Interdisciplinarity at SLU

One of the most important goals for SLU's Future Platforms is to develop interdisciplinary working methods at SLU by initiating and enabling collaboration across scientific disciplinary boundaries.

Complex challenges require cross-disciplinary thinking

Complex challenges require a broad mindset and a palette of solutions – a palette of many colors. The future platforms develop cross-disciplinary working methods at SLU by initiating and enabling collaboration across scientific disciplinary boundaries.

Hands holding young plant with soil.
Funding call

Call for seed funding

SLU Future One Health is announcing seed funding to support One Health research applications. The deadline for applications is 17 March. We look forward to receiving your application!

Call for IDA 2026-2027

A new project period for IDA 2026-2027 is announced by SLU Future Food in collaboration with SLU Urban Futures. Here are important dates for the call and the project period.
The call and important dates

Interdisciplinary Academy (IDA)

The Interdisciplinary Academy (IDA) is a new initiative at SLU, where researchers with different academic backgrounds will have the opportunity to jointly develop their ability to work interdisciplinary in an inspiring environment.

Three people growing vegetables in an urban environment. Photo by Lieselotte Van Der Meijs, CC BY-NC 2.0.

Food & Cities

Food & Cities is a collaboration between SLU Future Food and SLU Urban Futures. The aim is to identify knowledge gaps and cross-disciplinary research questions.

More in-depth on interdisciplinarity

Dive deeper into interdisciplinarity! Find useful links, recommended literature and recorded seminars here.

News

  • 2026-01-19

    Call for applications to SLU's Interdisciplinary Academy (IDA) 2026-2027

    The Interdisciplinary Academy (IDA) is a programme where SLU researchers are offered the opportunity to collaborate across disciplinary boundaries on complex issues in the broad field of sustainable transition.
  • 2026-01-20

    A Practical Guide to Interdisciplinary Biodiversity Research

    Despite widespread calls for interdisciplinarity, biodiversity research still struggles to integrate social and natural sciences. A new article offers practical advice for moving from ambition to action.
  • 2025-12-10

    Tracking climate shocks to build future resilience

    What can past climate extremes teach us about resilience? Researchers at SLU’s Interdisciplinary Academy (IDA) are studying long-term data on climate, farming, soils, and society to uncover patterns that could help us adapt to future challenges.
  • 2025-11-13

    Interdisciplinary approaches to ecosystem restoration

    As Europe works to restore its natural environments, researchers at SLU are exploring new ways to reconnect ecosystems and people. By linking ecology, society and culture, they aim to create landscapes that are both resilient and meaningful.
  • 2025-11-20

    Securing food in the cities of the future

    New risks, new legislation and new forms of collaboration raise the question: how can municipalities, regions and food system actors act to make Sweden more resilient in times of crisis?
  • 2025-11-11

    Sun, soil and synergy – the potential of agrivoltaics in a changing landscape

    How can solar panels and agriculture coexist – and even benefit one another? That question was at the center of the webinar “Agrivoltaics: Frontiers and opportunities for new research”, part of SLU’s Climate Conversations series on future climate solutions.

Calendar