Established in 2017, TD Research is the home of transdisciplinary research at UTS. Based in the internationally recognised Transdisciplinary School, it brings together researchers, industry, government, communities and people with lived experience to address the complex challenges shaping our world.
From climate and sustainability to health, technology and social change, today's challenges do not fit neatly within disciplinary boundaries. TD Research integrates diverse forms of knowledge to develop new ways of understanding problems, navigating complexity and creating meaningful real-world impact.
Operating across UTS and beyond, TD Research fosters collaborations that connect disciplines, sectors and perspectives to generate innovative, future-focused pathways for positive change.
Working with complexity
Today’s challenges - across climate, health, technology, equity and sustainability - are complex. They are interconnected, constantly evolving, and rarely have simple solutions.
TD Research is designed specifically to work within this complexity. By integrating diverse perspectives and adapting as challenges evolve, we help navigate uncertainty and generate meaningful, lasting impact.
Why do we need transdisciplinary research?
Traditional approaches to research-working within single disciplines or even across multiple disciplines (i.e. multidisciplinary or interdisciplinarity - are often not enough to address today’s most complex problems.
Transdisciplinary research (TD research) goes further.
Our research approach:
- Addresses root causes, not just symptoms.
- Integrates knowledge across disciplines, sectors and lived experience.
- Works beyond academic boundaries to include stakeholders in the research process.
- Responds to problems as dynamic, interconnected systems.
At the Transdisciplinary school we take a human-centred approach - bringing people together to co-create knowledge, frame problems and develop new pathways forward.
Our 8-Step Approach to Navigating Complex Problems
Step 1
Start with a complex
real-world problem
TD Research begins with problems that matter—often referred to as complex, wicked, or systemic challenges that cannot be solved within a single discipline. These problems are grounded in real societal, environmental, technological or organisational contexts, rather than academic theory alone.
Step 2
Convene diverse perspectives around
the problem
TD Research deliberately brings together radically diverse disciplines and knowledges, including academics from multiple fields, industry, government and community partners, First Nations knowledges and perspectives, and people with lived experience. Diversity is treated as a design principle, not an add-on.
Step 3
Build a shared understanding
(problem framing)
Rather than the problem is alreadywell defined, TD Research emphasises collaborative problem framing. Participants surface assumptions, values and disciplinary biases, developing a shared language and understanding of the system they are working within. Reflexivity is core at this stage.
Step 4
Integrate knowledge
across & beyond
disciplines
TD Research describes transdisciplinarity as working across, between and beyond disciplines, integrating academic expertise with professional, policy and community knowledge. This integration is not additive-it creates new ways of thinking and new frames for action.
Step 5
Use creative, systemsbased
& participatory
methods
TD Research explicitly combines creativity, systems thinking, participatory design, futuring and experimentation to explore
complex challenges. Methods are chosen to suit the problem, not
the discipline, and often involve prototyping, scenario-building or realworld experimentation.
Step 6
Co-develop
actionable responses
& interventions
Solutions are co-created with partners, ensuring they are usable, ethical and context-aware. Outputs may include strategies, policies, tools, prototypes, new practices or capabilities, not just academic publications. Action orientation is a defining feature.
Step 7
Reflect, learn & adapt throughout
the process
TD Research treats transdisciplinary work as iterative rather than linear. Reflection and learning happen throughout-teams revisit assumptions, adapt methods and respond to emerging insights as the
problem evolves.
Step 8
Focus on real-world impact and longterm
change
The ultimate goal is meaningful impact for communities, organisations and systems-rather than discipline-specific outcomes. Success
includes capabilitybuilding, relationship building
and enabling future change, not just immediate solutions.
What defines transdisciplinary research at UTS?
Bridging Gaps
Since our establishment over twenty years ago, our research has been guided by an evolving transdisciplinary model designed to bridge gaps between:
Rather than prioritising a single perspective, our approach integrates diverse forms of knowledge - including Indigenous knowledges, professional practice and community insight - to better understand and respond to complex challenges.
This approach recognises that:
- Solutions are not always known at the outset
- Problems evolve over time
- Meaningful impact requires collaboration, openness and adaptability
Creativity is key
Creativity is a core capability at TD Research. Alongside traditional academic outputs, our work includes non-traditional research outputs (NTROs) such as:
In many cases, the solution is unknown or even unknowable at the start of a project. Navigating a complex challenge using a transdisciplinary approach requires keeping an open mind about its direction and which stakeholders are affected by the problem. The impact of the project may also emerge during or long after the project.
Our research work is about building innovative practices towards long-term impact. Professionals, practitioners, students, community members, researchers and other stakeholders combine their knowledge, tools, techniques, methods, theories, concepts, as well as cultural and personal perspectives to address complex applied challenges. By understanding problems holistically, the solutions that emerge are innovative and creative, as well as mutually beneficial.
The difference between this approach and others is that transdisciplinary projects accommodate a far broader spectrum of approaches with their ability to combine a large number of insights and possibilities – accessing diverse perspectives from a variety of disciplines, industries and fields – well beyond the scope and reach of more linear, or 'traditional' approaches.
Transdisciplinary research, thus, does more than generate new knowledge to be communicated through traditional outputs, e.g. via publications. Because engagement with diverse stakeholders is built in from the design stages of research projects, TD Research is engaged and a driver of outcomes and impact. Co-production of knowledge occurs through deep listening to those affected by the challenge. Our work builds on our deep expertise, recognising the significance of other’s expertise and the value of these perspectives when entering a new problem space with curiosity, creativity and an open mind.
Our Blueprint for Success
Our research strategy highlights our unique capabilities, expertise, and the value we bring to research, while outlining our purpose and how we will deliver on our vision.
Our purpose
To harness the collective diversity of our research, together with a unifying set of transdisciplinary approaches to address societal challenges in innovative and scalable ways.
Our vision
For our research to inspire and transform the way complex challenges are addressed, towards positive societal and industry transitions.
Our Strategic Pillars and Goals
To learn more about our 2024-27 research strategy, review our TD Research Strategic Overview.
Contact us
At TD Research, we don’t just study problems – we work across disciplines and public and private sectors to co-create solutions and navigate positive paths forward. Our approach blends systems science, socio-cultural insight and design-led innovation to tackle challenges that no single field can solve alone. This is one of our competitive advantages and what makes us so unique.
By partnering with us, you gain access to a world-class team that’s skilled in navigating complexity, fostering collaboration and turning bold ideas into actionable strategies. Together, we can shape a more inclusive, resilient and forward-looking society.
To learn more about our research strategy or to see how TD Research can help you and your organisation, contact TDResearch@uts.edu.au.