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Open your mind to interdisciplinary research
THE INSIDER
Open your mind Forget biology, chemistry, physics or even biochemistry – the most exciting science is happening at the interface of the traditional disciplines. Sean O’Neill gets to grips with research that knows no boundaries
TIME to open your mind, people. Embarking on a postgraduate course or accepting a postdoctoral position used to be a step towards becoming an expert in one, highly specialised area. Not that there is anything wrong with that. But for those who prefer to see the bigger picture and want the excitement of a more flexible and spontaneous career, looking beyond the confines of your old school disciplines may be just what the doctoral ordered. Here lies the burgeoning world of interdisciplinary (ID) research. This is where two or more disciplines combine to create something more than the sum of their parts. It is about not being constrained by one way of thinking or tackling a problem. Instead, skills and knowledge are gained in a variety of disciplines and new applications for the research are sought. In short, it is the home of blue-sky thinking.
Grand challenges It is also a sociable affair. Communication between researchers in different fields is vital. “For me, teamwork is one of the things that categorises interdisciplinarity,” says Marian Scott, director of the University of Glasgow’s interdisciplinary Sustainable Development Network. “It’s not just a single individual in a single lab or single office, it’s a group of people who are focused on a large challenge.” Over the last decade, ID research has become increasingly high-profile, with academics and government bodies beginning to see it as a way to deal with some of 52 | NewScientist | 19 February 2011
humanity’s greatest problems. “Some of the big challenges that we face, both societal and scientific, are just not solvable by people sitting in their single-discipline silos – bringing those disciplines together in the long term is what provides the big, big breakthroughs,” says Kedar Pandya of the Engineering and Physical Research Council (EPSRC). Pandya heads up the EPSRC’s CrossDisciplinary Interfaces Programme which supports the UK’s network of Doctoral Training Centres. These centres, each based at one or more universities, have been specifically created to train PhD students to work across departments and specialisms. The concept is also popular across the channel, where ID research is seen as a priority for European Union funding. Prestigious institutes such as the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETHZ) and the pan-Europe European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) also offer grants for PhDs and postdocs in ID research. In the UK, Research Councils UK, the umbrella body that allocates the government’s science budget, has created cross-council ID “themes”, such as Lifelong Health and Wellbeing, Energy, and Living with Environmental Change. Take the challenge of climate change. “There’s the fundamental science – the physics, the chemistry and so on,” says Scott, “but there’s also the social science: how do we get people to change their behaviour? And the engineering aspects: how do we design more efficient power generation systems, and improve insulating technologies?” Having experts from many disciplines grouped into
themes means that the challenges can be attacked from all sides simultaneously, making the process much more integrated and efficient than working in groups divided by subject. That’s the big picture, but what’s in it for budding research scientists? Why should you leave the comfortable “silo” you have grown to love? ID research “allows you to take an area of fundamental science that you’re good at, and then think about how you can do something new with it”, says Lee Cronin, who runs a chemical nanoscience interdisciplinary group at the University of Glasgow. It means you can tap into the expertise of a wide range of disciplines. “You gain other people’s expertise without having to do their
To search more opportunities go to www.NewScientistStudy.com
“Your personality should be outgoing because you need to discuss, debate, propose your own ideas and then defend them. You also need to persuade other people and explain your research.” Chengkun Wu, first-year PhD researcher in systems biology, University of Manchester “The main thing is the confidence to approach people and say ‘look, I don’t understand this, will you tell me?’ without it making you feel bad.” Mark Symes, postdoc solar fuels research fellow, University of Glasgow “You have to enjoy learning, and because you are definitely outside of your comfort zone you have to be fairly self-motivated and have a bit of confidence in yourself to get on and do it.” Dorothy Kuipers, final year PhD student at University College London’s CoMPLEX “I came across a quote in a cracker over Christmas that kind of sums up the interdisciplinary mindset: ‘He who asks a stupid question risks looking stupid for 5 minutes; he who doesn’t ask a question risks looking stupid for the rest of his life.’ You have to be unafraid to look stupid every now and again.” Martyn Rittman, postdoc research assistant, University of Reading
Science is interdisciplinary, as shown by this map of journal cross-citations
