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Paper short abstract

Examining cross-institutional doctoral programmes, this study explores how embodied interdisciplinary research practices are shaped by institutional structures, resources, and routines, and how these conditions influence collaborations and knowledge production.

Paper long abstract

In trying to understand how interdisciplinary research can change the world, we also need to consider how the situatedness of this research influences embodied research practices. Research situations include both human and non-human actors that shape situated embodied research practices. Institutional structures are fundamental aspects to the situatedness of interdisciplinary research. These structures can limit what is possible, foster collaborations between individuals, and guide embodied research practices. Considering how institutional structures shape research practices is specifically valuable for interdisciplinary research done cross-institutionally, like many doctoral MSCA programmes.

These often-overlooked institutional aspects (e.g., organizational structure of laboratories or departmental requirements for PhD students) can have a significant influence on the research conducted within these settings. Yet discussions of interdisciplinarity often focus on epistemic differences between disciplines, while paying less attention to the institutional conditions that shape how such collaborations unfold in practice.

The shaping force of these non-human actors can be even greater in interdisciplinary cross-institutional doctoral MSCA programmes, given their complex institutional layering and the additional resources required for interdisciplinary doctoral research. Something as seemingly inconspicuous as which section of the biophysics department owns a specific machine for experimentation can influence what kinds of interdisciplinary research become possible, showing that understanding and navigating institutional arrangements is crucial for realising the transformative potential of interdisciplinary collaborations.

This study is associated to the newly established SPINE project (UCPH). The SPINE project addresses the critical gap between the acknowledged importance of interdisciplinary research and the practical realities of collaboration within existing academic structures.