Doing interdisciplinary science: the concepts and skills used by postdocs doing materials-related research

Materials science lies at the intersection of physics, chemistry, and related fields, and is essential for addressing urgent challenges in areas such as energy and medicine. Importantly, materials science is a disciplinary intersection, not a subdiscipline. Consequently, students in relevant disciplines–such as physics and chemistry–may not recognize the relevance of their disciplinary skills in this area. Social Cognitive Career Theory suggests that improved awareness of and opportunities to develop relevant skills will better enable students to develop and pursue interests in this area. Here, we aim to identify and map the concepts and skills used by postdoctoral scholars doing materials-related research. Drawing from multiple education taxonomies, we develop a conceptual framework that informs the design of qualitative interviews, which informs the development of a quantitative survey. This presentation will discuss themes generated through the analysis of qualitative interviews, such as areas of overlap with existing disciplinary curricula, and areas of (mis-)alignment with "traditional" scientific epistemic practices. These findings have implications for curricular design efforts and research about interdisciplinary materials-related practices.