degree,” says Mark Roberts, a postdoctoral research assistant in systems biology at the University of Oxford. And if you have been studying something fairly esoteric up until now, the ID approach will help you feel more
“The challenges we face are not solvable by people remaining in their single discipline silos” connected to reality. Take Dorothy Kuipers, a final year PhD student at University College London’s Centre for Mathematics and Physics in the Life Sciences and Experimental Biology (CoMPLEX). After her undergraduate degree in astrophysics she decided a change of direction was in order and swapped the vast scales of the
stars for the microscale of human cells. “Astrophysics is fascinating, but it’s not really linked to the ‘real world’. When looking at postgraduate work, I felt like I wanted to help people so I looked for research with a medical impact,” she explains. Kuipers now studies the physical mechanics of how cells die as part of a wider push to help prevent deafness. This meant adding biology to her expertise in physics. “In the beginning it was a bit overwhelming,” she says. “In the first few months my biology supervisor was telling me what I needed to do but I just didn’t get it. Now that I feel a lot more confident in biology it is very satisfying.” ID work also gives you a wider academic perspective. “You work with a group of people
from different disciplines and, actually, you learn the thinking styles of other disciplines,” says Chengkun Wu at the University of Manchester’s Doctoral Training Centre for Integrative Systems Biology. He studied computer science for seven years before throwing biology into the mix for a PhD in systems biology. “Right now, I talk to biologists, physicists and other computer scientists,” he says. “I can’t solve every problem, but I know how to express the problem to experts in other fields.” So far, so good, but are there any pitfalls of becoming an ID researcher? Will potential employers think you lack the depth of specialism by studying too broadly? “ID researchers don’t get labelled as > 19 February 2011 | NewScientist | 53
Rafols, I., Porter, A.L. and Leydesdorff, L. (2010) Science overlay maps: A new tool for research policy and library management
Have you got what it takes?
THE INSIDER jacks of all trades, master of none,” reassures Scott. Roberts, however, sounds a note of caution. “Due to the way universities are laid out, with traditional departments, you need to fall into one of them at some point to get a post,” he says. “A difficulty may arise if you
“The distinctions between sciences are artificial – an approach from one area can be applied to another” put yourself between departments too much, as you could find yourself in a position where people don’t see you as having gone very far in anything.” What about getting your research published? “It can be challenging finding the right journal for your research,” says Adair Richards of Warwick Pioneers, an interdisciplinary centre at the University of Warwick. “One often has to learn the idiosyncrasies of publishing to a specific audience several times over.”
If you decide that ID research is for you, moving into a new discipline and culture will present other challenges, too. You will certainly have to familiarise yourself with the new terms and vocabulary of the subject you are moving into. “People in my group always work at the interface between experimental life and biomedical scientists and so had to learn at least two different [scientific] languages,” says Michael Stumpf, who was a theoretical physicist before crossing disciplines into systems biology at Imperial College London. “When clinicians or engineers are involved, sometimes even a third or fourth.” Kuipers, whose primary expertise lies
Monty Rakusen/getty
Lost in translation
Walking the interdisciplinary walk After graduating from the University of Warwick with a mathematics degree in 2003, Adair Richards was up for a challenge and looking for ways to broaden his knowledge. “I saw the distinctions between the sciences as largely artificial and wanted to explore how the approach from one discipline could be applied in another.” His
54 | NewScientist | 19 February 2011
MSc started off with a six-month crash course in cellular biology, computing, statistics, analytical chemistry and experimental biology followed by three two-month projects in biology, chemistry and computer science. This was followed by a PhD focusing on the problem of antibiotic resistance. “I was developing a new type of synthetic antibiotic which works by wrapping DNA into what is best described as a useless ball of
knitting. It was quite an adventure – with four supervisors across three departments – and despite having pretty much zero results after 18 months, I managed to finish on time with papers in chemistry, mathematical and biological journals and the lead story on BBC radio’s Science in Action programme.” Richards went on to join his supervisor, Alison Rodger, on staff both as a postdoc and science communications fellow, setting
up and launching Warwick Pioneers, the umbrella name for all the interdisciplinary centres at Warwick. “We also set up the first accredited Postgraduate Certificate in Transferable Skills, which runs alongside a student’s PhD and is compulsory for all our interdisciplinary students. This was inspired by a philosophy that we want our graduates not just to be merely very clever but also to be really useful in the workplace.”
