IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/pal/palcom/v12y2025i1d10.1057_s41599-025-04410-0.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Fostering interdisciplinarity and collaboration: the role of challenge-driven research in European University Alliances through the CHARM-EU experience

Author

Listed:
  • Jaime Llorca

    (Universitat de Barcelona)

  • Vicente Royuela

    (Universitat de Barcelona)

  • Christopher Evans

    (Universitat de Barcelona
    Universitat de Barcelona)

  • Albert Diaz-Guilera

    (Universitat de Barcelona
    Universitat de Barcelona)

  • Raul Ramos

    (Universitat de Barcelona)

Abstract

This paper explores the innovative dynamics established through the European Universities Initiative (EUI) and their role in steering collaborative, challenge-driven research with societal impact. The EUI fosters the creation of university alliances aimed at aligning education and research with societal needs within the European Research Area. These alliances are designed to enhance transnational cooperation, particularly via developing common science agendas that serve as joint research strategies designed to deepen scientific collaboration among alliance partners. These agendas are structured around key priorities such as sustainability, inter- and transdisciplinary research, and adherence to Responsible Research and Innovation principles. Our study focuses on the CHARM-EU Alliance as a case study, presenting a participatory process for building multidisciplinary academic teams to define scientific priorities aligned with sustainable development goals. The process provides a practical tool for fostering new scientific networks to identify and tackle complex global issues, being replicable, inclusive, and adaptable for other alliances. Additionally, the paper discusses the main barriers encountered in developing and implementing a procedure to set up a common science agenda, including the challenges of inter-institutional collaboration and the integration of diverse institutional policies and priorities. Our findings offer insight into the successes and limitations of such initiatives, contributing to a collective learning experience that can inform policy and academic communities on fostering transformative research strategies within university alliances.

