Interdisciplinary Digital/Sustainable Sandpits March & April 2023

Due to popular demand (and successful first round), the Research Impact Team will be hosting a second set of in-person knowledge and skill exchange Sandpits, which aim to guide researchers in maximising their skills in interdisciplinary working, as well as forging new and potentially unexpected partnerships. With a focus on life and biosciences, these workshops will explore interdisciplinary problem-based approaches, so we hope to get involvement a wide range of disciplines. Facilitated by Dr Mhairi Towler, founder of Vivomotion and an experienced science communicator linking Arts and Humanities with Sciences, the outcome of these Sandpits will be enhanced confidence in interdisciplinary working, considering looking particularly at BBSRC priority areas in a board, interdisciplinary way. They will include the opportunity to get seed funding for emerging ideas via the Impact & Innovation Fund.

This second (and final) set of in-person workshops will run as follows (lunches will be provided); we ask that participants attend both full days to get the most of this training opportunity:

  • Thursday 23rd March: 10am-3:30pm
  • Thursday 6th April: 10am-3:30pm

PhDs, and all academic staff are welcome to attend.

To register, please email the Impact Team on [email protected].

The Interdisciplinary Sandpits will comprise of three workshops on research topic streams which align with the University strategy (https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/about/governance/university-strategy/), Digital and Sustainable, which aim to empower researchers to think, plan, and work in interdisciplinary ways. These workshops will be a safe space for participants to upskill and engage with colleagues. They will be an opportunity for staff from a diverse range of backgrounds to engage with aspects of our collective academic future. The topics are designed to be open to perspectives from all disciplines, and these sandpits have been developed to use the streams as a platform to create sustained interdisciplinary thinking and working.

Digital: We will look at interdisciplinary working within the digital space; this can be from any perspective, from technical expertise to digital engagement, from health to methodology.

Sustainable: We will explore diverse perspectives on sustainability; this may be through practical, social, cultural, or policy-driven points of view.

Some skills that will be covered:

  • Ideation, i.e. coming up with an idea
  • Formulating a pitch
  • Networks and networking
  • Financial planning

These stream-based Interdisciplinary Sandpits will facilitate knowledge and skills exchange, which will evolve over the three workshops as participants learn from each other, encouraging co-creation as a method of innovation for new ideas to flourish.

If you would like further information, have any questions, or would like to register, please email the Impact Team on [email protected]. Thank you.