Aarhus BSS Strategic Interdisciplinary Forum

Background for the Aarhus BSS Strategic Interdisciplinary Forum (SIF)

Aarhus BSS creates value for society and stakeholders primarily through high-quality research and research-based education within the fields of business and social sciences. The school also has a small portfolio of research and educational activities across disciplines. By establishing SIF, Aarhus BSS aims to strengthen this portfolio and the collaboration across disciplines with due consideration of department needs and the strategic agenda of the school.

Purpose

SIF supports the faculty management team’s ambition to promote the interdisciplinary activities at Aarhus BSS. The members of SIF help identify distinct interdisciplinary strengths, opportunities and barriers. They also help target activities at Aarhus BSS to societal challenges that require interdisciplinary solutions.

Responsibilities and tasks (this list is not exhaustive)

SIF plays an advisory role in relation to the faculty management team. The responsibilities and tasks of SIF include, but are not limited to: 

• Acting as a sounding board in relation to new ideas for interdisciplinary initiatives raised by the employees at Aarhus BSS.
• Identifying and recommending the appointment of specific groups to work on activities that may strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration at the school, for instance in connection with:
  • establishing interdisciplinary initiatives or centres.
  • establishing new interdisciplinary degree programmes.
  • organising and hosting workshops and conferences on best practices for interdisciplinary re-search.
• Supporting the search for ways to fund interdisciplinary research activities, including different foundations and Horizon Europe’s funding for ‘global challenges’.
• Supporting quality assurance of large-scale applications for interdisciplinary research projects.

Results/success criteria

SIF activities are to strengthen the interdisciplinary activities at Aarhus BSS and are selected and defined with due consideration of school and department needs.

The faculty management team is informed of the discussions in SIF on a regular basis.

Organisation and collaboration

All departments at Aarhus BSS are represented in SIF to ensure that their needs are taken into account. The vice dean for research is the chair of SIF. SIF will work together with the Aarhus BSS administrative centre as needed.

The chair of SIF is responsible for ensuring the school’s participation/representation in cross-faculty collaboration at Aarhus University, including the AU working group for interdisciplinary missiondriven research. SIF will discuss topics related to cross-faculty activities at university level when necessary.

The faculty management team may appoint working groups related to specific projects/activities on recommendation from SIF. These working groups report to the faculty management team.
 

Meetings

SIF will hold meetings when necessary, and at least once a year. SIF will mainly operate by working groups related to specific projects/activities. These working groups may include members of SIF and/or external participants who have specific competencies within a given field.
 

Composition and members

SIF consists of a chair (vice dean for research), directors of studies and centres who are responsible for interdisciplinary research centres or degree programmes, heads of important research infrastructures at Aarhus BSS, and a number of early career researchers with special interest in or experience from interdisciplinary research projects.

The Dean's Office provides administrative support for SIF.
 

Evaluation

The faculty management team will evaluate the terms of reference for SIF as needed.