Interdisciplinary collaboration in transdisciplinary projects. Effects on, and challenges for, early-career researchers and the project design

Transdisciplinarity aims to provide solutions for societal problems that require interdisciplinarity, which has received little attention until now. This study discusses the challenges and effects of interdisciplinary collaboration in transdisciplinary projects.Interdisciplinary collaboration is fundamental to address sustainability problems in transdisciplinary projects. In this contribution, sociologists and hydrologists reflect on the effects and challenges of interdisciplinary collaboration in transdisciplinary processes for early-career researchers, as well as for the design process itself. Based on their experiences in a transdisciplinary project, they discuss how interdisciplinary negotiation and method development affect the careers of early-career researchers. Challenges for researchers arose due to disciplinary qualification regulations influencing research modes, and due to the different paradigms of natural and social scientists. To satisfy the paradigms and meet the needs of stakeholders simultaneously, methods were developed and applied that effectively support knowledge integration. Boundary concepts and objects facilitated the inter- and transdisciplinary collaboration. Overall, reflexive interdisciplinary collaboration in transdisciplinary processes offers opportunities for personal development and career advancement, and improves the design of transdisciplinary processes.