The Geo-Functions Project at the Rotman Institute of Philosophy is an interdisciplinary community-engaged research project, bringing together scientists, philosophers, and a wide range of other academic and practical experts to explore the geo-functions perspective and its lessons and applications. The project focuses especially on identifying and overcoming obstacles to the effective use and development of this new perspective in scientific research, practical action, policy-making, and public understanding. The Geo-Functions Project will include research, events, and practical projects in three broad categories:
- Understanding Geo-Functions includes projects that explore and develop the geo-functions perspective.
- Building Agreement for Action—Geo-Functional Knowledge and Choices includes projects that help build a shared core of concepts, research aims, and practical goals by bringing together diverse participants to work together on earth-systems research and management.
- Rethinking Intervention: Geo-Functional Management and Innovation includes projects that use the geo-functions perspective to address local and global problems of earth-systems management through policy and social innovation.
My work with the geo-functions project is on Interdisciplinary community-engaged research: Roles for philosophers.
Interdisciplinary community-engaged research: Roles for philosophers
Both interdisciplinary research and community-engaged research pose significant challenges. The Geo-Functions Project requires some research that combines these features, involving active mutual engagement between academic partners from multiple disciplines and non-academic community partners. My project will investigate the special challenges that arise from this combination of features, exploring the distinctive contributions that philosophers can make to such research activities as (for example) interpreters, facilitators and motivators.