In the world of science, research is the foundational element. Research teams are integral to universities and higher learning institutions all around the world as they seek out solutions to today’s most complex and pressing problems. AgNext and its expert research team is no exception. Functioning under CSU’s colleges of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture, AgNext is hyper-focused on improving the sustainability of animal agriculture systems. While our team is working toward tangible goals in sustainability, we are also propelling academic collaboration by finding an approach to research where productivity and cooperation go hand-in-hand.

Working at a university can have seemingly contradicting values: the goal of cooperative work, centered around the community, may work against the goal of achieving fast and tangible results. Dr. Kevin Jablonski, an Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist who studies the ecology of grazing livestock at AgNext, illustrated the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in research.

“On one hand, we know that building a cohesive, multidisciplinary team before conducting research will lead to a higher likelihood of funding and improved research outcomes,” Jablonski noted. “On the other hand, most performance measures incentivize volume (publications, grants, even outreach), and being so deliberate can reduce productivity.”

The idea of collaborating across fields is not limited only to AgNext’s research team as we are continually building long-term relationships with stakeholders, such as our Industry Innovation Group. This group is made up of experts in the field of animal agriculture who help elevate AgNext with insightful feedback on ongoing initiatives, promotion within the industry, and advice about new opportunities. Working with individuals and companies from our industry Innovation Group enables us to make more efficient and impactful scientific progress.

One drawback to this kind of interdisciplinary collaboration is the time constraints. Working across fields or disciplinaries can often be time-consuming. The more individuals and groups involved in a project (especially across multiple departments), the longer it can take to coordinate tasks and keep all contributors on the same timeline. While we strive to build lasting relationships with stakeholders, institutional limitations that prioritize timeliness and production can hinder collaborative efforts. However, this doesn’t detract from the value of cross-collaboration. Additional perspectives and contributions are always welcome in research but it’s important to factor in timelines when collaborating with other parties.

To address these contradictions, Dr. Jablonski expressed a need to take a “both-and” approach to interdisciplinary work and research instead of an “either-or” approach.

“Some people recognize the failures of ‘loading-dock science’ and endeavor to take the time to engage stakeholders for effective co-production of science, but simply ignoring the institutional realities related to performance measures doesn’t make them disappear,” he explained.

The projects that prioritize engagement tend not to gain as much attention or funding and are more likely to be delayed because of these obstacles. There is an inherent inclination to minimize collaborative efforts, with a belief that keeping work streamlined to a smaller team will lead to quicker results. However, this can be a discredit to the work. When we employ the skills

of experts in all fields related to a study, we produce more effective, applicable, and lasting solutions to complex challenges.

“I think, by instinctively trying to work on both the team-building and tangible research at the same time, this ‘both-and’ approach can work toward the co-production and collaborative science that we all know is needed for transformative change,” Jablonski concluded.

So, while AgNext works with members of the livestock value chain to help move the industry towards a sustainable future, we are also fostering connections inside and outside the university to change the way research teams work for the better.