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Community engagement has been named a research priority by the National Institutes of Health, and scholars are calling for community engagement as an approach to address racism and equity in science. Robust community-engaged research can improve research quality, increase inclusion of traditionally marginalized populations, broaden the impact of findings on real-life situations, and is particularly valuable for underexplored research topics. The goal of this paper is to describe lessons learned and best practices that emerged from community engagement in a multi-institution population health research consortium. We describe how a foundation was laid to enable community-engaged research activities in the consortium, using a staged and stepped process to build and embed multi-level community-engaged research approaches.. We staged our development to facilitate (a) awareness of community engagement among consortium members, (b) the building of solidarity and alliances, and (c) the initiation of long-term engagement to allow for meaningful research translation. Our stepped process involved strategic planning; building momentum; institutionalizing engagement into the consortium infrastructure; and developing, implementing, and evaluating a plan. We moved from informal, one-time community interactions to systematic, formalized, capacity-building reciprocal engagement. We share our speed bumps and troubleshooting that inform our recommendations for other large research consortia-including investing the time it takes to build up community engagement capacity, acknowledging and drawing on strengths of the communities of interest, assuring a strong infrastructure of accountability for community engagement, and grounding the work in anti-racist principles.

Urban forest management is a multistakeholder, multi-objective situation whereby a surfeit of synergistic or competing goals may exist. Greater research and applied guidance for what works in which urban forest contexts could help improve urban tree and forest outcomes. The challenge in conducting research of this nature is systematic definitions of "what works" and "which contexts" across multidimensional, polycentric urban forest social-ecological systems. This paper presents a comprehensive framework for studying the complexities in urban forest systems (synthesized from numerous other frameworks in the field) that could be used to generate context-specific insights into urban forest management and dynamics. The logic of using frameworks and specific frameworks that already exist within the field are reviewed. Then, I present the urban forest social-ecological system (UFSES) framework. The UFSES framework specifies 5 first-tier factors: the Characteristics of Trees in the Urban Forest (T); the Surrounding Growing Environment (E); Management & Institutions (M); and Characteristics of the Human Community (H); which influence Urban Forest Outcomes (O). A detailed set of second-tier variables nested within these factors are presented in tables at the end of the paper. The framework can foster holistic systems thinking in a systematic yet flexible way; provide a working draft of a common language for thinking about and studying urban forest systems; and enable comparative case research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Impacts of natural hazards are on an increase globally. To mitigate these impacts, sound disaster risk reduction strategies must rely on comprehensive inventory of natural hazards. However, to date, many regions worldwide still suffer from a dearth of information. The goal of our research is to assess how, with limited means and several methods, environments that are typically under-researched can be covered with accurate information on which further research aiming at understanding and mitigating disaster risk could be set out. We focus on the Kigezi highlands, an under-reported and populated tropical region of Uganda (Africa) known to be impacted by natural hazards. We conducted a multi-method multi-temporal inventory over the entire region using satellite image analysis, exploration of literature and archives, and field surveys. We also set up a network of 15 geo-observers to collect accurate space-time data on seven natural hazards. Our multi-method inventory generated a database comprising over 4000 natural hazard occurrences with frequent natural and anthropogenic interactions. Our results indicate that Kigezi highlands is a hotspot for natural hazards associated with extensive risks, whose numbers are underestimated. We therefore highlight the importance of working with a multiple-method approach in characterizing natural hazards and their interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transforming urban logistics governance to become more sustainable comprises reconciling diverse actors' rationalities. Yet, conventional market-driven solutions, which aim to optimize freight transport, tend to focus on operational efficiency over diverse rationalities. In this paper, we reframe the challenge of urban logistics sustainability governance as that of knowledge integration, which necessitates a transdisciplinary approach that engages with diverse rationalities. By combining data from a co-creation workshop and interviews with logistics actors, we investigate if and how urban logistics sustainability governance can benefit from unpacking these multiple rationalities. Our findings show emergent tensions in Bergen stem from the ad-hoc and fragmented nature of urban logistics planning, which obscures the diverse actor rationalities and assumptions. Actors navigated these tensions in dialogic processes and co-created a shared understanding that sustaining dialogues and using a public-space perspective could mainstream logistics into the city's planning process. Adopting a transdisciplinary co-creation approach, we demonstrate, can reconcile the diverse rationalities in urban logistics sustainability governance. It facilitates individual and social learning in dialogic processes where actors can reflect on each other's perspectives, agency, and expectations. We thus call for a shift in planning from an emphasis on market-driven solutions toward process-focus to navigate the innate messiness of governing urban logistics sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has become increasingly common to include participatory processes, several academic disciplines, and additional wide‐ranging ways of knowing, in using research to tackle the escalating environmental problems of the 21st Century. There are barriers to the success of these efforts. In this paper we present the Adaptive Systemic Approach (ASA). The ASA is designed to provide a clear pathway for research related to sustainability issues, river basin problems and natural resource development, and to deliver change towards improved ecological health and social justice outcomes. The design of the ASA rests on three key concepts: complex social‐ecological systems, transdisciplinarity, and transformative social learning, together with Strategic Adaptive Management as the theoretically consistent operational process. We identify logical connections between the concepts and Strategic Adaptive Management so that the ASA emerges as a coherent and practical research and praxis pathway. The ASA process is then outlined to support uptake and wider application. We present findings from ASA praxis in a collaborative African research program considering river basin problems in seven countries, where key contextual learnings led to the recognition of five barriers to effective research impact outcomes: (1) Lack of an integrative conceptual grounding. (2) Participatory