+44 330 818 7254The Research and Development, the Environmental Protection Agency of the United States is working toward solutions-driven research and interdisciplinary integration. This article discusses the lessons learned from other federal agencies attempting to integrate social and biophysical research as well as the history of this process: finding the right mix of approaches from the top down and the bottom up; achieving a balance between the goals of scientific advancement and/or programmatic operation support; using methods from social science to guide the process; and involving a variety of stakeholders. Success is aided by paying attention to the social context of scientific practice, including how research is conducted and used. The following are three methods for supporting solution-driven environmental research by integrating the social sciences: incorporating social science into the research process, fostering interdisciplinary hubs, and strengthening social networks Integration into the planning and execution of research has more potential to transform than integration into the production and distribution of products. The social context of scientific practice in government agencies and institutional considerations for advancing interdisciplinary are discussed in this article.
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