Science Policy Research Report: Infrastructure for Interdisciplinarity

为了刺激创新，联邦资助机构和大学利用各种机制投资于跨学科研究，包括：有针对性的资助机会；物理工作空间的重新组织；建立特定主题、跨学科的研究中心；教师集群招聘；跨学科奖学金计划；以及像IGERT这样的研究生培训计划。这项研究综合了文献，以评估哪些机制是最有效的，在什么情况下。跨学科是一个及时的、对国家具有重要意义的科学政策主题，但资金总是有限的，那些制定和实施政策的人需要知道如何最好地实现投资回报。这项研究确定了最成功的机制和政策，从而最有效地利用研发资金。政策报告全面审查了奖学金，并密切关注审查的研究的可靠性和稳健性。它从比较已经提出的跨学科研究的各种定义和衡量标准开始，转向评估跨学科研究的影响和有价值的成果，如科学生产力和创新。政策报告根据科学研究的证据提供政策药方。

With the goal of stimulating innovation, federal funding agencies and universities have invested in interdisciplinary research, using various mechanisms, including: targetted funding opportunities; re-organization of physical work spaces; establishment of topic specific, disciplinary spanning research centers; faculty cluster hires; interdisciplinary fellowship programs; and graduate training programs like IGERT. This research synthesizes the literature to assess which mechanisms have been most effective and under what circumstances. Interdisciplinarity is a timely and nationally important science policy topic, but there are always limits to funding, and those who make and implement policy need to know how best to achieve returns on their investments. The research identifies the mechanisms and policies that have been most successful and thus made the most effective use of R&D funding. The policy report comprehensively reviews the scholarship and attends closely to the reliability and robustness of the studies reviewed. It begins by comparing the various definitions and measures of interdisciplinary research that have been proposed, and moves toward assessing the impact of interdisciplinary research and valued outcomes like scientific productivity and innovation. The policy report provides policy prescriptions based on evidence in the scientific research.