stakeholder engagement flawed by epistemic injustice. (3) Inadequate transdisciplinary team building. (4) Insufficient inclusion of learning, reflection, and systemic adaptation. (5) Inflated claims of probable impact in terms of creating change towards improved ecological health and social justice. We reflect on the ways the ASA contributes to breaching these barriers. Early key learnings from ASA praxis leads us to suggest that the ASA has practical value for policy makers, practitioners and researchers seeking pathways for fair and sustainable river management, and more broadly in natural resource development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The arrival of migrant children at the US–Mexico border has prompted vigorous debates about how to handle their admission and manage their access to resources. Portrayals of child migrants often draw on dominant conventional notions of childhood, creating binary representations that simultaneously infantilize and adultify them. This binary representation either strips children of their agency or criminalizes their actions and denies them protection. This paper exposes the inadequacies of the infantilization and adultification binary to represent and understand the experiences of child migrants, particularly youth who immigrate as teenagers, through a transdisciplinary approach. Integrating original historical analysis via archival research with contemporary social scientific analysis from qualitative research, this paper examines the longstanding binary representations of migrant children and their harmful impacts. The historical analysis shows that infantilization and adultification have defined the US response to child migrants since the mid‐1960s. Making connections to the present, through the stories of two unaccompanied teenage arrivals, we show how the binary is experienced and how Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) reflects and reinforces the binary. The paper also highlights how young people, who do not fit neatly into the binary, come to subjectively feel adult, elucidating the need for an alternative narrative that embraces child migrants' agency and advocates for support and protection for all youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, the research of sustainable development is developing from a single local problem to a multi-scale, transdisciplinary and comprehensive study. The evaluation and monitoring of its progress need to adopt multi-disciplinary research methods and multi-dimensional, multi-scale identification mechanism. Landsenses ecology is an emerging scientific system that uses the basic principles of ecology to study the sustainable development of land-use planning, construction, and management from the aspects of natural elements, physical senses, psychological perceptions, social economy, process and risk. It provides an effective way for the multi-disciplinary integration research of the relationship between human and ecosystem, and provides an important method and theory for the sustainable transformation research of environmental system and social–economic system, and plays an important role in guiding and realizing the beneficial impact of human on natural ecosystem. This study describes 57 articles published in peer-reviewed journals between 2016 and 2024, using qualitative content analysis, and discusses the impact of landsenses ecology on the way sustainable development is perceived and practiced. The results suggest that the role of landsenses ecology in the creation of sustainable vision resonance and behavior is crucial to the study of sustainable transformation and will help to explore effective strategies for using intrinsic sustainable transformation as a deep leverage point. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses understanding the purpose of Islamic education in a multi, inter and transdisciplinary approach. This issue is very urgent, given the importance of understanding the teachings of Islam in a comprehensive manner. Islam as a religion does not only teach the realm of ubudiyah, but also mu'amalah. It is in the realm of mu'amalah that humanity is faced with the complexity of life problems that must be resolved. Especially in modern times like today, an approach from various scientific angles is needed. This research is in the form of library research with a qualitative descriptive approach. After the study, it is concluded that Islamic education is not just a transfer of knowledge, but also a holistic process that forms individuals with noble character. In the context of an increasingly advanced life, Islamic education as a scientific discipline cannot stand alone in solving problems in society. There is a need for multi, inter and transdisciplinary science, so scientific integration here is very necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Calls for a 'major rethinking' of the delivery of healthcare services are echoed across Canada as the healthcare crisis continues. Proposed strategies to address the challenges of this crisis include: a transdisciplinary approach that is patient‐focused and community‐based; a representative team composed of patients, caregivers, healthcare providers, decision makers and policymakers; and authentic collaboration among stakeholder groups throughout the research cycle. Objective: This study aimed to enable community members to take on a leading role in building capacity and to provide a space for discourse among diverse groups while respecting community wisdom, values and priorities. Methods: The Collaborative Health Research Institute of Southern Alberta (CHRISA) organized a participant‐oriented Unconference event to address the factors contributing to the healthcare crisis in Alberta, Canada. An Unconference is a participant‐oriented meeting where the attendees nominate the topics, agree on the agenda and lead the sessions. This article describes the Unconference programme and presents the findings from a thematic analysis of the discussion notes from breakout sessions, feedback from participants (i.e., lessons learned) and pragmatic recommendations for future Unconference events. Results: Findings from sessions included the following: (1) identifying the 'wicked' problems, (2) the factors/causes contributing to each problem (i.e., contributors) and (3) potential multifaceted solutions or ideas to remedy the problem. Lessons learned from the postevent evaluation resulted in six recommendations for organizing future Unconferences. Conclusion: The CHRISA Unconference achieved its goals by providing a venue for attendees to connect, engage and network on topics of interest, explore new ways of addressing challenges in healthcare and serve as a foundation for future initiatives and collaborations in healthcare research and practice. Patient or Public Contribution: The Unconference was attended by community members who identify as patients, frontline workers, programme administrators and representatives of public organizations and agencies. Participants contributed to breakout session discussions, provided feedback on the Unconference and offered recommendations for future events. The co‐authors are service users, people with lived experience or those work in the healthcare setting; they have been involved in data collection, analysis and interpretation, and contributed to this report. