Two new interdisciplinary projects selected for IDA 2026–2027
When the call for applications to SLU's Interdisciplinary Academy (IDA) 2026–2027 closed on 29 April, seven groups had submitted proposals. Following an evaluation process, two groups have now been selected to begin their work after the summer.
This year's projects explore two complex issues from an interdisciplinary perspective. One project investigates how the value systems of different academic disciplines shape water research. The other focuses on antimicrobial resistance and how the phenomenon can be understood by integrating perspectives from human, animal and environmental health.
Karin Holmgren, former Pro Vice-Chancellor and now Professor Emerita of Physical Geography at the Department of Urban and Rural Development at SLU, has served on the IDA selection panel several times since the programme was launched in 2022.
"It was very encouraging to receive so many applications this year – seven in total, which is a new record. This naturally made the selection process challenging, as all the applications were of a very high standard," says Karin Holmgren.
She also sees a clear development in how SLU researchers approach interdisciplinary research.
"It has been rewarding to see how the applications have evolved over the years. It feels as though the understanding of what interdisciplinarity means and how it can be fostered has really grown at SLU."
IDA projects 2026-2027
Valuing Water: How disciplinary value systems shape water research
Participants:
- Sofie Joosse, Department for Urban and Rural Development
- Ishi Buffam, Department of Landscape Architecture, Planning and Management,
- Josefina Jonsson, Department of Economics
- Jens Olsson, Department of Aquatic Resources
- Malin Olofsson, Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment
Conceptualising antimicrobial resistance from an interdisciplinary One Health perspective
Participants:
- Susanna Sternberg Lewerin, Department of Animal Biosciences
- Christoffer Söderlund Kanarp, Department of Urban and Rural Development
- Åsa Lankinen, Department of Plant Protection Biology
- Marc Yeterian, Department of Economics
- Ramesh Vetukuri, Department of Plant Breeding
About Interdisciplinary Academy (IDA) at SLU
The Interdisciplinary Academy (IDA) at SLU was established in 2022 by the NJ Faculty and SLU Future Food, with the aim of building a long-term organization for the development of interdisciplinary research at SLU. Since 2025, IDA is run by SLU Future Food together with SLU Urban Futures. Inspiration has been drawn from the Pufendorf Institute at Lund University and experience has also been drawn from the Futures Lab at SLU. The goal is for IDA to lead to increasing interest in interdisciplinary research work at SLU, strengthen the ability to process research questions from an interdisciplinary perspective and facilitate collaboration between SLU's various departments within the framework of investments in interdisciplinarity. The development of IDA is taking place in dialogue with SLU's other future platforms and SLU Global.
SLU Future Food is a platform that stimulates and develops cross-disciplinary research and collaboration for economically, ecologically and socially sustainable food systems.
SLU Urban Futures is a strategic platform that develops and strengthens transdisciplinary research, education and collaboration in sustainable urban development.