Evolving Approaches to Collaborative Learning and Boundary Spanning in Sustainability Science
Christine Feurt, University of New England
How can busy researchers work with even busier managers to facilitate effective application of science to address complex environmental challenges? Sustainability science offers a framework for integrating the perspectives and expertise of interdisciplinary scientists and managers and focusing their collaborative efforts toward solutions. Success in these partnerships can be enhanced when a “boundary spanner” assumes the critical role of negotiating the gulf separating science and management. For over a decade the Wells NERR Coastal Training Program has used a Collaborative Learning approach to bridge science and management. This seminar examines the elements that contribute to the effectiveness of this approach and proposes an increased emphasis on building boundary spanning competencies and resources to address the challenges of sustainability science.