Cultivating an ethos of “everyday convergence”: insights from the Multiscale RECIPES Network for food waste reduction
Convergence is a research approach that aims to deeply integrate insights across disciplines to tackle complex social and societal grand challenges. However, while convergence is gaining popularity as the most integrated way to tackle such vexing challenges, researchers are not always clear how to operationalize convergence. By interviewing Network members, we collected insights about the convergence process from the Multiscale RECIPES Network, a research endeavor developed and funded to advance convergent approaches to tackling food waste. Participants identified six key challenges to convergence. To overcome these challenges, participants often described ways of imbuing everyday events and interactions with an intentionality of Network members working toward convergence. Thus, convergence thinking must permeate the everyday activities of Network members. We discuss five strategies the RECIPES Network uses to develop an ethos and intentionality of everyday convergence: community building, discussing what convergence meant to the Network, top-down guidance from leadership, funding roles to support convergence, and accepting convergence in all its forms. Research groups can adapt these strategies to enhance convergence within their project. However, not all challenges can be overcome through ‘everyday interactions.’ We point to the need for further structural and policy changes within universities and funders to better support convergence.
