Breakthroughs at the disciplinary nexus: Rewards and challenges for applied economists

Abstract

AbstractComplex societal challenges call for solutions that require innovative thinking and new ways of problem‐solving that creatively combine knowledge from multiple disciplines. It is imperative that applied economists engage in interdisciplinary research and apply systems thinking and analytical approaches to analyzing trade‐offs and behavioral drivers of human choices to design strategies to achieve societal goals. Agricultural and applied economics have a foundation in interdisciplinary research, real‐world problem solving and engagement with stakeholders, but face increasing pressures for specialization. This address discusses strategies for conducting interdisciplinary research that rely on T‐shaped research skills, team science and aggregating expertise from different disciplines to co‐develop solutions to challenging societal problems. It provides some examples of ground‐breaking research that has emerged in applied economics due to the collaborations with and insights provided by scholars from other disciplines. The paper concludes with a discussion of the institutional and discipline‐related challenges to conducting interdisciplinary research and a call to the profession to foster, recognize and value interdisciplinary research.