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Snake Awareness Rescue Protection App (SARPA) is a digital platform used in Kerala, India, to prevent snakebites. SARPA connects users with local snake rescuers who are on hand to safely bag and translocate snakes that enter homes. This article reflects on the 'doing' of digital ecologies while researching SARPA, narrating my fieldwork and collaboration with SARPA's developers to show how my research supported the platform's design and implementation. Through this reflection, I demonstrate how collaboration with software designers and developers may provide a means for cultural geographers to put their scholarship into practice, enabling them to contribute to improving the usability, accessibility or environmental sustainability of digital technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Living with wildfires in an era of climate change requires adaptation and weaving together many forms of knowledge. Empirical evidence of knowledge co-production in wildfire management is lacking in Mediterranean European areas. We explored how local ecological knowledge can be leveraged to reduce wildfire risk through an adaptation pathways process in the Montseny massif and wider Tordera River watershed of Catalonia, Spain: an area stewarded through forestry and agriculture, tourism, nature conservation, and fire management. We combined different methods (e.g., a timeline and Three Horizons framework) throughout three workshops with agents of change to co-create adaptation pathways to reduce wildfire risk, integrating a historical perspective of the landscape while envisioning desirable futures. Our results showed that local ecological knowledge and other soft adaptation strategies contribute to innovative sustainable development initiatives that can also mitigate wildfire risk. The adaptation pathways approach holds much potential to inform local policies and support wildfire-based community initiatives in diverse contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal change and evolution are the product of physical drivers (e.g., waves) tightly coupled with human behavior. As climate change impacts intensify, demand is increasing for information on where, when, and how coastal areas may change in the future. Although considerable research investments have been made in understanding the physical drivers and processes that modify and shape coastal environments, many do not account for human behavior, compromising the accuracy of comprehensive future change predictions. We outline four social science approaches—historic case studies, simulations, longitudinal studies, and longitudinal studies supported by experimental data—that can be coupled with physical change information to support transdisciplinary understanding of future change. A fundamental need for each approach is more and better empirical data to better gauge human behavior. In addition, foundational investments in transdisciplinary collaboration help research teams support the integration of these approaches. Plain Language Summary: Coastal areas are constantly being reshaped by waves, tides, storms, and sea‐level rise. Humans also change the coast, often to protect themselves and places of value from ongoing natural changes. Therefore, understanding how the coast may change in the future requires science teams that can incorporate both the natural changes that may occur with human actions that may modify the coast in response to or in anticipation of these changes. We outline the need for evidence‐based information on human behavior and four ways science teams might integrate this information with our understanding of how the coast may change naturally to improve predictions of future coastal change. Key Points: There are limited empirical data documenting how humans respond, and do not respond, to physical changes along the coastLongitudinal studies can leverage co‐production to yield insights on future human‐coastal dynamicsBuilding trust and a shared language in transdisciplinary science teams provides a foundation to support integrative coastal work [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The new scientific decade (2023-2032) of the International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS) aims at searching for sustainable solutions to undesired water conditions – whether it be too little, too much or too polluted. Many of the current issues originate from global change, while solutions to problems must embrace local understanding and context. The decade will explore the current water crises by searching for actionable knowledge within three themes: global and local interactions, sustainable solutions and innovative cross-cutting methods. We capitalise on previous IAHS Scientific Decades shaping a trilogy; from Hydrological Predictions (PUB) to Change and Interdisciplinarity (Panta Rhei) to Solutions (HELPING). The vision is to solve fundamental water-related environmental and societal problems by engaging with other disciplines and local stakeholders. The decade endorses mutual learning and co-creation to progress towards UN sustainable development goals. Hence, HELPING is a vehicle for putting science in action, driven by scientists working on local hydrology in coordination with local, regional, and global processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To communicate how the Dutch postgraduate nursing education landscape was redesigned using entrustable professional activities (EPAs). The goal of this initiative was to reduce training time, enhance transfer across nursing specialities and contribute to a better‐aligned continuum of initial education, postgraduate education and continuing professional development. Background: Nursing shortages continue to worsen worldwide. An approach to address this growing shortage is to create a more flexible postgraduate training structure, offering training in the just‐in‐time and just‐as‐needed models. EPAs can be used as building blocks for training and assessment. Experience with EPAs (i.e. units of professional practice that can be entrusted once a trainee has demonstrated the required competencies) in health professions education, including nursing, is rising rapidly. While EPAs are largely used to create training flexibility within a programme, they can also be used to create flexibility across programmes. In 2018–2022, training hospitals and education institutions in the Netherlands collaborated in the CZO Flex Level Project to redesign the postgraduate nursing education landscape using EPAs. Discussion: The implementation of a flexible postgraduate nursing education model nationwide will face several challenges. An overview of these challenges and suggestions for future research on the effects of the new structure on nursing competence, satisfaction and career development are provided. Conclusion: EPAs can imbue flexibility within and across training programmes. Designing an EPA‐based educational landscape requires nationally coordinated efforts. Implications for nursing policy: Redesigning educational structures to allow for more flexibility is critical to address major societal challenges in healthcare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One Health has been recognized as a cost-effectiveness approach that intricate connections between human health, animal health, and ecosystem health. This holistic perspective is crucial for addressing complex health challenges that arise at the intersection of these domains, such as emerging infectious diseases, antimicrobial resistance, food safety & food security, and environmental degradation. The beneficiaries of the One Health approach have been demonstrated by many case studies worldwide, and summarized by The World Bank that not only support poverty alleviation in developing countries, but also can reduce pandemic risk globally. It is essential for us to understand the means of promoting the initiatives in building the transdisciplinary science of One Health that requires a global vision with integration of various disciplines, stakeholders, and resources. Therefore, we introduce the role of the transdisciplinary science of One Health, and the key steps and strategies necessary to implement One Health approach in the real world. We also propose three research priorities, including emphasizing climate change and health, enhancing global health security, and promoting equity and inclusivity which is crucial for the success of One Health initiatives. Hence, building a transdisciplinary science of One Health will not only improve holistic health between human, animal, and environmental domains, but also contribute to the global health security and sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract At present, the research of sustainable development is developing from a single local problem to a multi-scale, transdisciplinary and comprehensive study. The evaluation and monitoring of its progress need to adopt multi-disciplinary research methods and multi-dimensional, multi-scale identification mechanism. Landsenses ecology is an emerging scientific system that uses the basic principles of ecology to study the sustainable development of land-use planning, construction, and management from the aspects of natural elements, physical senses, psychological perceptions, social economy, process and risk. It provides an effective way for the multi-disciplinary integration research of the relationship between human and ecosystem, and provides an important method and theory for the sustainable transformation research of environmental system and social–economic system, and plays an important role in guiding and realizing the beneficial impact of human on natural ecosystem. This study describes 57 articles published in peer-reviewed journals between 2016 and 2024, using qualitative content analysis, and discusses the impact of landsenses ecology on the way sustainable development is perceived and practiced. The results suggest that the role of landsenses ecology in the creation of sustainable vision resonance and behavior is crucial to the study of sustainable transformation and will help to explore effective strategies for using intrinsic sustainable transformation as a deep leverage point.

ABSTRACTAgainst the backdrop of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Welsh and Basque Governments in 2018, this article introduces a multiscalar and transdisciplinary social sciences action research framework that emerged from a workshop held in May 2023. The workshop engaged stakeholders from both sides and is part of the broader ongoing project. This project seeks to address the main research question, ‘How do small nations cooperate?’ through the exploration of transregional cooperation and mutual learning between Wales and the Basque Country. The structure of the article is as follows: First, it commences with an introduction defining ‘small nations’, presenting the main research question, articulating two related aims, outlining three primary methodological goals and providing a broad context for these two small nations within the framework of their MoU. Second, following a brief description of each small nation, the article concurrently develops the action research methodological framework while analysing findings stemming from workshop discussions between stakeholders of Wales and the Basque Country. They addressed three intertwined territorial scale challenges: Macro, examined through devolution and fiscal federalism perspectives; Meso, explored through social innovations in urban spaces in Cardiff (SPARK) and Bilbao (ASFabrik); and Micro, investigated through grassroots innovations. Finally, the article concludes with an action research and policy agenda. It suggests one operational research question per territorial scale as the conclusion of this article, offering a response to the main research question. The conclusion acknowledges limitations and outlines future research and policy pathways for this ongoing project.

This article reflects on the research process that underpinned the ESRC GCRF project 'Mental Health, Neurological and Substance Abuse Disorders in Guyana's Jails: 1825 to the present day'. Introducing readers to a transdisciplinary team comprised of academics and practitioners, in what follows we think through how the methods of the research underpinned the production of the data used in this special issue. The article highlights the emotional labour and ethics of care among the team, and the benefits of transdisciplinary research and the mutual recipriocity and learning that took place between academics and prison staff. The goal of the project was to create equitable and ethical partnerships, and this contributed to the success of this research in terms of findings, data, and real‐world impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to shed light on the conceptual implications of emerging media or emergent media from a transdisciplinary perspective. Drawing on the philosophical thoughts of complex dynamic systems and emergentism, this study reviews the literature across various disciplines bearing on emerging media and illustrates the value of invoking the concept to understand the fast-evolving communication technologies. Emerging media is defined as complex dynamic systems that are constituted through and in communication practices, suggestive of both materiality and sociality, and characterized by emergent processes. By emphasizing a conceptualization of media as dynamic, emergent, relational, and situated systems, this study calls for empirical studies of emerging media employing a transdisciplinary approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Purpose Transdisciplinarity has been described as a fusion of theories, methods, and expertise across disciplinary boundaries to address complex, global problems. This approach has coincided with an increase in US medical schools offering masters degrees along with an MD degree to equip medical students to practice in complex, interconnected health systems. This study focused on medical schools that graduate the most dual degree students per year and explored the alignment of such programs with a transdisciplinary approach. Methods We identified 19 allopathic medical schools that annually graduated an average of 10 or more dual-degree students from 2015–2020. We surveyed these schools and asked participants to describe the reason(s) their institutions offered dual-degree programs. Two authors coded the narrative responses from the survey. Results Responses were received from 17 of the 19 schools. The analysis of participants’ responses regarding their institutions’ purpose for offering dual programs revealed several themes associated with a transdisciplinary approach to training. The most common themes were expand skill sets beyond a medical degree (73%), provide opportunity for interdisciplinary collaboration (67%), expand career interest and goals (60%), develop leaders (53%), enhance residency applications (47%) and further the institution’s vision and mission (45%). Conclusions This study is the first comprehensive evaluation of MD/Masters programs in the United States that includes a summary of the medical schools with the largest dual degree programs and their reasons for offering them. The findings support the hypothesis that allopathic medical schools recognize the need for a transdisciplinary approach to prepare students for the complexities in healthcare. These programs provide students with opportunities for additional areas of expertise, leadership development, enhancement of competitiveness for residency application, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Medical schools without dual-degree programs may consider developing these programs to provide benefits to students and institutions.

