Large-scale transdisciplinary collaboration for adaptation research: Challenges and insights

Cundill, Georgina, Harvey, Blane, Tebboth, Mark ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1193-8080, Cochrane, Logan, Currie-Alder, Bruce, Vincent, Katharine, Lawn, Jon, Nicholls, Robert J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9715-1109, Scodanibbio, Lucia, Prakash, Anjal, New, Mark, Wester, Philippus, Leone, Michele, Morchain, Daniel, Ludi, Eva, DeMaria-Kinney, Jesse, Khan, Ahmed and Landry, Marie-Eve (2019) Large-scale transdisciplinary collaboration for adaptation research: Challenges and insights. Global Challenges, 3 (4). ISSN 2056-6646

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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.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	Acknowledgements: This work was carried out under the Collaborative Adaptation Research Initiative in Africa and Asia (CARIAA) with financial support from the UK Government's Department for International Development and the International Development Research Centre, Ottawa, Canada. The views expressed in this work are those of the creators and do not necessarily represent those of the UK Government's Department for International Development, the International Development Research Centre, Canada or its Board of Governors, and are not necessarily attributable to their organizations.
Uncontrolled Keywords:	climate change,collaboration,transdisciplinarity,climate-change,sdg 13 - climate action ,/dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/climate_action
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Social Sciences > School of Global Development (formerly School of International Development) University of East Anglia Research Groups/Centres > Theme - ClimateUEA
UEA Research Groups:	University of East Anglia Schools > Faculty of Science > Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research Faculty of Science > Research Centres > Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Collaborative Centre for Sustainable Use of the Seas
Depositing User:	LivePure Connector
Date Deposited:	18 Jul 2019 09:30
Last Modified:	06 Sep 2022 11:33
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/71780
DOI:	10.1002/gch2.201700132

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