Interdisciplinary conservation PhDs that span the natural and social sciences are becoming increasingly popular.  As someone advocating the need for much greater diversification of the evidence we use in conservation, I wholeheartedly endorse this! However, I too often meet students who are expected to complete interdisciplinary PhDs without the support and  infrastructure in place for these studentships to be successful – either for the individual or their research.  

I believe this is a topic that needs further consideration and exploration to ensure that these researchers have the skills, confidence and support required to meet the challenges ahead of them as postdocs and further into their careers. 

So, if you’re someone who is interested in projects that deal both with people and the natural world, what can you do to set yourself up for a valuable and developmental experience? Writing as someone who did an interdisciplinary PhD two decades ago, and has supported many students and post-docs since, here’s my thoughts on what you need to survive and thrive as an interdisciplinary PhD student.

It’s important to note that I’m writing this in the spirit of generating conversation: these are observations, from my perspective. Whether you’re a prospective or current PhD student, a supervisor, a funder, I’d love to hear your reflections. What issues do you find with interdisciplinary conservation PhDs? And what solutions would you propose? Read on for how we can bring our thoughts together…

What’s at stake?

I don’t know anyone who has undertaken a PhD lightly: anyone who chooses to devote at least three years of their life to specialist research is driven, at least in part, by a passion for their subject. And a belief that it’s worth it. So the first thing I want to say in this blog is: thank you. 

The world needs more people like you. The environment sector desperately needs more interdisciplinary researchers, and research-informed action to drive change, and more people championing the causes of people and planet. All of my work at Human Nature is about unlocking the power of human evidence in service of a healthier planet for people and nature. Interdisciplinary PhDs across the natural and social sciences are a vital part of making that happen. 

The unfortunate truth is that interdisciplinary PhD students often find themselves let down. Because departments are overstretched, workloads are sky high, and there aren’t strategic or structural pathways in place (in many cases) to support interdisciplinarity. However, there are actions you can take to get the support you need in place, and stack the odds in favour of you not just surviving your PhD, but having the developmental experience you need to thrive in both your career and your area of research. 

If these things aren’t put in place, life gets stressful, and professionally risky. Many of the interdisciplinary conservation PhD students I meet have come from an ecological background and are using social science methods for the first time.  In fact, this is a recurring problem throughout the conservation sector.  Natural scientists using social science methods without training carries multiple risks:

• To the community and participants you are working with: the ethics of social science research can be complex. And the process of gathering data from people can have considerable impacts on the way those communities.
• To the quality and validity of the data: social science methods are specialist data collection tools – they are not just ‘finding out what people think’.  Selecting and applying the best methods in the best way requires the support of experienced researchers (check out this paper for more on this topic)
• To your credibility as a researcher: you don’t want to be associated with a weak or ineffectual piece of research
• To your health – I’m not being flippant here! Being put in a position where you are asked to conduct research that you’re not equipped for is incredibly stressful and is not the foundation for a healthy way to work or live.

So what do you need to set yourself up for a good interdisciplinary conservation PhD? 

1. A research team with skills and experience

It’s helpful to think of a PhD as an apprenticeship. In the same way that a plumber learns their trade by a combination of formal and ‘on the job’ training from more experienced plumbers, a good PhD project should give you the opportunity to be an ‘apprentice researcher’. Which means you need a good team of more experienced researchers around you to learn from. 

I meet too many interdisciplinary PhD students who have no-one in their supervisory team who understands social science let alone interdisciplinary research.  This should not be happening.

If you are doing an interdisciplinary project across the social and natural sciences, you need, at least, a supervisor with experience of interdisciplinary research.  Working across disciplines to explore questions in a way which weaves multiple types of knowledge is a whole skill set in itself.  You’ll also need supervisors who have expertise in the particular natural and social science topics being explored. And, you would hope, your wider research community includes people with previous experience of interdisciplinarity, because the weaving together of approaches and evidence isn’t something that can be achieved in isolation.  

If you are looking at a funded PhD place, pay attention to who is on the supervisory team: are other researchers experienced in interdisciplinarity? What mechanisms for collaboration and discussion are in place? What specialisms are there?  Are there any skills, experiences or knowledge gaps in the team? If so, what is the potential risk of these gaps and how can they be addressed? And consider the wider research group/department – is this the only interdisciplinary project or are most others working across disciplines too? 

2. To be able to ask for what you need – and have the resources to access it

This point follows from the previous one: if there are ‘known unknowns’ in your team’s expertise, and a lack of capacity to support you directly, you need to be able to ask for those gaps to be filled, somehow. This can only happen if you have a good working relationship with your supervisor(s) and operate in a culture where it’s acceptable to not have all the answers. 

This may seem obvious, but all too often there is a culture in academic settings of needing to establish yourself as ‘an expert’, so it can feel incredibly vulnerable to suggest you have a skills or knowledge gap that needs addressing. Please remember you are an apprentice researcher – there is no way a plumber would be expected to plumb in a bathroom without training, and you shouldn’t be expected to go out into the field untrained either!