This review examines complexity science in the context of Heliophysics, describing it not as a discipline, but as a paradigm. In the context of Heliophysics, complexity science is the study of a star, interplanetary environment, magnetosphere, upper and terrestrial atmospheres, and planetary surface as interacting subsystems. Complexity science studies entities in a system (e.g., electrons in an atom, planets in a solar system, individuals in a society) and their interactions, and is the nature of what emerges from these interactions. It is a paradigm that employs systems approaches and is inherently multi- and cross-scale. Heliophysics processes span at least 15 orders of magnitude in space and another 15 in time, and its reaches go well beyond our own solar system and Earth's space environment to touch planetary, exoplanetary, and astrophysical domains. It is an uncommon domain within which to explore complexity science. After first outlining the dimensions of complexity science, the review proceeds in three epochal parts: 1) A pivotal year in the Complexity Heliophysics paradigm: 1996; 2) The transitional years that established foundations of the paradigm (1996-2010); and 3) The emergent literature largely beyond 2010. This review article excavates the lived and living history of complexity science in Heliophysics. It identifies five dimensions of complexity science, some enjoying much scholarship in Heliophysics, others that represent relative gaps in the existing research. The history reveals a grand challenge that confronts Heliophysics, as with most physical sciences, to understand the research intersection between fundamental science (e.g., complexity science) and applied science (e.g., artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML)). A risk science framework is suggested as a way of formulating the grand scientific and societal challenges in a way that AI/ML and complexity science converge. The intention is to provide inspiration, help researchers think more coherently about ideas of complexity science in Heliophysics, and guide future research. It will be instructive to Heliophysics researchers, but also to any reader interested in or hoping to advance the frontier of systems and complexity science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to extensive research, problem-based learning (PBL) in STEM education improves student learning outcomes and supports them in gaining practical skills necessary for upward future careers. Despite current efforts to promote PBL-STEM activities in education, their uptake in life science remains low. Several types of research involving college instructors indicate that instructor guidance of PBL-STEM activities is one of the crucial aspects for its successful usage in educational settings. However, to our knowledge, little research has been undertaken on the effectiveness of participants' PBL-STEM learning in coping with problems and dilemmas encountered during the STEM learning process. This research intends to investigate the efficacy and provide experiential references to demonstrate the existing gaps by a transdisciplinary approach. The effect on participants' professional learning interest, comprehension capacity, problem-solving ability, self-efficacy, and cooperation abilities is related to five dependent variables. Our findings from paired t-test analysis demonstrate that STEM participants had a significant difference before and after experiencing PBL-STEM learning objectives. In the light of a one-way ANOVA, STEM learner participation in this course was more important than gender and age in improving STEM literacy through classroom activities. In line with feedback interviews, students who engaged in experiential learning favored reciprocal advantages and mutual benefits within their groups through teamwork, practical application, and information acquisition. Given that the participants in this study were early adopters of PBL-STEM, any future research should aggressively encourage these students to create and implement solutions in the classroom based on their ideas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With growing awareness of the environmental, economic, and social costs associated with food waste, there is a concerted effort on multiple scales to recover the nutrient value of discarded food. These developments are positive, but the rapid movement toward alternatives and the complexity of solving problems located at the intersection of economic, social, and environmental systems also have the potential to produce unanticipated risks. This paper draws upon long-term stakeholder-engaged research throughout New England, with a focus on Maine, to develop a transdisciplinary, systems-based model of the potential social, economic, and environmental risks of food waste nutrient cycling. Our effort is intended to help inform the creation of safe, functional, and environmentally benign circular food systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Fire Ecology is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Purpose: Transdisciplinarity has been described as a fusion of theories, methods, and expertise across disciplinary boundaries to address complex, global problems. This approach has coincided with an increase in US medical schools offering masters degrees along with an MD degree to equip medical students to practice in complex, interconnected health systems. This study focused on medical schools that graduate the most dual degree students per year and explored the alignment of such programs with a transdisciplinary approach. Methods: We identified 19 allopathic medical schools that annually graduated an average of 10 or more dual-degree students from 2015–2020. We surveyed these schools and asked participants to describe the reason(s) their institutions offered dual-degree programs. Two authors coded the narrative responses from the survey. Results: Responses were received from 17 of the 19 schools. The analysis of participants' responses regarding their institutions' purpose for offering dual programs revealed several themes associated with a transdisciplinary approach to training. The most common themes were expand skill sets beyond a medical degree (73%), provide opportunity for interdisciplinary collaboration (67%), expand career interest and goals (60%), develop leaders (53%), enhance residency applications (47%) and further the institution's vision and mission (45%). Conclusions: This study is the first comprehensive evaluation of MD/Masters programs in the United States that includes a summary of the medical schools with the largest dual degree programs and their reasons for offering them. The findings support the hypothesis that allopathic medical schools recognize the need for a transdisciplinary approach to prepare students for the complexities in healthcare. These programs provide students with opportunities for additional areas of