Exploring Religion in an Entangled World: Interdisciplinary Research and Open Science
Are you a junior scholar interested in exploring interdisciplinary research and open science? Then mark your calendar for Monday 21 August, because the University of Groningen has an exciting pre-conference in store, just for you!
Entitled “Exploring Religion in an Entangled World: Interdisciplinary Research and Open Science” this event introduces current debates about interdisciplinarity, its implications for pursuing an academic career, and offers practical guidelines for working with Open Science Practices that foster openness, integrity, and the ability to replicate research. It is geared specifically towards ReMA students, PhD candidates, and Postdocs. Featuring interactive talks and workshops with established scholars from various disciplines – including religious studies, cognitive science, and anthropology – this is a perfect opportunity to expand your horizons, network with experts, and indulge your curiosity.
What will you learn?
You’ll come away from this event with a greater understanding of interdisciplinary research and its implications for your own research project and academic career opportunities. Furthermore, you will receive practical tips for working with Open Science Practices.
Sessions
In the introductory session you will explore some of the meanings of “interdisciplinary research” and the various forms it can take. Together with Dr Brenda Mathijssen (University of Groningen, NL), you will discuss benefits and challenges of interdisciplinarity in relation to your own research.
Next, you will participate in a tutorial on Open Science Practices and Registered Reports with Dr Michiel van Elk (Leiden University, NL). Open Science Practices and Registered Reports are becoming increasingly common but are currently underutilized in the psychology of religion/spirituality field. This tutorial introduces the Open Science of Religion initiative and gives practical guidelines for working with Open Science Practices and Registered Reports yourself.
After lunch, which will be provided by us, you will delve deeper into the topic of interdisciplinarity with Prof dr Sarah Pike from California State University in the United States. She will share her personal journey in interdisciplinary research, drawing on her training in both humanities, specifically religious studies, and social sciences, specifically cultural anthropology. Currently, her focus is on restoration ecology, which has led her to venture into a new scientific domain.
During the workshop, Professor Pike will share her experiences with interdisciplinarity, highlighting the importance of this kind of work to address complex societal issues. You will also discuss challenges such as (inter)disciplinary academic training and keeping up to date with knowledge from multiple disciplines. Practical strategies for conducting interdisciplinary research will also be explored, and you are invited to share your own research practices.
The final session will focus on how interdisciplinarity can impact academic career opportunities. With the guidance of an interdisciplinary scholar (to be announced), you will discuss topics such as collaborations, team science, writing interdisciplinary proposals, and institutional barriers. These barriers may include the availability (or lack thereof) of interdisciplinary positions and supervision at universities.
After the event, you are invited to join the Opening ceremony of the IAPR regular conference and the keynote lecture by prof. Sarah Pike, as well as the social event in the evening, including food, drinks and good company.
Don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity to learn with fellow scholars!
When: 21 August 2023, 11:15-16:45
Where: Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies, University of Groningen
This event is cosponsored by NOSTER, which means that junior members as well as postdoc senior members can participate for free.