The Department Working Groups: a tool to foster interdisciplinarity

Working Groups facilitate Department-institute, inter-institutional and inter-departmental connections. Covering all disciplinary fields and areas of research management in the Department, these groups aim to develop common research themes, foster transdisciplinary pathways, enhance networking, generate new ideas, and promote participation in joint calls and initiatives.

On May 29, 2025, during the Annual DSSTTA Conference, a dedicated session focused on the activities of the Departmental Working Groups. This was a valuable opportunity for everyone involved in the various WGs to meet, share experiences, and gain a better understanding of how this tool has been implemented, what it has produced, the added value it brings to researchers’ work, and also the challenges it presents.
The presentation, which provided an overview of the work carried out by the 13 currently active thematic working groups, was based on the results of a questionnaire circulated to all coordinators prior to the conference and summarized in twelve slides.

Several interesting points emerged from the questionnaire. First and foremost, all respondents recognized the highly interdisciplinary nature of each WG’s activities. Not surprisingly, the most frequently mentioned strategic area to which the groups are affiliated was “Global Changes.” This strong interdisciplinarity has enabled the achievement of several objectives, most notably the submission of joint projects and the organization of workshops, schools, and other dissemination events.

However, some critical issues were also highlighted. The heavy involvement in other major projects, as well as the fragmentation across numerous “micro-projects,” significantly limits the time available for WG activities. The availability of a dedicated budget to support planning within each WG could potentially improve both their operations and overall effectiveness.