expertise, leadership development, enhancement of competitiveness for residency application, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Medical schools without dual-degree programs may consider developing these programs to provide benefits to students and institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People are intrinsically relational beings and this need to interact is channelled into the establishment of communities, whose organization is often formalized into institutions. An opposition between both types of groups has been raised in the literature. This article seeks to critically analyze the relationship between communities and institutions, based on Christian social ethics, political philosophy, and social sciences through a bibliographic exploration and a transdisciplinary discussion. The concepts of community and institution are analyzed and citizenship connections with both concepts are discussed, considering two different traditions of citizenship, and its relationship with democratic culture and community building. To conclude, the concept of binding citizenship as a bridge between communities and institutions is proposed, and solidarity and liberty are considered as two principles that become integrated and can coexist in communities and institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the United States (US), early intervention (EI) programs under Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act have demonstrated a commitment to teaming and collaboration through multidisciplinary assessment and coordinated service delivery. However, there continues to be broad variability as to the EI service delivery model described on public-facing EI program websites and in state-level documents. In this study, we performed a review of the websites of EI programs in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, five US territories, and two federal departments responsible for providing EI services to specific constituencies. Using a qualitative content analysis approach to analyze the data from all 58 entities led to three primary findings: (1) the challenge of finding information on public-facing websites and related documents about teaming practices within each state, (2) the inconsistency in the types of documents, dates, and ages of posted information, and (3) the variability across states, including the language used to describe and discuss teaming models and practices. These results lead to a call for action to improve the consistency of information on teaming models and the implementation of practices that better support all children and families served under Part C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are increasing demands for Participatory Arts-Based (PAB) programs involved in health research to better evidence outcomes using robust quantitative evaluation methodologies taken from science, such as standardized questionnaires, to inform commissioning and scale-up decisions. However, for PAB researchers trying to do this, barriers arise from fundamental interdisciplinary differences in values and contexts. Researchers are required to navigate the tensions between the practice-based evidence produced by the arts and the evidence-based practice sought by psychologists. Consequently, there is a need for interdisciplinary arts-science collaborations to produce alternative methods of evaluation that are better aligned to PAB approaches, and which combine systematic rigor with a sensitivity to the values, contexts and strengths of this approach. The current article centers on the development of an alternative transdisciplinary analytic tool, the Participatory arts Play Framework (PP-Framework), undertaken as part of an arts-psychology collaboration for a UK AHRC-funded PAB research project: Playing A/Part: Investigating the identities and experiences of autistic girls. We present details of three stages in the development of the PP-Framework: 1. preliminary emergence of the framework from initial video analysis of observational data from participatory music and sound workshops run for 6 adolescent autistic girls (aged 11-16); 2. identification and application of modes of engagement; and 3. further testing of the framework as an evaluation tool for use in a real-world setting, involving professional musicians engaged in delivery of a creative music project at a center for homeless people. The PP-Framework maps types of participation in terms of performative behaviors and qualities of experience, understood as modes of play. It functions as a vehicle for analyzing participant engagement, providing a tool predicated on the processes of working in creative participatory contexts while also being sensitive to the esthetic qualities of what is produced and capable of capturing beneficial changes in engagement. It offers a conceptual approach for researchers to undertake observation of participatory arts practices, taking account of embodied engagement and interaction processes. It is informed by understandings of autistic performativity and masking in conjunction with an ecological understanding of sense making as being shaped by environments, social relations and sensing subjectivity. The framework has the potential to be a bi-directional tool, with application for both practitioners and participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Smart Rail Transit is the property of Smart Rail Transit Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Smart Rail Transit is the property of Smart Rail Transit Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

OBJECTIVES: Aim of this article is to highlight results of the German postCOVID@owl project and answer the questions: how professionals acting in and post pandemic were perceived by social workers and to what extent participatory approaches contribute to their professionalization. THEORETICAL BASE: Social work in hospitals characterize an overall responsibility for complex problems and representing their 'diffuse' role and tasks in interdisciplinarity. Covid-19 offers a blueprint to generate knowledge about social work and its profession in hospitals, and identify practices and framework conditions in "crisis learning". METHODS: Data collection and analysis by participatory and qualitative mixed methods, based on transformative research. This article presents results from the ongoing process: interviews and participatory developed recommendations for action in a vision workshop. OUTCOMES: Hospital social workers perceive themselves as conflicted actors between case complexity, pandemic consequences, and the hospital. They are confronted with balancing economics, casework in time pressure and own ethical values. Professionalization runs the risk of taking a backseat. Recommendations address policy, hospital management, social service leaders, and hospital social workers. SOCIAL WORK IMPLICATIONS: Hospital social work is an important profession