Report from the Academy of Sciences
In May 2003, the National Academies and the W.M. Keck Foundation announced the National Academies Keck Futures Initiative, a program designed to realize the full potential of interdisciplinary research (IDR). Specifically, the Futures Initiative was created to stimulate new modes of inquiry and break down the conceptual and institutional barriers to interdisciplinary research that could yield significant benefits to science and society. As part of the Futures Initiative, the Keck Foundation asked the National Academies to review the state of interdisciplinary research and education in science and engineering and recommend ways to facilitate them.
The resulting report is intended to facilitate collaborative practices that can increase the productivity of science and engineering.