3.1. Inadequate training for advanced methodologies and interdisciplinary projects
With the rise of disciplines such as ecohydrology (Hunt and Wilcox, 2005), socio-hydrology (Sipavalan, 2011), and cryohydrology (Woo, 2019), hydrology research projects are becoming increasingly interdisciplinary, presenting both challenges and opportunities for ECRs. New research niches bridge the gap between hydrology, atmospheric science, biology, ecology, geochemistry, geomorphology, and social science (Clarke et al., 2017; McDonnell et al., 2019). Though inter- and multidisciplinary work sometimes faces funding challenges (Bozhova, 2016), it is essential to address societal needs that often lie at the intersection of scientific disciplines (Nature editorial, 2016).
Workshop attendees reported varying levels of collaboration both within and between laboratory groups. Some research groups promote and encourage collaboration at the ECR level, while others groups expect ECRs to complete their work individually. Furthermore, we found that the structure of graduate training does not often encourage interdisciplinary collaboration. For example, manuscript-based doctoral theses typically only include first author papers and exclude co-authorships.
While research questions are becoming increasingly interdisciplinary, methodologies for individual disciplines are ever-evolving in complexity, often reducing their application outside of a highly specific context or group of experts. An example discussed during the workshop that resonated widely was the uncertainty analysis of hydrological models. A disconnect between those researchers specifically focused on uncertainty analysis and those focused on hydrological modelling who needed to apply the uncertainty analysis has left many ECRs unsure if and how they should use these complex uncertainty analysis methods. Many ECRs felt that the time cost of applying complex uncertainty analysis and the risk of misusing these advanced methods and producing systematic errors outweighed the potential reward of increasing the quality of their research. While learning new methods and facing challenging work are vital and beneficial elements of ECR training, our research is impaired by a lack of training in the peripheral methods needed for our individual projects.