in overcoming challenges in healthcare. A clear framework is needed. Otherwise, hospital social workers run the risk to be ground between management and ethical values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accelerated pace of climate-driven shifts is surpassing the temporal scope of conventional field research, potentially leading to a disconnect between ecosystem changes and scientific data collection. Climate change is producing rapid transformations within dynamic marine ecosystems, with a pronounced effect on high trophic-level species such as loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta). We present a new model for data collection using ethnobiological methods, emphasizing how local community members can contribute to expanding scientific knowledge via context-informed observations, to document species occurrences beyond their anticipated habitats during climatic anomalies. In rapidly changing conditions, local expert knowledge can complement conventional scientific methods, providing high-quality data with extensive coverage--especially for elusive species--and yielding insight into potential emerging phenomena that may otherwise go unnoticed. Conventional methods for predicting distribution shifts in rare species are vulnerable to spatial biases, favoring predictions based on the most probable habitats. We present the case study of a live sea turtle sighting by a local expert in Monterey Bay, California, USA, identified post hoc as a loggerhead, to illustrate methods which can be transferred and applied to other rare and highly migratory marine species such as marine mammals, sharks, and seabirds. This emerging framework incorporates diverse knowledge sources and methodologies in monitoring climate-driven ecological shifts, enriching conservation strategies, enhancing our understanding of complex ecosystems, and contributing to robust evidentiary standards for rare species observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The world has become urban; cities increasingly shape our worldviews, relation to other species, and the large-scale, long-term decisions we make. Cities are nature, but they need to align better with other ecosystems to avoid accelerating climate change and loss of biodiversity. We need a science to guide urban development across the diverse realities of global cities. This need can be met, in part, by shifts in urban ecology and its linkages to related sciences. This perspective is a "synthesis of syntheses", consolidating ideas from the other articles in the Special Section. It re-examines the role of urban ecology, and explores its integration with other disciplines that study cities. We conclude by summarizing the next steps in the ongoing shift in urban ecology, which is fast becoming an integral part of urban studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper builds on the expansion of urban ecology from a biologically based discipline—ecology in the city—to an increasingly interdisciplinary field—ecology of the city—to a transdisciplinary, knowledge to action endeavor—an ecology for and with the city. We build on this "prepositional journey" by proposing a transformative shift in urban ecology, and we present a framework for how the field may continue this shift. We conceptualize that urban ecology is in a state of flux, and that this shift is needed to transform urban ecology into a more engaged and action based field, and one that includes a diversity of actors willing to participate in the future of their cities. In this transformative shift, these actors will engage, collaborate, and participate in a continuous spiral of knowledge → action → knowledge spiral and back to knowledge loop, with the goal of co producing sustainable and resilient solutions to myriad urban challenges. Our framework for this transformative shift includes three pathways: (1) a repeating knowledge → action → knowledge spiral of ideas, information, and solutions produced by a diverse community of agents of urban change working together in an "urban sandbox"; (2) incorporation of a social–ecological–technological systems framework in this spiral and expanding the spiral temporally to include the "deep future," where future scenarios are based on a visioning of seemingly unimaginable or plausible future states of cities that are sustainable and resilient; and (3) the expansion of the spiral in space, to include rural areas and places that are not yet cities. The three interrelated pathways that define the transformative shift demonstrate the power of an urban ecology that has moved beyond urban systems science and into a realm where collaborations among diverse knowledges and voices are working together to understand cities and what is urban while producing sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges and envisioning futures of socially, ecologically, and technologically resilient cities. We present case study examples of each of the three pathways that make up this transformative shift in urban ecology and discuss both limitations and opportunities for future research and action with this transdisciplinary broadening of the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food system sustainability, and ways of measuring it, are widely explored and discussed in academic literature. Measurement efforts are challenging because food systems are inherently complex and multifaceted, spanning diverse components, indus­tries, sectors, and scales. Several systems of indica­tors and metrics have been proposed to measure sustainability; however, most existing research focuses either on narrow scales (e.g., farm level or within a single supply chain), expansive scales that can gloss over complexity (e.g., national or global assessments), or limited scopes (e.g., only consider­ing environmental factors). A gap in the literature is a holistic local or regional approach to food sys­tem sustainability that integrates components across the system at a regional scale. In this reflec­tive essay, we describe our development of a framework to measure and track sustainability in such systems. We use a tiered framework that includes five sustainability dimensions and a system of indices, indicators, and metrics that allows for the measurement of important food system charac­teristics in a feasible and reproducible way. We employ a collaborative, transdisciplinary, facilitated team science process to first propose, and then refine, a sustainability assessment framework, using the U.S. state of Vermont as a case study. This paper details our process and progress, as well as reflections on challenges and recommendations for other team scientists. We further propose a plan to implement the framework, collect data, and engage with community members. The experiences and findings described here serve as a foundation for our own team’s continued work, as well as a springboard for other similar research efforts.

