$2M initiative connects disciplines

For the University of Western Ontario it's more than a colloquial expression - it's the basis for a new initiative being launched this week by Fred Longstaffe, Western's Provost and Vice-President (Academic).

The new process called Interdisciplinary Development Initiatives (IDIs) will formally acknowledge "teaching and research that occurs across, between, and/or among two or more areas of knowledge typically seen as being separate". It's a way to tackle problems too broad and too complex to solve within a single discipline or profession.

To ensure success, the university is budgeting $500,000 for IDI in the coming year, and another $1.5 million over the following three years.

"Interdisciplinarity is part of the current landscape of many universities, but in the future it will grow to be even more important. If we want to lead, if we want to be the best, we have to embrace the development of both our disciplinary and our interdisciplinary pursuits," says Jerry White, Senior Advisor to the Provost.

The initiative is a significant element of Western's new strategic plan, Engaging the Future, and an important part of Western's mission to provide the best undergraduate and graduate student experience.

Prospective IDIs will be nominated through a Letter of Intent (LOI). Groups showing the most promise will be invited to submit full proposals. In turn, the full proposals showing the most potential to "become national and international models for excellence" will receive funding.

"IDIs will be exceptional programs that will bring prestige to Western, forward our research and teaching mission and attract scholars and graduate students to our university," says White.

The deadline for LOI submissions is April 9. LOIs chosen to be developed as full proposals will be due by June 30. The committee will meet during July to decide on successful proposals. An announcement on successful IDI applicants is anticipated for late July.

Guidelines and nomination forms are available from: www.uwo.ca/idi