The IES is delighted to announce that we are partnering with the ACCESS network (Advancing Capacity for Climate and Environment Social Science) on a new interdisciplinary project Environmental Social Science in Interdisciplinary Working. This project will bring together environmental and social scientists to co-develop tools and resources to support collaborative working in practice.
This builds on our wider work in the sector championing interdisciplinarity and represents the next chapter in achieving our strategy, 'Enabling interdisciplinary solutions through science and connections’.
This year-long project will culminate in a dedicated session at the IES’s Dialogue Between Disciplines Conference 2026 and will produce dedicated resources to support environmental and social scientists working in interdisciplinary teams.
Professor Birgitta Gatersleben, Co-Director of the ACCESS Network said: "I am excited to work on this project with IES. The main aim of the project is to co-produce a set of resources for interdisciplinary working. Co-production lies at the heart of ACCESS work and is one of our guiding principles. This project enables us to work with a new group of people and will undoubtedly be a valuable learning experience for all.”
Ethny Childs, Head of Communities and Partnerships at the IES said: “Collaboration between environmental scientists and social scientists is vital for tackling the complex, interconnected challenges facing our environment and society. I am thrilled that we will be embarking on this new project with ACCESS to support interdisciplinary working in practice and build a foundation for future collaboration between our networks.”
Have you been involved in an interdisciplinary team?
This project will be deeply collaborative, and there will be multiple opportunities for engagement over the coming year.
We are currently looking to gather case study examples of interdisciplinary working involving environmental and social scientists, so that we can help identify enablers and barriers to interdisciplinary working.
If you have been involved in a project like this, we would welcome your input. Please get in touch so that we can discuss further.
