexible, and building specialized capacities in facilitation and communication. The document emphasizes the need to elevate Southern perspectives to correct power imbalances between the Global North and South in scientific collaboration.

• The report defines transdisciplinary (TD) research as scientific endeavors that aim for actionable solutions to concrete problems, particularly global environmental change, by encompassing diverse scientific disciplines and including relevant societal actors from the start.
• TD coordination is identified as the set of non-academic activities that enable complex collaborations, yet these activities are frequently neglected in project proposals and by funding agencies.
• To shift scientific culture, the report recommends strengthening TD communities, implementing diversity and inclusion policies, encouraging multilingual activities to reduce the over-reliance on English, and empowering local communities as changemakers.
• Current funding structures for TD research are often inadequate due to inequitable budget division between academic and non-academic partners, rigid management planning that cannot adapt to dynamic social contexts, and a lack of long-term support.
• The report proposes transforming funding by updating monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) frameworks to include non-traditional metrics like societal impact and engagement, rather than relying solely on publication rankings.
• Capacity building for TD research requires developing specialized skills that are often missing in traditional academic training, including facilitation, active listening, mediation for conflict resolution, and impact-focused communication.

APA

Sandroni, L., Mamnoon, I., & Ibarra, A. S. (n.d.). Transdisciplinary Coordination: Building Bridges for the Future of Knowledge Co-production. Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research. https://iai.int/administrador/assets/images/ckfinder/files/FOLLETO%20TRANSDISCIPLINARY_ING_digital.pdf

Chicago

Sandroni, Laila, Ismet Mamnoon, and Anna Stewart Ibarra. Transdisciplinary Coordination: Building Bridges for the Future of Knowledge Co-production. Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research, n.d. https://iai.int/administrador/assets/images/ckfinder/files/FOLLETO%20TRANSDISCIPLINARY_ING_digital.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Sandroni |first1=Laila |last2=Mamnoon |first2=Ismet |last3=Ibarra |first3=Anna Stewart |title=Transdisciplinary Coordination: Building Bridges for the Future of Knowledge Co-production |publisher=Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research |url=https://iai.int/administrador/assets/images/ckfinder/files/FOLLETO%20TRANSDISCIPLINARY_ING_digital.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{sandronindtransdisciplinary, author = {Sandroni, Laila and Mamnoon, Ismet and Ibarra, Anna Stewart}, title = {{Transdisciplinary Coordination: Building Bridges for the Future of Knowledge Co-production}}, institution = {Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}, url = {https://iai.int/administrador/assets/images/ckfinder/files/FOLLETO%20TRANSDISCIPLINARY_ING_digital.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }