ABSTRACT
Environmental žuid dynamics (EFD) deals with the study of complex systems that integrate natural, chemical, biological, and physical processes with anthropogenically altered systems. From climate change to wastewater treatment, policy-relevant decisions are o¢en based on EFD research. Hence, EFD is multidisciplinary and its applications and solutions have an inherent human element. ›is is a sensitive topic in applied scientiŸc research with associated di®cult questions, which must be addressed by interdisciplinary teams. Typical questions include: How do we facilitate e§ective interdisciplinary research (IDR)? How can a team of scientists wrestle with the necessary social and political choices in order to collaboratively produce new scientiŸc knowledge? Who gets credit? How are data and resources shared? What is the appropriate level of trust? How does one negotiate new knowledge and the role it may play in environmental decision making? ›is chapter provides guidance toward meeting scientiŸc and policy-related goals for researchers interacting in a multidisciplinary framework with an emphasis on communication among researchers of various backgrounds, as well as communication between researchers and policy makers.