Suggested Citation

  • Jaime Llorca & Vicente Royuela & Christopher Evans & Albert Diaz-Guilera & Raul Ramos, 2025. "Fostering interdisciplinarity and collaboration: the role of challenge-driven research in European University Alliances through the CHARM-EU experience," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 12(1), pages 1-14, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:palcom:v:12:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1057_s41599-025-04410-0
    DOI: 10.1057/s41599-025-04410-0
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1057/s41599-025-04410-0
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1057/s41599-025-04410-0?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Roxanne C. Keynejad & H. Manisha Yapa & Poushali Ganguli, 2021. "Achieving the sustainable development goals: investing in early career interdisciplinarity," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 8(1), pages 1-5, December.
    2. Quirin Schiermeier, 2000. "Europe edges closer to an integrated science policy," Nature, Nature, vol. 405(6789), pages 873-873, June.
    3. Flurina Schneider & Zarina Patel & Katsia Paulavets & Tobias Buser & Jacqueline Kado & Stefanie Burkhart, 2023. "Fostering transdisciplinary research for sustainability in the Global South: Pathways to impact for funding programmes," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-11, December.
    4. Romero Goyeneche, Oscar Yandy & Ramirez, Matias & Schot, Johan & Arroyave, Felber, 2022. "Mobilizing the transformative power of research for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(10).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Raquel Ruiz-Rodríguez & Marta Ortiz-de-Urbina-Criado & Rafael Ravina-Ripoll, 2023. "Neuroleadership: a new way for happiness management," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-14, December.
    2. Pärli, Rea & Byamungu, Moustapha & Fischer, Manuel & Kantengwa, Speciose & Kintche, Kokou & Konlambigue, Matieyedou & Lieberherr, Eva & Six, Johan & Wilde, Benjamin & Späth, Leonhard, 2024. "“The reality in the DRC is just not the reality in Rwanda” – How context factors affect transdisciplinary research projects," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 53(7).
    3. Walter Leal Filho & João Henrique Paulino Pires Eustachio & Lucas Veiga Ávila & Maria Alzira Pimenta Dinis & Paula M. Hernandez‐Diaz & Karina Batista & Bruno Borsari & Ismaila Rimi Abubakar, 2025. "Enhancing the contribution of higher education institutions to sustainable development research: A focus on post‐2015 SDGs," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(2), pages 1745-1757, April.
    4. Andrew Freiband & Katherine L. Dickin & Mitchell Glass & Michael A. Gore & Juan Hinestroza & Rebecca Nelson & Verity Platt & Noliwe Rooks & Aaron Sachs & Nathaniel Stern & Johannes Lehmann, 2022. "Undisciplining the university through shared purpose, practice, and place," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 9(1), pages 1-10, December.
    5. Emilia Miszewska & Maciej Niedostatkiewicz & Radosław Wiśniewski, 2023. "Sustainable Development of Water Housing Using the Example of Poland: An Analysis of Scenarios," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(14), pages 1-16, July.
    6. Erin V Satterthwaite & Valeriya Komyakova & Natalia G Erazo & Louise Gammage & Gabriel A Juma & Rachel Kelly & Daniel Kleinman & Delphine Lobelle & Rachel Sapery James & Norlaila Binti Mohd Zanuri, 2022. "Five actionable pillars to engage the next generation of leaders in the co-design of transformative ocean solutions," PLOS Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 20(10), pages 1-14, October.
    7. Caetano C R & Oscar Yandy & Cristian Matti, 2023. "Exploring indicators for monitoring sociotechnical system transitions through portfolio networks," Science and Public Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 50(4), pages 719-741.
    8. Matteo Trane & Luisa Marelli & Alice Siragusa & Riccardo Pollo & Patrizia Lombardi, 2023. "Progress by Research to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals in the EU: A Systematic Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-37, April.
    9. Olesya P. Kazachenok & Galina V. Stankevich & Natalia N. Chubaeva & Yuliya G. Tyurina, 2023. "Economic and legal approaches to the humanization of FinTech in the economy of artificial intelligence through the integration of blockchain into ESG Finance," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-9, December.
    10. Cottafava, Dario & Ascione, Grazia Sveva & Corazza, Laura & Dhir, Amandeep, 2022. "Sustainable development goals research in higher education institutions: An interdisciplinarity assessment through an entropy-based indicator," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 138-155.
    11. Estelle Fourat & Eric Blanchart & Miriam Cué Rio & Maria J Darias & Arona Diedhiou & Isabelle Droy & Frédéric Jacob & Pierre Janin & Marjorie Le Bars & Alissia Lourme-Ruiz & Insaf Mekki & Philippe Mér, 2024. "Holistic approaches to assess the sustainability of food systems in low- and middle-income countries: a scoping review," Post-Print hal-04662942, HAL.
    12. Estelle Fourat & Eric Blanchart & Miriam Cué Rio & Maria J Darias & Arona Diedhiou & Isabelle Droy & Frédéric Jacob & Pierre Janin & Marjorie Le Bars & Alissia Lourme-Ruiz & Insaf Mekki & Philippe Mér, 2024. "Holistic approaches to assess the sustainability of food systems in low- and middle-income countries: A scoping review," PLOS Sustainability and Transformation, Public Library of Science, vol. 3(7), pages 1-14, July.
    13. Luay Jum'a & Dominik Zimon & Robert Sroufe & Jonah Tyan, 2024. "Sustainable supply chain management's impact on triple bottom line performance: Does the firm size matter?," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 31(5), pages 4673-4693, September.
    14. Confraria, Hugo & Ciarli, Tommaso & Noyons, Ed, 2024. "Countries' research priorities in relation to the Sustainable Development Goals," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 53(3).
    15. Diana Rucavado Rojas & Julio C. Postigo, 2025. "The cycle of underrepresentation: structural and institutional factors limiting the representation of Global South authors and knowledge in the IPCC," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 178(2), pages 1-11, February.
    16. Dimitrios Bouras & Styliani (Stella) Sofianopoulou, 2023. "Sustainable Development Assessment of Organizations through Quantitative Modelling," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-21, May.
    17. Luka Ursić & Godfrey Baldacchino & Željana Bašić & Ana Belén Sainz & Ivan Buljan & Miriam Hampel & Ivana Kružić & Mia Majić & Ana Marušić & Franck Thetiot & Ružica Tokalić & Leandra Vranješ Markić, 2022. "Factors Influencing Interdisciplinary Research and Industry-Academia Collaborations at Six European Universities: A Qualitative Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-24, July.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:pal:palcom:v:12:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1057_s41599-025-04410-0. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.nature.com/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.