Co-designing convergent research and wrestling with its emergent tensions

Journal Article

Convergence has emerged as an important paradigm for conducting research that tackles grand societal challenges. It demands deep integration of multiple disciplines for a holistic understanding of the complexity of these challenges. In the last decade, most convergent research efforts have focused on the integration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). However, addressing societal challenges necessitates greater integration of the social sciences in order to bring in critical and reflexive thinking. Design, as a discipline, integrates social science foundations with the creative arts and a strong future orientation, to understand human behaviors and interactions across socio-technical systems. This paper examines design’s role in activating convergence within Multiscale Resilient, Equitable, and Circular Innovations with Partnership and Education Synergies for Sustainable Food Systems (RECIPES), a Sustainable Regional Systems Research Network funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF).