The Development of a New Interdisciplinary Field: Active Living Research-A Foundation-Supported Interdisciplinary Research Funding Program

Abstract

Active Living Research (ALR) was supported as a National Program by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation 2001-2016 to build an evidence base to inform solutions to the epidemic of inactive lifestyles. ALR was designed to help develop a new interdisciplinary research area to understand environmental and policy influences on physical activity that could lead to population-wide solutions. The program implemented strategies to recruit highly interdisciplinary research teams, support effective functioning, develop new methods, conduct studies, and communicate the results to decision makers in multiple sectors. Many teams combined public health, behavioral science, and exercise science investigators with the most relevant disciplines with expertise in physical activity environments, such as city planning, parks and leisure studies, landscape architecture, transportation, education, and architecture. The chapter describes the methods ALR used to accomplish its team science goals. A case study of one grantee’s experience illustrates the impact an interdisciplinary funding program can have on the functioning of research teams and the trajectory of individual investigators. ALR is an example of a private foundation being willing to take a risk by “seed funding” a new interdisciplinary field, which has become mainstream. This role of “pioneering” a new research area is a valuable and appropriate one for foundations.