Large‐Scale Transdisciplinary Collaboration for Adaptation Research: Challenges and Insights

Abstract An increasing number of research programs seek to support adaptation to climate change through the engagement of large‐scale transdisciplinary networks that span countries and continents. While transdisciplinary research processes have been a topic of reflection, practice, and refinement fo...

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Main Authors: Georgina Cundill, Blane Harvey, Mark Tebboth, Logan Cochrane, Bruce Currie‐Alder, Katharine Vincent, Jon Lawn, Robert. J. Nicholls, Lucia Scodanibbio, Anjal Prakash, Mark New, Philippus Wester, Michele Leone, Daniel Morchain, Eva Ludi, Jesse DeMaria‐Kinney, Ahmed Khan, Marie‐Eve Landry
פורמט: Article
שפה:English
יצא לאור: Wiley 2019-04-01
סדרה:Global Challenges
נושאים:
גישה מקוונת:https://doi.org/10.1002/gch2.201700132
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author Georgina Cundill
Blane Harvey
Mark Tebboth
Logan Cochrane
Bruce Currie‐Alder
Katharine Vincent
Jon Lawn
Robert. J. Nicholls
Lucia Scodanibbio
Anjal Prakash
Mark New
Philippus Wester
Michele Leone
Daniel Morchain
Eva Ludi
Jesse DeMaria‐Kinney
Ahmed Khan
Marie‐Eve Landry
author_facet Georgina Cundill
Blane Harvey
Mark Tebboth
Logan Cochrane
Bruce Currie‐Alder
Katharine Vincent
Jon Lawn
Robert. J. Nicholls
Lucia Scodanibbio
Anjal Prakash
Mark New
Philippus Wester
Michele Leone
Daniel Morchain
Eva Ludi
Jesse DeMaria‐Kinney
Ahmed Khan
Marie‐Eve Landry
author_sort Georgina Cundill
collection DOAJ
description Abstract An increasing number of research programs seek to support adaptation to climate change through the engagement of large‐scale transdisciplinary networks that span countries and continents. While transdisciplinary research processes have been a topic of reflection, practice, and refinement for some time, these trends now mean that the global change research community needs to reflect and learn how to pursue collaborative research on a large scale. This paper shares insights from a seven‐year climate change adaptation research program that supports collaboration between more than 450 researchers and practitioners across four consortia and 17 countries. The experience confirms the importance of attention to careful design for transdisciplinary collaboration, but also highlights that this alone is not enough. The success of well‐designed transdisciplinary research processes is also strongly influenced by relational and systemic features of collaborative relationships. Relational features include interpersonal trust, mutual respect, and leadership styles, while systemic features include legal partnership agreements, power asymmetries between partners, and institutional values and cultures. In the new arena of large‐scale collaborative science efforts, enablers of transdisciplinary collaboration include dedicated project coordinators, leaders at multiple levels, and the availability of small amounts of flexible funds to enable nimble responses to opportunities and unexpected collaborations.
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spelling doaj.art-4da9f5d757e540198797b51c40e5cfa52023-08-14T09:40:48ZengWileyGlobal Challenges2056-66462019-04-0134n/an/a10.1002/gch2.201700132Large‐Scale Transdisciplinary Collaboration for Adaptation Research: Challenges and InsightsGeorgina Cundill0Blane Harvey1Mark Tebboth2Logan Cochrane3Bruce Currie‐Alder4Katharine Vincent5Jon Lawn6Robert. J. Nicholls7Lucia Scodanibbio8Anjal Prakash9Mark New10Philippus Wester11Michele Leone12Daniel Morchain13Eva Ludi14Jesse DeMaria‐Kinney15Ahmed Khan16Marie‐Eve Landry17International Development Research Centre Ottawa K1P 0B2 CanadaDepartment of Integrated Studies in Education McGill University Montreal H3A 2T5 CanadaSchool of International Development Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research University of East Anglia Norwich NR4 7TJ UKGlobal and International Studies Carleton University Ottawa K1P 0B2 CanadaInternational Development Research Centre Ottawa K1P 0B2 CanadaKulima Integrated Development Solutions Pietermaritzburg 3200 South AfricaFaculty of Engineering and the Environment University of Southampton SO17 1BJ UKFaculty of Engineering and the Environment University of Southampton SO17 1BJ UKAfrican Climate and Development Initiative University of Cape Town Cape Town 8001 South AfricaInternational Centre for Integrated Mountain Development Kathmandu NepalAfrican Climate and Development Initiative University of Cape Town Cape Town 8001 South AfricaInternational Centre for Integrated Mountain Development Kathmandu NepalInternational Development Research Centre Nairobi KenyaOxfam GB Oxford OX4 2JY UKOverseas Development Institute London SE1 8NJ UKOxfam GB Oxford OX4 2JY UKInternational Development Research Centre Ottawa K1P 0B2 CanadaInternational Development Research Centre Ottawa K1P 0B2 CanadaAbstract An increasing number of research programs seek to support adaptation to climate change through the engagement of large‐scale transdisciplinary networks that span countries and continents. While transdisciplinary research processes have been a topic of reflection, practice, and refinement for some time, these trends now mean that the global change research community needs to reflect and learn how to pursue collaborative research on a large scale. This paper shares insights from a seven‐year climate change adaptation research program that supports collaboration between more than 450 researchers and practitioners across four consortia and 17 countries. The experience confirms the importance of attention to careful design for transdisciplinary collaboration, but also highlights that this alone is not enough. The success of well‐designed transdisciplinary research processes is also strongly influenced by relational and systemic features of collaborative relationships. Relational features include interpersonal trust, mutual respect, and leadership styles, while systemic features include legal partnership agreements, power asymmetries between partners, and institutional values and cultures. In the new arena of large‐scale collaborative science efforts, enablers of transdisciplinary collaboration include dedicated project coordinators, leaders at multiple levels, and the availability of small amounts of flexible funds to enable nimble responses to opportunities and unexpected collaborations.https://doi.org/10.1002/gch2.201700132climate changecollaborationtransdisciplinarity
spellingShingle Georgina Cundill
Blane Harvey
Mark Tebboth
Logan Cochrane
Bruce Currie‐Alder
Katharine Vincent
Jon Lawn
Robert. J. Nicholls
Lucia Scodanibbio
Anjal Prakash
Mark New
Philippus Wester
Michele Leone
Daniel Morchain
Eva Ludi
Jesse DeMaria‐Kinney
Ahmed Khan
Marie‐Eve Landry
Large‐Scale Transdisciplinary Collaboration for Adaptation Research: Challenges and Insights
Global Challenges
climate change
collaboration
transdisciplinarity
title Large‐Scale Transdisciplinary Collaboration for Adaptation Research: Challenges and Insights
title_full Large‐Scale Transdisciplinary Collaboration for Adaptation Research: Challenges and Insights
title_fullStr Large‐Scale Transdisciplinary Collaboration for Adaptation Research: Challenges and Insights
title_full_unstemmed Large‐Scale Transdisciplinary Collaboration for Adaptation Research: Challenges and Insights
title_short Large‐Scale Transdisciplinary Collaboration for Adaptation Research: Challenges and Insights
title_sort large scale transdisciplinary collaboration for adaptation research challenges and insights
topic climate change
collaboration
transdisciplinarity
url https://doi.org/10.1002/gch2.201700132
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