Transdisciplinary research represents a major leap in research innovation designed to respond to the unique nature of today’s complex, dynamic and networked societal challenges.
The TD School holds an established track record at the leading edge of education, research, and their integration. We work with stakeholders as co-creators of learning experiences and research projects to tap into creative responses to complex societal challenges. We have extensive expertise in designing and facilitating context-specific and adaptive workshops with distinctive tools and methods. Transdisciplinary (TD) research is ideally suited to problem spaces that are open, complex, dynamic and networked. It goes beyond solving discrete problems by opening doors to new questions and digging deeper at root causes instead of targeting symptoms.
TD research is primarily a process rather than a product. In plain terms, it typically involves:
- mixing academic knowledges from multiple disciplines
- mixing applied knowledges through collaboration with industry
- co-design with stakeholders, including end-users through a human-centred approach.
Through that approach, transdisciplinary research does more than generate publications. Because engagement with stakeholders is built in from the design stages of research projects, it inherently involves mutual learning, engagement and impact for all parties involved.
Learn more about our transdisciplinary research.
Research themes
Transdisciplinary research is useful across a very broad range of areas. Within the Transdisciplinary School (TD School), we focus our research on 6 main themes. We also enable others across UTS to use TD methods in their projects (aka ‘supported by TD School’). Our key themes are: Sustainable Societies, Transformative Learning, Responsible Technology, Health and Wellbeing, Multispecies Societies and Innovation and Change.
Click on the themes below to find out more about our research in each theme and explore our collaborations, case studies, further reading and more.
Enabling the achievement of the United Nations development goals (SDGs).
Unleashing the transformative potential of learning for individuals, organisations and society.
Technology can transform our lives in so many ways and redefine what it means to be human.
Understanding the social and technical system in which health and wellbeing is managed, including knowing which data and experts to trust.
Humans or animals? Prey or predator? Domestic or wild? Native or introduced? How can we coexist with less conflict and more appreciation of each other’s benefits?
Beyond new products and services, innovation includes new ideas, paradigms and methods that significantly change our productivity and our lives.