Research at the Crossroads: How Intellectual Initiatives across Disciplines Evolve

How do intellectual initiatives across disciplines evolve? This qualitative case study of 11 interdisciplinary research initiatives at Emory University identifies key factors in their development: the passionate commitments of scholarly leaders, the presence of strong collegial networks, access to timely and multiple resources, flexible practices, and missions of investigating societal problems. Challenges include sweat equity, division of labor, leadership momentum, and communication. The study recommends strategies to consider when developing or supporting similar kinds of initiatives.