I have been involved in two different goverment-funded interdisciplinary research projects. Both followed similar theme: one group of experimental folks (hereafter E) are supposed to work with theorists (T). On the paper, it is a good idea. In practive, however, it often fails I reckon.

The obvious thing is these group of people have very different goals, and it doesn’t stop there. Depending on the domain, the distinction between the two groups might be also very multi-layered. Yet, strangly, such collaboration are often formed very organically! Not because of the science, but money: Some poeple from E and T meet, and send a proposal to a major agency for fund, and the organic collaboraiton ends just there! As soon as the money flows each group moves on with their own agenda (plus a few showcase joint publication). They, or at least one of them, don’t listen to learn from thet other because they are deeoly indifferent. When even one side is not open-minded to listen and learn, the whole thing colapses. Since the reaction of less open group likely demotivates the eager folks.

I personally admire and aspire joint collaboration between E and T groups. And indeed there are some that pass the test of time. In my view, these influencial works follow these patterns:

  1. Both main figures of E and T groups are major figures in their own field,
  2. they are fairly senior, and already have a fairly large network of collaborators,
  3. they regocnize a stagnation in their research and reach out to other group for help,
  4. both groups are open to suggestions and knowledge of the other group (because it is really their problem too).

These type of collabs actually flurish, and tend to be influencial, perhaps because patterns 1 and 2 strongly correlate with the experimence, which already makes poeple of both sides to stray less. Also motivation due to 3 shouldn’t be oversought.

There are very few poeple in the world that can form such meaningful collabs. Poor junior researchers that have to live between the tense cultral difference of E and T.