Interdisciplinary research centers are blooming in almost every university, and interdisciplinary research is expected to be a cure-all for the ills of academic science. Do disciplines still matter? To what extent are interdisciplinary problem-solving approaches driven by socioeconomic stakeholders and policymakers rather than by academics? And how is interdisciplinarity organized? Through an in-depth sociological study of the development of nanomedicine in France and in the United States – an area that combines nanotechnology and biomedical research – this book challenges two conventional views of interdisciplinary research and academic disciplines. First, disciplines do not merely form separate "siloes" which hinder the development of interdisciplinary research: rather, they are flexible entities whose evolution supports the long-term institutionalization of interdisciplinary science in French and US academia. Secondly, interdisciplinary research has no intrinsic virtue: its ability to respond to societal issues and advance knowledge depends on continued political support and long-term cooperation between stakeholders. Interdisciplinarity might also be threatened by oversold promises and struggles for recognition. A study of the many challenges facing the formation of creative and sustainable interdisciplinary scientific communities, The Policies and Politics of Interdisciplinary Research tackles vivid debates among academics and research managers and will appeal to scholars of sociology, science and technology studies and science policy.

Interdisciplinary research centers are blooming in almost every university, and interdisciplinary research is expected to be a cure-all for the ills of academic science. Do disciplines still matter? To what extent are interdisciplinary problem-solving approaches driven by socioeconomic stakeholders and policymakers rather than by academics? And how is interdisciplinarity organized? Through an in-depth sociological study of the development of nanomedicine in France and in the United States – an area that combines nanotechnology and biomedical research – this book challenges two conventional views of interdisciplinary research and academic disciplines. First, disciplines do not merely form separate "siloes" which hinder the development of interdisciplinary research: rather, they are flexible entities whose evolution supports the long-term institutionalization of interdisciplinary science in French and US academia. Secondly, interdisciplinary research has no intrinsic virtue: its ability to respond to societal issues and advance knowledge depends on continued political support and long-term cooperation between stakeholders. Interdisciplinarity might also be threatened by oversold promises and struggles for recognition. A study of the many challenges facing the formation of creative and sustainable interdisciplinary scientific communities, The Policies and Politics of Interdisciplinary Research tackles vivid debates among academics and research managers and will appeal to scholars of sociology, science and technology studies and science policy.

"This text is about the process of developing health policy relevant to the United States. We have included the perspectives of a number of disciplines and professions. We have drawn heavily on our personal experiences and backgrounds, which include economics, political science, management, communications, and public health. We have also drawn on the experiences of other countries"--

Interdisciplinarity has seemingly become a paradigm for modern and meaningful research. Clearly, the interdisciplinary modus of deliberation enables to unfold relevant but quite different disciplinary perspectives to the reflection of broader scientific questions or societal problems. However, whether the comprehensive results of interdisciplinary reflection prove to be valid or to be acceptable in trans-disciplinary terms depends upon certain preconditions, which have to be fulfilled for securing scientific quality and social trust in advisory contexts. The present book is written by experts and practitioners of interdisciplinary research and policy advice. It analyses topical and methodological approaches towards interdisciplinarity, starting with the current role of scientific research in society. The volume continues with contributions to the issues of knowledge and acting and to trans-disciplinary deliberation. The final conclusions address the scientific system as substantial actor itself as well as the relevant research and education politics.

Facilitating Interdisciplinary Research examines current interdisciplinary research efforts and recommends ways to stimulate and support such research. Advances in science and engineering increasingly require the collaboration of scholars from various fields. This shift is driven by the need to address complex problems that cut across traditional disciplines, and the capacity of new technologies to both transform existing disciplines and generate new ones. At the same time, however, interdisciplinary research can be impeded by policies on hiring, promotion, tenure, proposal review, and resource allocation that favor traditional disciplines. This report identifies steps that researchers, teachers, students, institutions, funding organizations, and disciplinary societies can take to more effectively conduct, facilitate, and evaluate interdisciplinary research programs and projects. Throughout the report key concepts are illustrated with case studies and results of the committee's surveys of individual researchers and university provosts.

As cultural, social, political, and historical objects, guns are rich with complex and contested significance. What guns mean, why they matter, and what policies should be undertaken to regulate guns remain issues of vigorous scholarly and public debate. Gun Studies offers fresh research and original perspectives on the contentious issue of firearms in public life. Comprising global, interdisciplinary contributions, this insightful volume examines difficult and timely questions through the lens of: Social practice Marketing and commerce Critical theory Political conflict Public policy Criminology Questions explored include the evolution of American gun culture from recreation to self-protection; the changing dynamics of the pro-gun and pro-regulation movements; the deeply personal role of guns as sources of both injury and security; and the relationship between gun-wielding individuals, the state, and social order in the United States and abroad. In addition to introducing new research, Gun Studies presents reflections by senior scholars on what has been learned over the decades and how gun-related research has influenced public policy and everyday conversations. Offering provocative and often intimate perspectives on how guns influence individuals, social structures, and the state in both dramatic and nuanced ways, Gun Studies will appeal to students and researchers interested in fields such as sociology, political science, legal history, criminology, criminal justice, social policy, armaments industries, and violent crime. It will also appeal to policy makers and all others interested in and concerned about the use of guns.

Examines the contemporary academy by connecting its discipline-based structure with its burgeoning interdisciplinary focus.

The landscape of contemporary research is characterized by growing interdisciplinarity, and disciplinary boundaries are blurring faster than ever. Yet while interdisciplinary methods, and methodological innovation in general, are often presented as the ‘holy grail’ of research, there are few examples or discussions of their development and ‘behaviour’ in the field. This Routledge Handbook of Interdisciplinary Research presents a bold intervention by showcasing a diversity of stimulating approaches. Over 50 experienced researchers illustrate the challenges, but also the rewards of doing and representing interdisciplinary research through their own methodological developments. Featured projects cover a variety of scales and topics, from small art-science collaborations to the ‘big data’ of mass observations. Each section is dedicated to an aspect of data handling, from collection, classification, validation to communication to research audiences. Most importantly, Interdisciplinary Methods presents a distinctive approach through its focus on knowledge as process, defamiliarising and reworking familiar practices such as experimenting, archiving, observing, prototyping or translating.