Summer School - Generating impact in complex natural resource contexts: co-design and development of transdisciplinary research projects

Call for applications is now open for this summer school organized by the Leibniz-Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT) in collaboration with the Leibniz Research Network “Science for Sustainable Development”, the project LeNa Shape (Research in social responsibility - design, impact analysis, quality assurance), Future Earth Coasts (FEC), the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA), and the International Ocean Institute (IOI) Germany.

Topic: Generating impact in complex natural resource contexts: co-design and development of transdisciplinary research projects in a Global North/South perspective

Where: Online Target group: PhD candidates and post-doctoral scientists No. of participants: 20-30 participants

This 1.5 week summer school will be all about collaboration in a Global North/South setting and the particular conditions such collaboration entails. In a co-design approach, you develop a transdisciplinary research project plan with a particular emphasis on societal impact. You exchange with international academia and practitioners as well as experts in knowledge transfer and communication at the science/policy interface. Lectures will cover theoretical backgrounds, concepts, and methods - from transdisciplinarity and project co-design to complexities of agreeing on goals and joint visions in the context of multiple actors from diverse backgrounds. You discuss measures of research quality in a transdisciplinary context, tackle inequalities and generate impactful outcomes. For each topic, real-world examples and insights by practitioners are given. Training in effective science communication for a non-academic audience will also be provided. In practical group work, you will directly apply your knowledge on selected case studies of your choice under the guidance of the instructors. Due to the Centre of Tropical Marine Research being the host, many examples will relate to the marine tropics. However, the knowledge applies to many other Global North/South research projects.

Program

A central lecture takes place daily from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. CET, which is to be attended by all participants. In the further course of the day, practical individual and group work gives you opportunity to network with your program fellows while following up on class work and developing the transdisciplinary component of an existing or future project. Find the full agenda here.

Apply now

Participation in the course is free of charge, but places are limited. Please outline why you want to learn about transdisciplinarity in a one-page letter of motivation. If applicable, please submit a project idea (e.g. particular project, PhD thesis, resource use issue, etc.) that you are working on or would like to develop as a potential project that can be worked on. Previous experience in transdisciplinarity is not required, but preference will be given to participants who have concrete plans for applying the topics covered in their own work or are ideally in (anticipation of) the “design” phase of a project. Upload your letter of motivation together with a short CV to the registration platform of the ZMT Academy by 31 August 2022: https://forms.leibniz-zmt.de/Wordpress/?page_id=1035.

Funding: This program is free of charge for the participants - it is supported by the Leibniz Association in the frame of the Research Network “Science for Sustainable Development” and the ZMT.

Contacts

Rebecca Lahl (rebecca.lahl@leibniz-zmt.de) +49 (0)421 23800-163

Dr. Sebastian Ferse (sebastian.ferse@leibniz-zmt.de) +49 (0)421 23800-114