Choose collaborators with complementary skills and aligned timelines. 

Preferably work with some people you already know in some capacity (through other previous projects or events). Given the large differences between the disciplines, misunderstandings or misinterpretations will occur, and it can become very hard to negotiate if you don’t have a personal connection. 

Consider also including students at different stages of their studies. Their participation and engagement enriches the project. 

Engaging a larger number of collaborators can help in continuing the project even in case some members have to step down.  

Reach out to existing support structures and ask support at Faculty level to help with administration, communication and visibility of your project. Don’t try to do it all alone! 

Interdisciplinarity is an ongoing conversation, so treat the dialogues you have as a method not just a format or type of dissemination. 

Promote discussions that go beyond "deliverables" to allow insight-sharing across disciplines. 

Some words can have different meanings for different disciplines. It could make sense to first establish a shared understanding, before proceedings to making progress with the tasks (like inviting experts or writing a paper together). 

Create a shared vocabulary: Invest time in explaining discipline-specific concepts so the team develops a common language and avoids misunderstandings.  

Don’t expect that everyone has the same teaching schedule, research methodology background, or familiarity with some key terms as you have. We are all very much affected by our discipline and the faculty/institute we are based in. What is a good research topic or conference for one discipline can be very different for another. 

Agree early on the purpose of the collaboration, e.g., joint grant writing,  knowledge exchange, and network building. 

Decide the research questions that you want to explore and have regular meetings to discuss them. 

Plan frequent touchpoints, not just data handovers. 

Agree on a clear allocation of roles and responsibilities to facilitate a successful collaboration.  

Assign/share responsibilities for event organization, communication, and preparing reports. Form sub-teams if relevant to take responsibility for different parts activities within the project. 

Build continuity through recurring events, because repetition strengthens collaboration and a sense of collective growth. 

Be aware one year timeline is relatively short, especially for multidisciplinary projects.  

If you plan to have activities or events, it is good to decide the date in advance. 

Don’t underestimate time for communication: Interdisciplinary collaboration can take longer - plan generously for discussion, negotiation, and shared learning.  

Embed events in broader thematic narrative of your project, not as isolated activities. 

Consider how to spend the grant of 10,000 within 12 months. Involve your project controller for advice on a realistic budget.  

Do not underestimate the time and emotional costs of the project. 

Don’t overlook dissemination: Events like symposia or public discussions strengthen the project and demonstrate its wider relevance. 

Think beyond traditional academic formats. 

Combine multimodal formats (open mics, poetry labs, embodied workshops, exhibitions) and forms of knowledge (artistic, academic and community-based methods). Don’t treat art as illustrative or secondary. 

Integrate a consideration for sensory diversity, embodied modes, and disability-inclusive infrastructures to generate more inclusive environments. Don’t assume accessibility is solved through institutional protocols. 

Try to implement international collaborations and multilingual perspectives, which enriches not only the materials with which you can work, but also the audiences you can reach. Don’t frame partners (international or national) as cases “exceptions” or “case studies.” 

Consider partnering with cultural institutions (museums, libraries) to help you create visibility and reach other audiences beyond staff and students at the university level.