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Facilitating Integration in Interdisciplinary Research: Lessons from a South Florida Water, Sustainability, and Climate Project

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Abstract

Interdisciplinary research is increasingly called upon to find solutions to complex sustainability problems, yet co-creating usable knowledge can be challenging. This article offers broad lessons for conducting interdisciplinary science from the South Florida Water, Sustainability, and Climate Project (SFWSC), a 5-year project funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF). The goal was to develop a holistic decision-making framework to improve understanding of the complex natural–social system of South Florida water allocation and its threats from climate change, including sea level rise, using a water resources optimization model as an integration mechanism. The SFWSC project faced several challenges, including uncertainty with tasks, high task interdependence, and ensuring communication among geographically dispersed members. Our hypothesis was that adaptive techniques would help overcome these challenges and maintain scientific rigor as research evolved. By systematically evaluating the interdisciplinary management approach throughout the project, we learned that integration can be supported by a three-pronged approach: (1) Build a well-defined team and leadership structure for collaboration across geographic distance and disciplines, ensuring adequate coordination funding, encouraging cross-pollination, and allowing team structure to adapt; (2) intentionally design a process and structure for facilitating collaboration, creating mechanisms for routine analysis, and incorporating collaboration tools that foster communication; and (3) support integration within the scientific framework, by using a shared research output, and encouraging team members to adapt when facing unanticipated constraints. These lessons contribute to the international body of knowledge on interdisciplinary research and can assist teams attempting to develop sustainable solutions in complex natural–social systems.

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Acknowledgements

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Nos. EAR-1204762, EAR-1204780, and EAR-1204474. This research was conducted in collaboration with the Florida Coastal Everglades Long-Term Ecological Research program under Grant No. DEB-1237517. This is contribution number 884 from the Southeast Environmental Research Center in the Institute of Water & Environment at Florida International University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Lanier Consulting, LLC, 1300 SW 132nd Ave, Miami, FL, 33184, USA

    Alicia L. Lanier

  2. Leonard and Jayne Abess Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy, University of Miami, P.O. Box 248203, Coral Gables, FL, 33124, USA

    Jillian R. Drabik

  3. School of Public Affairs, University of Colorado Denver, 1380 Lawrence St., Suite 500, Denver, CO, 80204, USA

    Tanya Heikkila

  4. Department of Earth and Environment, Florida International University, ACH-5, 360, 11200 SW 8th Street, Miami, FL, 33199, USA

    Jessica Bolson, Michael C. Sukop & Jennifer Rehage

  5. Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton, MI, 49931, USA

    David W. Watkins

  6. Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, Oklahoma State University, 111 Agricultural Hall, Stillwater, OK, 74078, USA

    Ali Mirchi

  7. U.S. Forest Service, 2150 Centre Ave, Bldg A, Suite 368, Fort Collins, CO, 80526, USA

    Victor Engel

  8. RSMAS, Department of Marine Ecosystems and Society, University of Miami, 4600 Rickenbacker CSWY, Miami, FL, 33149-1098, USA

    David Letson

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  1. Alicia L. Lanier
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  2. Jillian R. Drabik
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Correspondence to Alicia L. Lanier.

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Lanier, A.L., Drabik, J.R., Heikkila, T. et al. Facilitating Integration in Interdisciplinary Research: Lessons from a South Florida Water, Sustainability, and Climate Project. Environmental Management 62, 1025–1037 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-018-1099-1

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