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Forging future organizational leaders for sustainability science

Nature Sustainability volume 2, pages 647–649 (2019)Cite this article

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Leaders of sustainability research organizations need to provide an environment where interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary science flourish. Developing the necessary leadership skills and attributes requires new, targeted training programmes.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC) under funding received from the National Science Foundation DBI-1639145. Thanks to M. Palmer, Director of SESYNC and J. Kramer, Director for Interdisciplinary Science at SESYNC, who hosted the first meeting of leaders and for participating in that meeting. The Santa Fe Institute supported and hosted a follow-up workshop on ‘Tackling Complex Sustainability Issues: Lessons from Inter- and Transdisciplinary Organizations’, which led to the production of this Comment.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Tropical Environments and Societies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia

    I. J. Gordon

  2. The Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia

    I. J. Gordon

  3. The James Hutton Institute, Dundee, UK

    I. J. Gordon & C. D. Campbell

  4. Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment, Bangalore, India

    K. Bawa

  5. University of Massachusetts, Boston, MA, USA

    K. Bawa

  6. Integration and Implementation Sciences, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia

    G. Bammer

  7. School of Sustainability, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA

    C. Boone

  8. Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM, USA

    J. Dunne

  9. Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USA

    D. Hart

  10. Institute on the Environment, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, USA

    J. Hellmann

  11. The Earth Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA

    A. Miller

  12. African Climate and Development Initiative, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa

    M. New

  13. Earth System Science Centre (CCST-INPE)/Rede-Clima, São José dos Campos, Brazil

    J. Ometto

  14. Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, NY, USA

    S. Pickett

  15. Center for Technology and Society, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany

    G. Wendorf

  16. International Forestry Resources and Institutions, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    A. Agrawal

  17. CSIRO Land and Water, Acton, Australian Capital Territory, Australia

    P. Bertsch

  18. Office of Research, Interdisciplinary Research and Strategic Initiatives, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA

    P. Dodd

  19. Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA

    A. Janetos

  20. Research Institute for Humanity and Nature, Kyoto, Japan

    H. Mallee

  21. Our Land and Water National Science Challenge, Christchurch, New Zealand

    K. Taylor

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  1. I. J. Gordon
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  2. K. Bawa
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  9. M. New
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  10. J. Ometto
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  14. P. Bertsch
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  15. C. D. Campbell
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  16. P. Dodd
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Correspondence to I. J. Gordon.

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Gordon, I.J., Bawa, K., Bammer, G. et al. Forging future organizational leaders for sustainability science. Nat Sustain 2, 647–649 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-019-0357-4

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