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Paper short abstract

This study examines the epistemic friction and identity tensions inherent in inter- and transdisciplinary research. Drawing on four translational design case studies, it analyses how competing disciplinary values and institutional rewards create barriers to collaboration and societal impact.

Paper long abstract

Transdisciplinary research challenges the boundaries of knowledge, yet its potential is often limited by the epistemic friction between collaborating sectors. This paper asks: how can this friction become a productive site of knowledge-making rather than an obstacle? Through a making and doing lens in STS (Downey & Zuiderent-Jerak, 2016), this study examines a translational design process implemented across workshops with four university research groups, seeking real-world impact. Translational design can enable collaboration between research, industry, policy, and society for systemic knowledge co-production and impact (Baule, 2016; Hornbuckle and Page, 2024), creating a space where these tensions can be productively negotiated. Knowledge production processes are socially constructed by the groups involved in their making (Pinch et al. 1984). Building on this, the analysis reveals how tensions arise not just from different methods, but from competing professional identities, the perceived risks of public engagement, and the misalignment between institutional rewards (publications) and personal motivations (societal impact). Findings show that this structured process helps reframe research questions and fosters peer-to-peer learning, enabling a shift toward shared, application-oriented goals. The study concludes that transdisciplinary research requires methods that explicitly address the identity work and epistemic friction involved. It contributes a replicable process for turning the practical tensions of collaboration into opportunities for co-creating more resilient and hopeful futures.