Few studies describe workshops as a method for obtaining and integrating diverse participant perspectives for contextualisation. This article describes an online workshop as a transdisciplinary data collection method for contextualising theoretical elements of a framework for knowledge translation to improve wound care in South African nursing homes. Knowledge translation can be more effective when the theoretical components are contextualised and aligned with the specific needs in the context. The online workshop was conducted with 10 participants involved with wound care and change processes in nursing homes across South Africa. The participants consisted of healthcare professionals, family members of those in care and nursing home management staff. Participatory design principles were applied during the online workshop, which was hosted on BlackBoard CollaborateTM Ultra. In this qualitative study, live polls, facilitated discussion, virtual whiteboard posts, and breakaway activities were used to collect the data. The data were analysed and integrated using both deductive and inductive processes for a comprehensive understanding. The workshop enabled the researchers to ascertain integrated perspectives to contextualise the knowledge translation framework’s elements. Barriers to evidence-based wound care in nursing homes and nine values for dignified care for older persons were identified. Transdisciplinary contribution: This article shows how an online workshop was conducted with a group of participants from various healthcare disciplines, family members and institutional management to achieve a contextualised and pragmatic description of theoretical elements. Contextualisation aims to enhance the effectiveness of a knowledge translation framework for use in nursing homes.

Abstract Coastal change and evolution are the product of physical drivers (e.g., waves) tightly coupled with human behavior. As climate change impacts intensify, demand is increasing for information on where, when, and how coastal areas may change in the future. Although considerable research investments have been made in understanding the physical drivers and processes that modify and shape coastal environments, many do not account for human behavior, compromising the accuracy of comprehensive future change predictions. We outline four social science approaches—historic case studies, simulations, longitudinal studies, and longitudinal studies supported by experimental data—that can be coupled with physical change information to support transdisciplinary understanding of future change. A fundamental need for each approach is more and better empirical data to better gauge human behavior. In addition, foundational investments in transdisciplinary collaboration help research teams support the integration of these approaches.

ABSTRACT Introduction Calls for a ‘major rethinking’ of the delivery of healthcare services are echoed across Canada as the healthcare crisis continues. Proposed strategies to address the challenges of this crisis include: a transdisciplinary approach that is patient‐focused and community‐based; a representative team composed of patients, caregivers, healthcare providers, decision makers and policymakers; and authentic collaboration among stakeholder groups throughout the research cycle. Objective This study aimed to enable community members to take on a leading role in building capacity and to provide a space for discourse among diverse groups while respecting community wisdom, values and priorities. Methods The Collaborative Health Research Institute of Southern Alberta (CHRISA) organized a participant‐oriented Unconference event to address the factors contributing to the healthcare crisis in Alberta, Canada. An Unconference is a participant‐oriented meeting where the attendees nominate the topics, agree on the agenda and lead the sessions. This article describes the Unconference programme and presents the findings from a thematic analysis of the discussion notes from breakout sessions, feedback from participants (i.e., lessons learned) and pragmatic recommendations for future Unconference events. Results Findings from sessions included the following: (1) identifying the ‘wicked’ problems, (2) the factors/causes contributing to each problem (i.e., contributors) and (3) potential multifaceted solutions or ideas to remedy the problem. Lessons learned from the postevent evaluation resulted in six recommendations for organizing future Unconferences. Conclusion The CHRISA Unconference achieved its goals by providing a venue for attendees to connect, engage and network on topics of interest, explore new ways of addressing challenges in healthcare and serve as a foundation for future initiatives and collaborations in healthcare research and practice. Patient or Public Contribution The Unconference was attended by community members who identify as patients, frontline workers, programme administrators and representatives of public organizations and agencies. Participants contributed to breakout session discussions, provided feedback on the Unconference and offered recommendations for future events. The co‐authors are service users, people with lived experience or those work in the healthcare setting; they have been involved in data collection, analysis and interpretation, and contributed to this report.

Various researches themed on curriculum or academic integration studies find a middle point, that each institution is unique in designing academic integration as a guide to the learning process, including the higher education level. For this reason, this study aims to reveal in depth the focus of academic integration design related to strategies and development models based on the vision and mission of the institution, as well as the locus at UIN North Sumatra Medan and UIN Sheikh Ali Hasan Ahmad Addary Padangsidimpuan. The research method used is a multisite qualitative-interactive approach. The results of this study found that first, the design of academic integration at UIN North Sumatera uses the concept of wahdatul 'ulum. This scientific paradigm is designed starting from the review process, revision, to carrying out curriculum workshops and RPS based on Wahdatul 'Ulum as a concept and practical application. Second, UIN Sheikh Ali Hasan Ahmad Addary Padangsidimpuan uses the concept of Theoanthropoecocentric scientific paradigm based on the Science pyramid. The development of the scientific concept is developed in 7 aspects, including lecturer resources, lecturer activities, teaching systems and curricular programs, recruitment of prospective students, providing an integrative environment, facilities and infrastructure, and strengthening integration in postgraduate programs.

This paper presents three case studies of educators pioneering transdisciplinary project work within a UK College-Based Higher Education Institution, focusing on Education Studies, Counselling, and Fine Art. Through the CollaborArt Blackburn initiative, educators facilitated gallery visits, encounter spaces, and collaborative creation opportunities for students across these disciplines. These case studies highlight the educators' roles in fostering a transdisciplinary approach that transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries, emphasising experiential learning and collaborative engagement. The narratives illustrate the transformative impact of integrating diverse perspectives and methodologies, enriching both educators' and students' understanding and practice. The paper argues for the intrinsic value of educators' insights and expertise in initiating and sustaining transdisciplinary projects, encouraging peers to embrace innovative approaches in their pedagogical practices. This work contributes to the discourse on transdisciplinary education, advocating for its potential to create dynamic, inclusive, and holistic learning environments.