What are the characteristics of an effective interdisciplinary research environment for doctoral candidates? A pilot study

This paper reports on a preliminary study exploring the different approaches taken by doctoral researchers from different disciplines as they engage with the multidisciplinary environment offered by the Centre for Doctoral Training in Energy (CDT). In addition to offering a structured cohort environment, the CDT is designed to challenge the way in which researchers view themselves. Self-identity is an important component of being a successful researcher. The CDT explicitly encourages PhD candidates to adopt a wider view of their identity, skills and knowledge as part of the training programme, helping them to recognise that they need not be limited by the approaches and methodologies of their home discipline. Different researchers report differing levels of engagement and di fferent benefits accruing from CDT membership and participation in CDT training activities. A preliminary taxonomy has been identified which classifies engagement with the multidisciplinary environment into three levels: 1 ) perspectives, 2) dialogues and 3) methodologies. We report the benefits identified by the researchers for different stages of engagement with the CDT. The paper also highlights successful key features in offering a multidisciplinary research environment to support doctoral candidates