This qualitative case study examines the disincentives faculty members encountered in working toward interdisciplinary research centers. The barriers stem from the organizational structure of most U.S. universities. Resources such as overall budgets and returned overhead are distributed to departments, which in turn reward faculty only for efforts within the discipline. While research centers and institutes outside the departmental structure have demonstrated success, we focus on an understudied aspect: the experiences of faculty working within traditional departments to build interdisciplinary efforts. We provide specific examples of the institutional barriers faculty members face, as well as suggestions for removing barriers.
