Facilitating Interdisciplinary Research examines current interdisciplinary research efforts and recommends ways to stimulate and support such research. Advances in science and engineering increasingly require the collaboration of scholars from various fields. This shift is driven by the need to address complex problems that cut across traditional disciplines, and the capacity of new technologies to both transform existing disciplines and generate new ones. At the same time, however, interdisciplinary research can be impeded by policies on hiring, promotion, tenure, proposal review, and resource allocation that favor traditional disciplines. This report identifies steps that researchers, teachers, students, institutions, funding organizations, and disciplinary societies can take to more effectively conduct, facilitate, and evaluate interdisciplinary research programs and projects. Throughout the report key concepts are illustrated with case studies and results of the committee's surveys of individual researchers and university provosts.

This book is designed to help researchers achieve success in funding their National Science Foundation (NSF) research proposals. The book discusses aspects of the proposal submission and review process that are not typically communicated to the research community. Written by authors with successful track records in grant writing and years of experience as NSF Program Directors, this book provides an insider’s view of successful grantsmanship. Written in a practical approach, this book offers tips that will not be found in official paperwork and provides answers to questions frequently asked of NSF Program Directors. The purpose of the book is to improve your NSF grant-writing skills and improve your chances of funding.