Administrative Structures Supporting Interdisciplinary Research
AASTMT has built a multi-layered administrative framework that actively facilitates and sustains interdisciplinary research across its campuses. These structures not only enable faculty from diverse fields to collaborate, but also help scale their work through institutional grants, proposal support, and research commercialization efforts.
The university's core philosophy is that interdisciplinary science cannot thrive without coordinated, centralized support, and that faculty must be equipped with administrative, legal, and financial resources to deliver meaningful, collaborative research.
AASTMT’s institutional commitment to interdisciplinary science is operationalized through dedicated administrative structures that provide proposal development, funding, publication, and industry interface services. These mechanisms enable and sustain high-impact, cross-disciplinary research aligned with global priorities.
Key Administrative Units and Their Support Functions
Table 1.1 – Administrative Units Supporting Interdisciplinary Research
|
Support Unit |
Core Functions |
Role in Supporting ISR |
|
International Research Projects Center (IRPC) |
Grant coordination, legal liaison, budgetary support |
Facilitates joint project proposals, manages international and cross-college grants |
|
Academy Publishing Center (APC) |
Research dissemination, academic journal editing and indexing |
Publishes interdisciplinary journals and proceedings; supports co-authored publication |
|
Industry Service Complex (ISC) |
Industry outreach, applied R&D management |
Supports interdisciplinary teams engaging in consultancy and prototype development |
|
Research & Development Directorate |
Strategic planning and research KPIs |
Tracks performance metrics on interdisciplinary output and SDG alignment |
|
College Deanships & Interfaculty Committees |
Cross-college coordination and staff assignment |
Facilitates shared teaching, thesis co-supervision, and interdisciplinary research clusters |
Institutional Mechanisms That Promote Interdisciplinary Collaboration
1. Proposal Development and Grant Facilitation
The IRPC provides specialized administrative support for developing interdisciplinary research proposals, including:
- Identifying suitable calls that align with SDGs or regional priorities
- Facilitating partnerships between different academic departments
- Managing project timelines, funding allocation, and deliverables
Faculty applying for interdisciplinary research grants (e.g., Horizon Europe, Erasmus+, USAID) are assigned a designated research administrator to coordinate across units.
2. Internal Funding and Recognition Schemes
- AASTMT offers seed funding for interdisciplinary initiatives through the Research & Development Directorate.
- Proposals are evaluated by panels comprising faculty from multiple disciplines.
- These grants help generate preliminary data and collaborations that are scaled up to larger external grants.
3. Publication and Dissemination Support
Through the Academy Publishing Center (APC), researchers are supported in publishing collaborative work:
- Several AASTMT journals (e.g., International Journal of Maritime and Interdisciplinary Studies) are open-access and indexed in DOAJ, with a stated focus on cross-disciplinary research.
- APC provides DOI assignments, citation indexing, and layout support for team-authored, interdisciplinary work.
4. Consulting and Innovation Services
The Industry Service Complex (ISC) plays a critical administrative role by:
- Managing applied research contracts and consultancy services
- Connecting interdisciplinary research teams with industrial partners, NGOs, and governmental bodies
- Overseeing the delivery of research-based prototypes and policy reports