Research institutions tout the value of scholarship that crosses disciplines – but academia pushes interdisciplinary researchers out

Researchers who focus on one specialty are more likely to rise through the academic ranks, even though wicked societal problems require crosscutting work to solve.

By: Bruce Weinberg, The Ohio State University; Enrico Berkes, University of Maryland, Baltimore County; Monica Marion, Indiana University, and Staša Milojević, Indiana University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: January 13, 2026

Words: 1,234

Last Updated: 2 months, 1 week ago

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By Bruce Weinberg, The Ohio State University; Enrico Berkes, University of Maryland, Baltimore County; Monica Marion, Indiana University, and Staša Milojević, Indiana University

The most exciting landmark scientific achievements don’t happen without researchers sharing and collaborating with others outside their field. When people first landed on the Moon in 1969, Neil Armstrong’s first footsteps marked the realization of a century-long vision that integrated a variety of scientific fields. Landing on the Moon required expertise in electrical, …

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