Science with society: Challenges of early‐stage researchers engaging with transdisciplinary research in sustainability science

The ongoing social and ecological crises create urgency in academia elsewhere to devise actionable problem-solving knowledge tackle sustainability challenges. Transdisciplinary research (TDR) represents a methodology for problems. TDR requires researchers get out the real world engage with other societal actors jointly produce such have impact. This radical process of doing “science society” instead is becoming more urgent relevant. However, transdisciplinary (TD) researcher faces challenges: often, institutions limited readiness facilitating TDR, has juggle roles an academic changemaker simultaneously needs new ways science. enough manoeuvring space incorporate reflexivity, adaptiveness, emergence based on context. uses case studies, interviews, reflections, document analysis from two finished one PhDs science connects them TD literature. Based previous by early-stage (ESRs), this article identifies discusses six challenges ESRs sciences might face.