It is, sadly, still far too common for social science research skills to be undervalued and misunderstood in the conservation sector (this paper by Nathan Bennett et al may be a few years old now, but many of the challenges they detail still persist). And this lack of understanding filters through to PhD students.  

I have heard too many horror stories of natural science supervisors advising on social science methods.  For example supervisors believing that interviews are ‘just conversations’ so can’t be that hard.  This is a bit like saying that monitoring biodiversity is ‘just counting a few birds’ – and I can see birds from my window, so that’s not so hard to count.  Or students having to quantify qualitative data when it is a totally inappropriate analysis. I’m not convinced that natural scientists would stand for unqualified researchers from other disciplines applying ecological methods in the ways in which I see social sciences being used!  

If you have a supervisor who doesn’t fully appreciate the breadth and depth of skill required to consider the ‘people element’ of your research, please do send them to me to help you make that point! I am always happy to have a suitably diplomatic conversation.  And my Essentials of Conservation Social Science course can be delivered for your organisation or research team to bust some myths and build some shared social science understanding and respect. 

3. Time

One of the key skills you’ll need as an interdisciplinary conservation PhD student is communication. You’ll need to include all your supervisors in setting goals and key milestones for your research. Different departments and disciplines may have different expectations, and, on a practical front, different administrative requirements. You may also need to spend time explaining (dare I say justifying?) the complexity of social science research to a natural scientist supervisor, if they don’t have any experience of working with the evidence of people. 

Consider the time you’ll need to conduct your research. If you’re new to social science, just as with any other skill, it will take a while for you to learn the ropes (I can help!). And, whatever your experience level, social science methods take longer than you might think. Devising questionnaires is a prime example here: the finished item looks deceptively simple, yet questionnaires are a nuanced and complex tool, and need to be designed with careful consideration. Beyond the design stage, the fieldwork and analysis can also be time consuming: transcribing interviews can be days of work in itself! 

Being aware of this from the outset means you can aim to build in time: for the research process and for regular updates with your team. Hopefully, with conversations and planning up front, you can address expectations that you can embark on social science research without proper training. 

4. Other ways to build knowledge and experience 

If most of the expertise immediately around you is founded in the natural sciences, then you will need to reach out far and wide to broaden your knowledge and experience. Here are four ways you can do this:

• Reading! There is a wealth of literature about social sciences for conservation. One key text I recommend on my Essentials for Conservation Social Science course is Helen Newing’s Conducting Research in Conservation. If you delve into my LinkedIn posts you’ll also find regular reading and resource recommendations on conservation social science. 
• Networks are a fantastic way to connect with peers and more experienced researchers around a common theme. You’ll get access to recent publications, call-outs for researchers, training, webinars and other opportunities. The Social Sciences Working Group of the Society for Conservation Biology (SSWG) is a great resource and also runs a mentoring programme.  The Marine Social Sciences network is also a great source of connection (and valuable even if you’re not doing a marine topic!).
• Short courses: I run great training – even if I say so myself!  If you need to build some social science foundations check out the Essentials of Conservation Social Science course.  And to develop your skills using text based methods such as interviews look at  Qualitative Methods for Conservation course. I designed these courses specifically for researchers trained in natural sciences who need to understand the evidence of people: as a past interdisciplinary PhD student myself it’s important to me that these courses are in-depth enough to give you the knowledge you need, but don’t take up more valuable time than necessary. Get in touch with me if you’d like to know when these courses are next running or if you have other training needs I can help with.
• Conferences: you can make so many connections at conferences – both with people and with ideas! It can feel daunting at first, but please do take advantage of the breadth of opportunities on offer. You can read my recommendations for making the most of conferences here.  

5. A peer network 

Being an interdisciplinary conservation PhD student can feel like a lonely place if you don’t feel like you have a place to call home. Many of the researchers I’ve trained over the past five years also experience this loneliness, and I have too – it’s hard being the only person in your science team who is championing the social sciences. This is why a peer network is so important. You can start to build this on LinkedIn, as well as through working groups and conferences. I also offer alumni drop-in support after all of the courses I run.

Let’s continue the interdisciplinary conversation…

If you’re a prospective or current interdisciplinary conservation PhD student, a supervisor, or a funder in conservation social science, I’d love to hear from you. As I said right at the start of this blog, interdisciplinary conservation PhDs are what the environment sector needs to move forward with pragmatism, innovation, and collaboration.

What would help you do the work you need to do, with the confidence and support you need to make it happen? Have I missed anything in this blog? Is there anything you’d like to see from me and Human Nature that would make a difference?

In 2026 I plan to convene a wider conversation on this, starting with a free webinar and discussion. Email me at rebecca@humannature.co.uk if you’d to be part of it.