To search more opportunities go to www.NewScientistStudy.com
where you’re going to go, as it’s not clear what your contribution is going to be,” says Laurence Hurst, whose group at the University of Bath uses computational and mathematical techniques to model genome evolution. Wu’s view is that his seven years’ worth of expertise is proving invaluable to the rest of his colleagues: “You should have accumulated knowledge in a certain subject to a relatively high level, so that you can help other people in your group with that aspect.”
What to look for “The most important thing is to find the problem or challenge that really interests you,” says Wu. You should also find out which structures are in place to promote a genuine interdisciplinary community as the success of ID centres hinges on their ability to connect academics and researchers from different disciplines. “The one thing that’s really nice about what’s been happening in recent years, and that I wish was around when I did my own PhD, is the relatively new Doctoral Training Centre-style PhDs,” says Roberts. “They give you extra training in areas and with tools that you wouldn’t have been exposed to as an undergraduate. And that opens your mind to different approaches to looking at problems and looking at data.” Pandya agrees wholeheartedly: “You start with the premise that the strategic approach to training is to give young people a broad experience across disciplines and by doing so you are creating the thought-leaders of
“Science is about ideas and the creative process. Interdisciplinary research teaches you that” in physics, is a case in point. “I’d often go to non-physics talks where there was one basic term that I didn’t know, and it could throw me for the entire session,” she says. “You do have to make sure you’re speaking the same language,” says Martyn Rittman, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Reading. “Take the word ‘cell’, for example. To a physicist it’s a battery, for a biologist it’s a living thing, for a terrorist it’s something else again.” If the thought of getting your hands dirty in another discipline doesn’t terrify you, at what point should you add these skills to your armoury? “You need at least one set of skills to bring to the table. If you don’t actually have a core skill that you can bring, I don’t know
the future – the people who will be very comfortable in cross-disciplinary teams, people who will not be afraid to test the boundaries of their scientific knowledge.” So if you want to have a diverse and successful scientific career, and really make an impact, then perhaps it is time to mine that rich seam at the interface of several disciplines. Don’t feel constrained by tradition: free your mind. As Cronin says: “Science is not laws written in the universe. It’s just ideas. Science is primarily a creative process, and interdisciplinary research teaches you that.” n Sean O’Neill is a subeditor at New Scientist and a freelance writer based in London
Courses Calendar As well as attending conferences for your professional development, keep your skills sharp and knowledge current by taking advantage of the many courses on offer. Below is a selection of those being held in the first half of this year, across a range of disciplines
February – Media training course These days all scientists need to know how to deal with journalists. This course provides coaching on how to handle the media in a range of situations 23 Feb; hosted by the Royal Society; London
March – Drosophila Techniques The humble Drosophila fruit fly has long been the model organism of choice for biologists. Covering genetics, dissection and the latest techniques, this course offers a primer for anyone about to embark on a Drosphila-based project 11-18 Mar; European Molecular Biology Organisation; Lisbon, Portugal
April – Advanced Photonics Techniques in Biology Photonics techniques from the physical sciences are helping biologists to observe single molecules, cells, tissues and organisms. Hear the latest advances at this one day event 11 Apr; Institute of Physics; London
May – MEGA 2011: Effective Methods in Algebraic Geometry Mathematicians, brush up on your algebraic geometry at this conference that focuses on computational methods and applications 30 May-3 Jun; European Science Foundation; Stockholm, Sweden
June – Summer school: Understanding energy, low-carbon resilient energy systems and their impacts The challenges of making the transition to a low-carbon energy system are analysed from all sides at this summer school for PhD students involved in energy-related research 26 Jun – 1 Jul; UK Energy Research Centre; Warwick
July – Advanced qPCR Techniques for Publication Success Keep abreast of the different protocol variations of this common experimental technique 11-15 Jul; European Molecular Biology Laboratory; Heidelberg, Germany
19 February 2011 | NewScientist | 55
Open your mind Forget biology, chemistry, physics or even biochemistry – the most exciting science is happening at the interface of the traditional disciplines. Sean O’Neill gets to grips with research that knows no boundaries
TIME to open your mind, people. Embarking on a postgraduate course or accepting a postdoctoral position used to be a step towards becoming an expert in one, highly specialised area. Not that there is anything wrong with that. But for those who prefer to see the bigger picture and want the excitement of a more flexible and spontaneous career, looking beyond the confines of your old school disciplines may be just what the doctoral ordered. Here lies the burgeoning world of interdisciplinary (ID) research. This is where two or more disciplines combine to create something more than the sum of their parts. It is about not being constrained by one way of thinking or tackling a problem. Instead, skills and knowledge are gained in a variety of disciplines and new applications for the research are sought. In short, it is the home of blue-sky thinking.
