Table 2.

Recommendations to promote interdisciplinary research.

Begin to support interdisciplinary scholars with joint appointments in two or more units from the moment they are hired, with a “letter of appointment” that explicitly addresses the appointee’s rights and duties within each reporting unit.

Establish promotion and tenure review committees that include members from all departments and disciplines relevant to the candidate’s career path.

Require that reviewers on promotion and tenure committees assign equal weight to work outside as well as within the home department.

Actively advise young interdisciplinary scholars on strategies for achieving a balance in the publications that support interdisciplinary research and those that demonstrate evidence of independence

Revise teaching policies to give greater credit to faculty who co‐teach courses across different departments.

Ensure that expectations for faculty members are clearly agreed upon from the start of service and share the details of this agreement with promotion and tenure review committees.

Invite external experts with similar interdisciplinary interests as the candidate to join promotion and tenure committees.

Anticipate reviewers’ concerns regarding a faculty member’s independence and productivity by modifying promotion and tenure dossiers to address frequently cited concerns.