Partnering for Change: Link Research to Societal Challenges (FutureLearn)

Partnering for Change: Link Research to Societal Challenges (FutureLearn)

How can we address societal challenges with research? Investigate the principles, processes, and uses of transdisciplinarity. Discover the methods and tools of transdisciplinary research. In today’s world, we face many complex societal challenges. Projects addressing these challenges often involve actors and stakeholders from different fields and disciplines bringing together their own perspectives or knowledge on a topic. Accordingly, collaborative transdisciplinary approaches are crucial for the success of a project.

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see FutureLearn's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

On this course, you’ll explore how to meet the challenges of conducting effective transdisciplinary research. You’ll gain insights into a variety of case studies from different fields as you learn from the experiences of peers and experts.

What topics will you cover?

  • Research skills needed in order to produce relevant outcomes for society and academia
  • Transdisciplinarity: principles, research processes, and application
  • Guiding questions, phases, and steps in transdisciplinary projects
  • Pitfalls and opportunities in transdisciplinary projects
  • Ethical implications of co-production processes
  • Examples of transdisciplinary projects on sustainable development, migration, and health topics

What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Develop your research skills as you investigate how to co-produce knowledge for society and academia.
  • Reflect transdisciplinarity – its principles, its research processes and the context in which it is promising.
  • Apply transdisciplinary approaches to societally relevant questions.
  • Identify guiding questions, phases and steps of transdisciplinary project.
  • Apply the principles and steps of transdisciplinary research to examples in order to reflect the implication for your own projects.
  • Reflect the role of scientists and stakeholders in society and consider the ethical implications of co-producing processes.
Go to Class
MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

Population Health: Study Design (Coursera) Coursera
Leiden University

Population Health: Study Design (Coursera)

Health care professionals increasingly have to make clinical decisions in aging and diverse populations. Also, they have to deal with rising health care costs, fragmented health care supply and advancing medical technologies and IT systems. These developments go beyond every day practice and will require new skills. In this course we will walk you through key steps in designing a research study, from formulating the research question to common pitfalls you might encounter when interpreting your results.

Sep 28th 2026
4 Weeks
Global Disability: Research and Evidence (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

Global Disability: Research and Evidence (FutureLearn)

Explore how to conduct and interpret findings from global disability research. Understand why and how to do research in the field of global disability. In this course you will learn from researchers, persons with disabilities and policy makers as we look to enhance our understanding of the importance of evidence, and how research can be conducted, interpreted and used to inform policy and practice.

Available Now
3 Weeks
Why Research Matters (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
Deakin University

Why Research Matters (FutureLearn)

Explore what research is and why it’s so important to us all. Find out how to make evidence-based decisions. Imagine a world without research, where governments carry out policy based on hunches and manufacturers release products without testing. Research allows us to solve problems on a global scale and make evidence-based decisions.

Oct 4th 2021
2 Weeks
Research Data Management and Sharing (Coursera) Coursera
University of Edinburgh,University of North Carolina

Research Data Management and Sharing (Coursera)

This course will provide learners with an introduction to research data management and sharing. After completing this course, learners will understand the diversity of data and their management needs across the research data lifecycle, be able to identify the components of good data management plans, and be familiar with best practices for working with data including the organization, documentation, and storage and security of data. Learners will also understand the impetus and importance of archiving and sharing data as well as how to assess the trustworthiness of repositories.

Sep 28th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Research for Construction Management (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
Coventry University

Research for Construction Management (FutureLearn)

Explore research methods for construction management and understand construction project cost management. Discover how contemporary issues affect construction management. On this course you will consider global contemporary issues in construction management and how they affect the socio-economic development offered by the construction industry.

No sessions available
2 Weeks
Research Impact: Making a Difference (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University of Glasgow

Research Impact: Making a Difference (FutureLearn)

Help your work to benefit society and the economy. Learn what research impact is and how to create it. Discover what drives research impact and why. University research has always made a difference to human understanding. Sadly, the importance of this work isn’t always communicated to the world outside of academia - leading many academics to believe that research is undervalued in society.

Self Paced
3 Weeks
Education Research that Matters: Doing Research in Your Learning Community (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University of Birmingham,Chartered College of Teaching

Education Research that Matters: Doing Research in Your Learning Community (FutureLearn)

Build the tools and knowledge to perform your own education research and establish yourself as a teacher-researcher. Learn how to analyse research data and communicate your research findings. Many teachers want to learn new knowledge and methods to improve their teaching, but it can be hard for someone outside of research communities to perform research of their own. On this course, you will learn how to do your own education research and build supported communities of education research practice.

Self Paced
4 Weeks
An Anthropology of Smartphones: Communication, Ageing and Health (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University College London

An Anthropology of Smartphones: Communication, Ageing and Health (FutureLearn)

Explore how smartphones have affected our lives by using comparative anthropology as a method of research. Discover digital anthropology and the relationship between technology and ageing. This course will develop your understanding of the concept of digital anthropology as you explore how smartphones have transformed our daily lives and how they can be used productively.

Self Paced
3 Weeks
Promote your Scientific Results (Coursera) Coursera
Institut Mines-Telecom

Promote your Scientific Results (Coursera)

Whether you are a member of the natural or human science community, if you are a PhD student, professor, part of an academic department or international research team, or self-employed and you wish to showcase your work to a wider audience then this is the perfect course for you. You will learn how to promote your work to professional peers, the general public, as well as the media.

Oct 5th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Genomic Medicine and Research: A Community Approach (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University of Exeter

Genomic Medicine and Research: A Community Approach (FutureLearn)

Learn how translational research in genomics can deliver health, social, and scientific benefits to communities. Explore the benefits of a community approach to genomic medicine and research. On this course, you will explore the skills needed for translational research work and understand the meaning of community genetics. You will also learn the value of whole genome sequencing in the community context and the importance of community-specific medical research to patients.

Available now
3 Weeks
Why Planning Your Research Matters (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
Griffith University,Deakin University

Why Planning Your Research Matters (FutureLearn)

Learn how to plan your research effectively and define your research question. Why is planning your research so important? Planning your research can make all the difference to the results of your research project. This online course will show you how to create a comprehensive research plan and help you define your research question.

No sessions available
2 Weeks
Academic Research Methodology for Master’s Students (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
Coventry University

Academic Research Methodology for Master’s Students (FutureLearn)

Understand the academic research process at master’s level and build the skills to define research questions for a written project. Explore how to do academic research for a master’s written project. This course offers master’s students the chance to develop a variety of key academic research skills for producing a great written project at a university master’s level.

Self Paced
2 Weeks