Grand challenges It is also a sociable affair. Communication between researchers in different fields is vital. “For me, teamwork is one of the things that categorises interdisciplinarity,” says Marian Scott, director of the University of Glasgow’s interdisciplinary Sustainable Development Network. “It’s not just a single individual in a single lab or single office, it’s a group of people who are focused on a large challenge.” Over the last decade, ID research has become increasingly high-profile, with academics and government bodies beginning to see it as a way to deal with some of 52 | NewScientist | 19 February 2011
humanity’s greatest problems. “Some of the big challenges that we face, both societal and scientific, are just not solvable by people sitting in their single-discipline silos – bringing those disciplines together in the long term is what provides the big, big breakthroughs,” says Kedar Pandya of the Engineering and Physical Research Council (EPSRC). Pandya heads up the EPSRC’s CrossDisciplinary Interfaces Programme which supports the UK’s network of Doctoral Training Centres. These centres, each based at one or more universities, have been specifically created to train PhD students to work across departments and specialisms. The concept is also popular across the channel, where ID research is seen as a priority for European Union funding. Prestigious institutes such as the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETHZ) and the pan-Europe European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) also offer grants for PhDs and postdocs in ID research. In the UK, Research Councils UK, the umbrella body that allocates the government’s science budget, has created cross-council ID “themes”, such as Lifelong Health and Wellbeing, Energy, and Living with Environmental Change. Take the challenge of climate change. “There’s the fundamental science – the physics, the chemistry and so on,” says Scott, “but there’s also the social science: how do we get people to change their behaviour? And the engineering aspects: how do we design more efficient power generation systems, and improve insulating technologies?” Having experts from many disciplines grouped into
themes means that the challenges can be attacked from all sides simultaneously, making the process much more integrated and efficient than working in groups divided by subject. That’s the big picture, but what’s in it for budding research scientists? Why should you leave the comfortable “silo” you have grown to love? ID research “allows you to take an area of fundamental science that you’re good at, and then think about how you can do something new with it”, says Lee Cronin, who runs a chemical nanoscience interdisciplinary group at the University of Glasgow. It means you can tap into the expertise of a wide range of disciplines. “You gain other people’s expertise without having to do their
To search more opportunities go to www.NewScientistStudy.com
“Your personality should be outgoing because you need to discuss, debate, propose your own ideas and then defend them. You also need to persuade other people and explain your research.” Chengkun Wu, first-year PhD researcher in systems biology, University of Manchester “The main thing is the confidence to approach people and say ‘look, I don’t understand this, will you tell me?’ without it making you feel bad.” Mark Symes, postdoc solar fuels research fellow, University of Glasgow “You have to enjoy learning, and because you are definitely outside of your comfort zone you have to be fairly self-motivated and have a bit of confidence in yourself to get on and do it.” Dorothy Kuipers, final year PhD student at University College London’s CoMPLEX “I came across a quote in a cracker over Christmas that kind of sums up the interdisciplinary mindset: ‘He who asks a stupid question risks looking stupid for 5 minutes; he who doesn’t ask a question risks looking stupid for the rest of his life.’ You have to be unafraid to look stupid every now and again.” Martyn Rittman, postdoc research assistant, University of Reading
Science is interdisciplinary, as shown by this map of journal cross-citations
degree,” says Mark Roberts, a postdoctoral research assistant in systems biology at the University of Oxford. And if you have been studying something fairly esoteric up until now, the ID approach will help you feel more
“The challenges we face are not solvable by people remaining in their single discipline silos” connected to reality. Take Dorothy Kuipers, a final year PhD student at University College London’s Centre for Mathematics and Physics in the Life Sciences and Experimental Biology (CoMPLEX). After her undergraduate degree in astrophysics she decided a change of direction was in order and swapped the vast scales of the
