Conference: Toward a Holistic Developmental Science: Catalyzing Transdisciplinary Multi-Sector Collaborations to Understand and Support Human Development

Harvard University, Cambridge MA

Investigators

Abstract

Research to understand the complexities of human development occurs in a diverse array of fields. Whereas specialization within a field is essential to address research questions at a deep level, this has resulted in fragmented silos of knowledge. However, innovations are catalyzed when research intentionally integrates multiple disciplines and is conceptualized with policymakers, practitioners, and the community (e.g., transdisciplinary, multisector research). Despite its importance, transdisciplinary, multisector research is difficult to achieve. This project provides funding to support the attendance of early career and underrepresented scholars at a conference specifically focused on catalyzing innovative, transdisciplinary, multisector research and a 6-month follow up meeting at a preconference before the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) Biennial Meeting. This conference upends the traditional conference model by providing opportunities to pursue training, mentorship, and structured space to foster new collaborations across attendees’ disciplinary training and is integrative among researchers, community agencies, and practitioners. This conference emphasizes the process of building and sustaining multidisciplinary and multisector collaborations. To achieve this, keynote speakers and plenary sessions will focus on how to develop transdisciplinary, multisector teams and projects. The main impetus of the conference emerges from the Working Roundtables, whereby attendees are pre-matched based on submissions into transdisciplinary and multisector teams and provided dedicated time and mentorship to develop new innovative transdisciplinary, multisector research ideas. Supporting attendance at this conference will encourage and enable a new generation of transdisciplinary, multisector research focused on understanding and supporting human development in its full and rich complexity. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.