Key Definitions
Interdisciplinary research combines interdisciplinary research combines or applies data, techniques, theories, or approaches from two or more disciplines to advance fundamental understanding or solve a problem(s).
Transdisciplinary research integrates experiential and non-academic knowledge alongside academic disciplines to create a holistic understanding of complex issues. This methodology transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries by actively incorporating insights from practitioners, community members, and other stakeholders, facilitating collaborative problem-solving.
Sustainability is both an interdisciplinary field of study and an applied area of practice[1] that takes a broad, integrated approach to understanding interactions among human and natural systems. Similar to medicine, it is an interventionist science, meaning that sustainability scholars and practitioners use integrated systems knowledge to design and deliver interventions that lead to a better present and future for people and the planet.[2] It requires transdisciplinary approaches that are interdisciplinary and integrate academic and non-academic knowledge through engagement with end-users, stakeholders, communities, and decision makers where solutions are implemented.[3]
Relevant Concepts
Eight Impact Areas: We have identified eight pivotal sustainability impact areas that present significant opportunities for interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary funding and partnerships, effectively addressing pressing local, regional, and global challenges through collaborative research initiatives. This collaborative approach will empower Ohio State to transform sustainability-centered research efforts into impactful solutions for complex real-world challenges. More detailed descriptions of the impact areas are available in the Advancing Sustainability at Ohio State Research Visioning Paper.
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Climate Prediction and Adaptation for Resilient Regions: Climate change is the greatest risk to people, business, and communities worldwide. It is also the risk for which society is least prepared, according to the World Economic Forum's 2023 Global Risks Report. Adaptation to climate change requires transdisciplinary approaches that can identify ways to address the historic social, political, and economic drivers of climate vulnerability and align people, businesses, and places to adapt to changing geophysical climate conditions. Transformational approaches are needed to break through social and political divides by creating opportunities that reflect the shared values and interdependence of urban and rural communities. Throughout Ohio and the Midwest, climate adaptation and resilience planning can benefit economic growth, public health, and social equity.
- Food Systems and Security: Over the last 50 years, U.S. agriculture has seen significant increases in productivity and efficiency, with food output outpacing population growth. Despite this abundance, the U.S. food system has led to unintended consequences for other social systems, resulting in over 11 percent of the U.S. population experiencing food insecurity and diet-related diseases being among the leading causes of death. Concentration and consolidation in the agrifood industry has negatively affected the social and economic well-being of rural communities. In addition, farm and food system workers remain some of the least compensated in the economy, and environmental quality problems linked to the specialization and industrialization of farming are a growing concern. Meanwhile, the COVID-19 pandemic and extreme weather events have raised questions about the resilience of the U.S. farm and food system in the face of growing economic and climate shocks.
- Land-Water Nexus: The land-water nexus is integral to the future of Ohio, the Great Lakes region, and communities around the world. Large water bodies and waterways serve as the lifeline for ecological balance, economic vitality, and the overall well-being of surrounding communities. Unfortunately, a myriad of pressing challenges threaten water quality, beginning with ongoing threats to water quality from nutrient runoff and historic (e.g., herbicides, pathogens, PCBs, mercury) and emerging (e.g., PFAS, pharmaceuticals, personal care products, microplastics, antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs)) pollutants. As a primary example, the Great Lakes region continues to grapple with nutrient pollution and requires sustainable watershed management practices to prevent and mitigate future algal blooms. Robust measures are needed to safeguard the health of these vital aquatic ecosystems and the health and well-being of people who depend on these natural systems for drinking water and other ecosystem services.
- Nature-Based Solutions for Planetary Health: The tight coupling of humans and nature means that no ecosystems exist on the planet that are unaffected by human activity, and that there are no humans who do not depend on the planet to survive. Planetary boundaries define the operating space within which the planet remains recognizable and conducive to human life. Complex human-natural dynamics and their multiple scales of interconnection affect both the limits and the management of planetary systems. Nature-based solutions that maintain the resilience of socioecological systems and enhance the mutualism between nature and human communities are essential. It is imperative to engage with local communities and Indigenous peoples to co-design these solutions.
- No-Waste World: Substantial improvements to the way materials are manufactured, used, and discarded will be necessary to move society from a linear economic model of “take, make, waste” to a more circular model. In places like Columbus, rapid growth and an influx of new businesses and residents are putting pressure on existing infrastructure to collect waste as well as landfills that are quickly approaching capacity with little political feasibility for expansion. Finding ways to divert this waste and recover valuable materials is not only good for the environment, it also provides new opportunities for economic growth. Many companies have adopted goals to integrate a certain amount of post-consumer recycled material in their products.
- One Health: Natural ecosystems provide a range of valuable services, like clean water and air, on which humanity depends. However, human impacts have dramatically altered terrestrial landscapes and aquatic systems, leading to reduced biodiversity and degraded ecosystem integrity with detrimental effects on human health and well-being. As these trends continue, demand for solutions to maintain human health and well-being will only increase. There is a critical need for innovative research under a “One Health” framework focused on better understanding the interconnections of human health with the health of soils, animals, plants, and generally, the environment. Such research requires close collaboration across disciplines, including among those who measure the current and historical state of systems, those who conduct research into the causes of observed phenomena, and those who combine that information in novel ways to project counter-factual and future outcomes.
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Renewable Energy and Decarbonization: Deep and sustained reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and their accumulations in the atmosphere – particularly carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane – are urgently needed to slow, stop, and reverse human-caused climate change. Limiting human-caused climate change requires net negative greenhouse emissions, which includes substantially more renewable energy and energy storage technologies deployed at scale as well as atmospheric greenhouse gas removal efforts through nature-based and engineered solutions. A portfolio of approaches needs to be advanced to address existing levels of atmospheric and ocean-stored CO2 and provide mechanisms to offset emissions that cannot be abated. While these decarbonization challenges are monumental, they present tremendous opportunities for technological innovation, economic growth, jobs creation, and better human health and justice outcomes.
- Sustainable Mobility: Mobility is a major contributor to healthy and resilient communities. Affordable and reliable transportation is a significant determinant for livable wages, adequate healthcare, nutritious food, and access to amenities like nature. It is also critical to connecting regions of the country, especially urban to rural, to allow the flow of goods and services. Yet, expanding the benefits of mobility has implications for sustainability in terms of increased energy use, air quality impacts, safety risks, runoff from more impervious surfaces, and noise pollution. The costs associated with electric and autonomous vehicles as well as charging and public transit infrastructure also raise important questions about equity and accessibility.
Footnotes
[1] Clark, W. C., and Dickson, N. M. (2003). Sustainability Science: The Emerging Research Program. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 100, 8059–8061. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1231333100
[2] Visiting Committee Final Report, Advancing Sustainability at Ohio State, August 2023. Available online: https://oaa.osu.edu/sites/default/files/uploads/Ohio%20State%20Sustainability%20Visiting%20Committee%20Final%20Report.pdf
[3] Shi, L., & Moser, S. (2021). Transformative climate adaptation in the United States: Trends and prospects. Science, 372(6549), eabc8054.