stars for the microscale of human cells. “Astrophysics is fascinating, but it’s not really linked to the ‘real world’. When looking at postgraduate work, I felt like I wanted to help people so I looked for research with a medical impact,” she explains. Kuipers now studies the physical mechanics of how cells die as part of a wider push to help prevent deafness. This meant adding biology to her expertise in physics. “In the beginning it was a bit overwhelming,” she says. “In the first few months my biology supervisor was telling me what I needed to do but I just didn’t get it. Now that I feel a lot more confident in biology it is very satisfying.” ID work also gives you a wider academic perspective. “You work with a group of people
from different disciplines and, actually, you learn the thinking styles of other disciplines,” says Chengkun Wu at the University of Manchester’s Doctoral Training Centre for Integrative Systems Biology. He studied computer science for seven years before throwing biology into the mix for a PhD in systems biology. “Right now, I talk to biologists, physicists and other computer scientists,” he says. “I can’t solve every problem, but I know how to express the problem to experts in other fields.” So far, so good, but are there any pitfalls of becoming an ID researcher? Will potential employers think you lack the depth of specialism by studying too broadly? “ID researchers don’t get labelled as > 19 February 2011 | NewScientist | 53
Rafols, I., Porter, A.L. and Leydesdorff, L. (2010) Science overlay maps: A new tool for research policy and library management
Have you got what it takes?
THE INSIDER jacks of all trades, master of none,” reassures Scott. Roberts, however, sounds a note of caution. “Due to the way universities are laid out, with traditional departments, you need to fall into one of them at some point to get a post,” he says. “A difficulty may arise if you
“The distinctions between sciences are artificial – an approach from one area can be applied to another” put yourself between departments too much, as you could find yourself in a position where people don’t see you as having gone very far in anything.” What about getting your research published? “It can be challenging finding the right journal for your research,” says Adair Richards of Warwick Pioneers, an interdisciplinary centre at the University of Warwick. “One often has to learn the idiosyncrasies of publishing to a specific audience several times over.”
If you decide that ID research is for you, moving into a new discipline and culture will present other challenges, too. You will certainly have to familiarise yourself with the new terms and vocabulary of the subject you are moving into. “People in my group always work at the interface between experimental life and biomedical scientists and so had to learn at least two different [scientific] languages,” says Michael Stumpf, who was a theoretical physicist before crossing disciplines into systems biology at Imperial College London. “When clinicians or engineers are involved, sometimes even a third or fourth.” Kuipers, whose primary expertise lies
Monty Rakusen/getty
Lost in translation
Walking the interdisciplinary walk After graduating from the University of Warwick with a mathematics degree in 2003, Adair Richards was up for a challenge and looking for ways to broaden his knowledge. “I saw the distinctions between the sciences as largely artificial and wanted to explore how the approach from one discipline could be applied in another.” His
54 | NewScientist | 19 February 2011
MSc started off with a six-month crash course in cellular biology, computing, statistics, analytical chemistry and experimental biology followed by three two-month projects in biology, chemistry and computer science. This was followed by a PhD focusing on the problem of antibiotic resistance. “I was developing a new type of synthetic antibiotic which works by wrapping DNA into what is best described as a useless ball of
knitting. It was quite an adventure – with four supervisors across three departments – and despite having pretty much zero results after 18 months, I managed to finish on time with papers in chemistry, mathematical and biological journals and the lead story on BBC radio’s Science in Action programme.” Richards went on to join his supervisor, Alison Rodger, on staff both as a postdoc and science communications fellow, setting
up and launching Warwick Pioneers, the umbrella name for all the interdisciplinary centres at Warwick. “We also set up the first accredited Postgraduate Certificate in Transferable Skills, which runs alongside a student’s PhD and is compulsory for all our interdisciplinary students. This was inspired by a philosophy that we want our graduates not just to be merely very clever but also to be really useful in the workplace.”
