Abstract
A bold attempt to institutionalise interdisciplinary research is being made at the Beckman institutes in the USA. These institutes, located at the universities of Illinois, Stanford, and Irvine, and at Caltech, are striving to break down traditional disciplinary boundaries in an effort to achieve new scientific breakthroughs. This article examines the historical origins of this project as well as a sample of the research being conducted in the largest two of these institutes, at lllinois and CaItech. It also addresses the question of whether or not the implementation of interdisciplinary research should be structured.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.