In our most recent Office of the Provost newsletter, we invited faculty and staff to share their perspectives on interdisciplinarity and collaboration at the University of Michigan. The responses reinforced what many of us already know: collaboration across disciplines is both a hallmark of our community and a continuing aspiration.

We have more than 180 centers and institutes where faculty from various disciplines already come together, as well as numerous partnerships between schools, colleges, and units. In our research enterprise, faculty across disciples continue to collaborate to address some of society’s toughest challenges. As part of the Bold Challenges initiative, for example, researchers spanning fields including health, economics, technology and sustainability are now exploring ways to collaborate around the theme of “Food for Tomorrow.”

And as part of the newly created AI Institutes at Michigan (AIIM), the university’s numerous AI-related research centers will soon begin working together more closely than ever before. This collaborative environment will serve to amplify the impact of each participating member.

Despite this highly collaborative landscape, we can do more to provide opportunities for faculty and staff to connect, whether for research, teaching, or simple conversation. Over the coming year, my office will focus on creating new opportunities for connection.

Key Themes from the Survey

Respondents highlighted the tremendous potential that emerges when people from different fields connect. Many pointed to the energy and innovation sparked by conversations across disciplinary lines, and to the value of U-M’s centers and institutes. As one respondent noted, “A clear topic or problem that requires different disciplinary perspectives is a good start. For example, I have been organizing the Privacy@Michigan annual symposium that brings together researchers from across the university who study privacy implications from different perspectives.”

Several participants shared the impact of past initiatives. One faculty member reflected, “I miss MCubed. We funded a three-year lecture series and award-winning student pedagogy series with one MCubed ‘diamond.’ I’ve also loved our Humanities Collaboratory grant, which is allowing us to speed up collaborative work exponentially this summer.” Others described the immediate value of focused events, such as, “I appreciated hearing Jim Gill speak. It was content that I was immediately able to implement.”

At the same time, respondents noted that logistical and cultural barriers remain. These included challenges such as finding the right collaborators, navigating administrative differences across units, and carving out the time and space for fruitful projects such as coteaching, guest lectures, and collaborative research. As one participant wrote, “Lack of time and funding support; not enough opportunities to learn about what others are working on. It also seems that when organizing an event, ever fewer people show up.”

Some colleagues find themselves with more opportunities for collaboration than they can possibly pursue, while others are eager to connect but struggle to find the right pathways. One respondent captured this tension around resources and timing: “I’m working on a couple collaborations that fall outside the school year, and lack of summer ninths makes it hard for people to give up time on paid consulting and other gigs.”

Despite these barriers, enthusiasm for new approaches was strong. Faculty expressed a desire for both structured opportunities, such as small-seed funding or thematic workshops, and informal venues for connection. One respondent observed, “Since the MCubed program was stopped, the number of cold-call outreaches from people in other disciplines has reduced drastically … it’s a real loss in my opinion. It would be nice to have more structured opportunities to foster interdisciplinary research collaborations as well.”

These reflections suggest that while many faculty enjoy abundant opportunities, others remain eager for better pathways to connect. Based on this survey and my visits last semester to talk with faculty from each school and college, it is clear that there is significant demand for renewed and reimagined mechanisms of collaboration.

Next Steps: Supporting Connection and Reducing Barriers

The Provost’s Office is committed to working alongside faculty and staff to expand opportunities to connect and create together. Our efforts will focus on fostering more low-barrier, high-value settings for connection, while also making existing networks more visible and easier to navigate. Collaboration is already happening in countless ways across campus; our goal is to build on this strong foundation so that even more faculty and staff can benefit.

Pop-Up Events

One way we are responding is through a new series of convening events. These gatherings, some hosted by me and others by vice provosts, will provide space for conversation, collegiality, and input on timely topics. Designed to be informal and accessible, these events aim to spark new connections and reinforce our shared commitment to interdisciplinary engagement.

A Collaboration Discovery Portal

Looking ahead, we are also developing a collaboration discovery portal. This tool will make it easier for faculty and staff to identify potential collaborators across the university, connect around shared interests, and discover relevant events or initiatives. The portal will complement the robust infrastructure already in place through U-M’s many centers and institutes, providing a digital entry point to foster connections at scale.

Thank you to all who took the time to share your perspectives in the survey. Your insights are helping to shape the next chapter of our work. As we build on the strong culture of collaboration already present on our campus, I look forward to seeing how new opportunities, both formal and informal, will help us continue to thrive as a community of scholars and colleagues.