The benefits humans enjoy directly from nature, supporting life as we know it, including the human species. Example: timber from forests, clean drinking water, buffering of floods by wetlands, aesthetics and spiritual value of nature.

The study of knowledge, i.e., what it is, how it is acquired, and to what extent it can be known. This field is relevant to interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary team science, as each scholarly discipline has its own epistemology that influences what questions are posed, what methods are used, and how scholars conduct their research. Building bri [..]

A research method in which scientists from different disciplines work together to define problems, and identify methodologies to solve them.

A person who uses knowledge generated through research to make informed decisions about policies, programs and/or best practices. For SESYNC, examples of knowledge users include policy-makers, natural resource managers, business leaders, households, etc.

A research method in which scientists from different disciplines work independently, then combine their findings to address a common problem.

The ability of a system to respond and adapt to shocks or pressures in order to prevent a qualitative, negative change in the state of a system.

A group or individual that is impacted by, or has an interest in, the research or operations of an organization. Two types of stakeholders exist: internal stakeholders who represent members of the organization or research team, and external stakeholders who represent the knowledge users of the research (e.g., policy makers).

For SESYNC’s purposes, this term refers to systems (social and environmental) that have the ability to persist and flourish over time. Sustainability also means meeting human needs in an equitable way while supporting the natural systems upon which present and future life depends. Participating SESYNC scholars are actively working to discover how b [..]

A research method that draws from many sources, including researchers and/or multiple fields of inquiry, accelerating knowledge production by distilling data, ideas, theories, or methods. Synthesis may involve the development or application of models or the integration of methods from different disciplines to define new approaches or research direc [..]

Research Themes