The Generator: Exploring Collaboration in Radically Interdisciplinary Teams  

Authors:  Professor Imelda Maher, Dr Roderick Jones, Dr Eilish McAulife, Mr Sergey Katsuba 

Organisation:  University College Dublin

Initiative Description & Rationale
The Generator is a workshop series designed to facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration among early-career researchers. Bringing together participants from diverse fields, it provides structured support to develop joint research projects tackling complex societal challenges. While interdisciplinarity is widely encouraged, little is known about how researchers navigate collaboration across radically different disciplines. This initiative seeks to address that gap.
 
Initiative Aims & Methods
The Generator consists of three workshops:
1. The Formation – Teams are created, and initial project ideas take shape.
2. The Development – Groups refine their ideas, receive expert feedback, and develop proposals.
3. The Pitch – Teams present their projects and compete for seed funding.
Throughout, facilitators and discussants from various disciplines guide participants, fostering meaningful engagement.
 
Results & Future Research
Beyond supporting interdisciplinary projects, The Generator is also a research initiative. As an outcome, we aim to produce a paper on the nature of collaboration in radically interdisciplinary teams. To explore the mechanisms behind effective interdisciplinary work, we will conduct interviews with winning teams, examining their approaches to communication, knowledge integration, and decision-making.
By studying these teams, The Generator not only fosters interdisciplinary collaboration but also contributes to a deeper understanding of how researchers bridge disciplinary divides in practice.