This research leadership course targets all AAU research group leaders, heads of sections, cluster initiators, and other faculty staff managing interdisciplinary projects and programmes at AAU. The course language will depend on the participants. You can indicate preferred course language (Danish or English) when signing up.
Aim
There might not be a more timely moment to build capacity in interdisciplinary academic leadership. With the advent of more inter-, multi-, and transdisciplinary research programmes and initiatives on both national and international levels, and with the increased focus on cross-faculty collaboration at Aalborg University, finding a space to develop and refine interdisciplinary leadership is essential.
The persisting character of complex societal challenges and the cross-cutting nature of mission-driven research and innovation, calls for leadership skills that facilitate integration, communication, and partnerships. To harness the value of interdisciplinary collaboration and promote integration with of SSH, STEM and HEALTH, this course offers a learning platform to support:
- Leadership skills and models for composing interdisciplinary projects and teams.
- Insights into mission-oriented research and innovation practices.
- Tools to effectively communicate and interact across disciplinary boundaries.
- A framework for planning and amplifying impact and collaborating with partners from other research fields and sectors.
During the course, the participants learn how to position themselves within a broader context of research management and research collaboration with a special focus on interdisciplinary team science and missions-oriented research and innovation projects. The participants will bring home a set of tools that can be activated to achieve more integrated approaches to collaboration, communication, and impact across AAU and beyond.
The course will introduce models of interdisciplinary leadership and exemplify cases by taking a deeper look at transformative research practices, including collaborative research across SSH, STEM and HEALTH. What does integration mean? How do you lead interdisciplinary teams and programmes? How do you assess the success of interdisciplinary research? How do you help interdisciplinary teams to integrate and exchange knowledge with partners from other disciplines and sectors? And how can co-creation across disciplines and sectors play a role in amplyfying research impact? These are some of the questions this course will answer.
Through the course, participants will work in groups and reflect on different scenarios and dilemmas of constructing and leading interdisciplinary teams. We intend to make amble space for networking and informal learning, thus creating a unique space for sharing experiences and dilemmas. Guest lectures and lightening talks will include two leading research managers, science policy makers, funders, or knowledge exchange experts.
Learning objectives
Participants are expected to:
- Improve their ability to establish and lead interdisciplinary teams and engage in collaboration across SSH, STEM and HEALTH.
- Improve their ability to work with mission-oriented research and innovation practices and attract funding from interdisciplinary programmes.
- Improve their ability to mediate and communicate across disciplinary boundaries – thus accelerating collaboration, integration, and impact.
- Be able to lead SSH researchers through the merger of faculties and inspire faculty staff to engage in collaboration with SSH, STEM and HEALTH disciplines.
Teaching method
The course will be a mix of lectures, group discussion and case work. The course is driven by the principles of “learning by doing” and “collaborative learning”, which means that we will be drawing on the experiences and dilemmas of participants, providing and receiving feedback. The participants are expected to take an active part in the course, working with their own ability to lead and curate research groups and units. Material for the course will be a dynamic mix of theoretical and practical resources, followed by group work. The two lecturers work closely together with the participants, coaching and giving individually tailored feedback to ensure that everybody is comfortable and in development.
Program and content of the course
Two times two days course from 9.30 AM to 4 PM. Before each course day, participants are asked to spend three hours on preparation, for instance by reading material and writing a short text on a course-related issue, mapping their need for leadership skills. Throughout the course, material and assignments make the participant acquainted with conceptual and practical models for:
- Composing and leading interdisciplinary teams, focusing on network- and community-building in the early stages of a research initiative, and creating integration, synergy, and impact
- Creating an organisational culture founded on, and advanced by, a shared commitment to open communication, mutual respect, and trust.
- Bridging between different epistemic cultures and building consistent and coherent teams or programmes over time.
- Understanding what constitutes interdisciplinary excellence, and how funding agencies evaluate mission- and challenge-driven funding programme
- Becoming an “interactional expert” that can connect otherwise isolated disciplinary experts and help to diffuse ideas within a network.
- Supporting an inclusive and integrative research culture providing support for interdisciplinary research, innovation, and education, e.g., by supporting interdisciplinary careers and integrating interdisciplinarity in education.
- Communicating research to help foster collaboration, improve problem-solving, and decision-making.
This course is designed to help existing and aspiring leaders to become better equipped to interdisciplinary challenges, and to influence change within and beyond their teams and network. It is beneficial to all research leaders who are driven to align success with the delivery of positive social outcomes. The course curriculum will be suited to those looking to build on experience with a programme designed to provide tools and skills to understand, manage and stimulate the integration and impact of interdisciplinary research, while championing curiosity and integrity.
Duration
One retreat of two days from 9.30 AM to 4 PM including dinner (Aalborg) and two single days of seminar (Aalborg). Three to five hours of preparations before each seminar.
About the instructors
David Budtz Pedersen is professor of science communication and science studies at Department of Communication and Psychology, Aalborg University. He is the author and co-author of several studies and policy reports on research management and research impact and has published widely on issues related to interdisciplinary research funding, evaluation and leadership.
Rolf Hvidtfeldt is assistant professor of science communication and science studies at Department of Communication and Psychology, Aalborg University. He is the author of several papers and books on interdisciplinarity and philosophy of science and has participated in various events and networks on science advice to governments.
Further info and requests
The two instructors are experienced researchers within SSH research management, communication, and evaluation. They have worked on building and studying interdisciplinary teams for several years, advising European universities and funding agencies on interdisciplinary excellence, impact, and leadership. Elements of the course have been taught at Oxford University, Melbourne University, Kyoto University and University of Toronto.
Questions related to the course:
Prof. David Budtz Pedersen, E-mail: davidp@hum.aau.dk
Background reading
Pedersen DB & Hvidtfeldt R (2021). Literature Review on Funding and Composition of Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation Teams. Danish Ministry of Higher Education and Science.
Pedersen DB (2021) Kortlægning af virkemidler der understøtter tværvidenskabelig forskning og innovation blandt råd, fonde og universiteter samt udvalgte EU-virkemidler. Danish Ministry of Higher Education and Science.