To search more opportunities go to www.NewScientistStudy.com
where you’re going to go, as it’s not clear what your contribution is going to be,” says Laurence Hurst, whose group at the University of Bath uses computational and mathematical techniques to model genome evolution. Wu’s view is that his seven years’ worth of expertise is proving invaluable to the rest of his colleagues: “You should have accumulated knowledge in a certain subject to a relatively high level, so that you can help other people in your group with that aspect.”
What to look for “The most important thing is to find the problem or challenge that really interests you,” says Wu. You should also find out which structures are in place to promote a genuine interdisciplinary community as the success of ID centres hinges on their ability to connect academics and researchers from different disciplines. “The one thing that’s really nice about what’s been happening in recent years, and that I wish was around when I did my own PhD, is the relatively new Doctoral Training Centre-style PhDs,” says Roberts. “They give you extra training in areas and with tools that you wouldn’t have been exposed to as an undergraduate. And that opens your mind to different approaches to looking at problems and looking at data.” Pandya agrees wholeheartedly: “You start with the premise that the strategic approach to training is to give young people a broad experience across disciplines and by doing so you are creating the thought-leaders of
“Science is about ideas and the creative process. Interdisciplinary research teaches you that” in physics, is a case in point. “I’d often go to non-physics talks where there was one basic term that I didn’t know, and it could throw me for the entire session,” she says. “You do have to make sure you’re speaking the same language,” says Martyn Rittman, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Reading. “Take the word ‘cell’, for example. To a physicist it’s a battery, for a biologist it’s a living thing, for a terrorist it’s something else again.” If the thought of getting your hands dirty in another discipline doesn’t terrify you, at what point should you add these skills to your armoury? “You need at least one set of skills to bring to the table. If you don’t actually have a core skill that you can bring, I don’t know
the future – the people who will be very comfortable in cross-disciplinary teams, people who will not be afraid to test the boundaries of their scientific knowledge.” So if you want to have a diverse and successful scientific career, and really make an impact, then perhaps it is time to mine that rich seam at the interface of several disciplines. Don’t feel constrained by tradition: free your mind. As Cronin says: “Science is not laws written in the universe. It’s just ideas. Science is primarily a creative process, and interdisciplinary research teaches you that.” n Sean O’Neill is a subeditor at New Scientist and a freelance writer based in London
Courses Calendar As well as attending conferences for your professional development, keep your skills sharp and knowledge current by taking advantage of the many courses on offer. Below is a selection of those being held in the first half of this year, across a range of disciplines
February – Media training course These days all scientists need to know how to deal with journalists. This course provides coaching on how to handle the media in a range of situations 23 Feb; hosted by the Royal Society; London
March – Drosophila Techniques The humble Drosophila fruit fly has long been the model organism of choice for biologists. Covering genetics, dissection and the latest techniques, this course offers a primer for anyone about to embark on a Drosphila-based project 11-18 Mar; European Molecular Biology Organisation; Lisbon, Portugal
April – Advanced Photonics Techniques in Biology Photonics techniques from the physical sciences are helping biologists to observe single molecules, cells, tissues and organisms. Hear the latest advances at this one day event 11 Apr; Institute of Physics; London
May – MEGA 2011: Effective Methods in Algebraic Geometry Mathematicians, brush up on your algebraic geometry at this conference that focuses on computational methods and applications 30 May-3 Jun; European Science Foundation; Stockholm, Sweden
June – Summer school: Understanding energy, low-carbon resilient energy systems and their impacts The challenges of making the transition to a low-carbon energy system are analysed from all sides at this summer school for PhD students involved in energy-related research 26 Jun – 1 Jul; UK Energy Research Centre; Warwick
July – Advanced qPCR Techniques for Publication Success Keep abreast of the different protocol variations of this common experimental technique 11-15 Jul; European Molecular Biology Laboratory; Heidelberg, Germany
19 February 2011 | NewScientist | 55