Transdisciplinary Research Academy
Complex problems, like adapting to climate change, managing for biodiversity, and conserving water resources, require many voices and knowledges to find workable solutions. Transdisciplinary research - research that combines the knowledge and expertise of multiple academic disciplines with the knowledge and expertise of non-academic partners like community members, practitioners, and policy makers – is an effective way to generate the new knowledge and solutions we need.
The Transdisciplinary Research Academy is a professional learning program that introduces key skills for successful transdisciplinary research in the climate and environmental sciences.
The first cohort was held in Spring 2025. Recruiting for the Spring 2026 cohort will begin in August.
For questions or to learn more about the Academy, please contact Alison M. Meadow, Office of Societal Impact, meadow@arizona.edu.
Support for the TRA was provided by the Technology and Research Initiative Fund/Water, Environmental, and Energy Solutions Initiative administered by the University of Arizona Office for Research, Innovation and Impact and the Arizona Institute for Resilience.
2025 Transdisciplinary Research Academy Topics
How does transdisciplinary research differ from standard models of research when it comes to generating actionable knowledge? This session will review the theory and practice of transdisciplinary research, including how incorporating people with practical knowledge, cultural knowledge, and lived experience into our research helps to improve our understanding of problems and ability to generate workable solutions.
Transdisciplinary research changes the relationship between researchers and societal partners. No longer are community members the subject of research – they are collaborators in the process. We need to consider how to reach beyond our standard research ethics principles to recognize these partnerships. In this session, we’ll focus on understanding the basics of human subjects research (HSR) and how to adjust our approaches to ensure equitable and meaningful participation of societal partners in transdisciplinary research.
Successful teams lead to successful projects. Learn about collaborative project management (CoPM) tools and practices that put the people of the project at the center. These practices enhance team cohesion, sharpen shared understanding of goals and deliverables, and incorporate organizational cultures in order to coordinate project participant timelines, talent, and preferences. Explore CoPM in this workshop to cultivate your team’s collective progress and project success.
The goals of transdisciplinary research – to generate actionable solutions to complex problems – are different from the goals of standard academic research. So, we need different tools to evaluate the process and success of transdisciplinary research. In this session, we’ll explore innovative tools for evaluating the societal impacts of research and how these tools can be used to improve transdisciplinary practice and demonstrate the impact of your research.
