The Interdisciplinary Condition
Navigating precarity, identity and epistemic translation as an early-career researcher
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31273/eirj.v13i3.2227Keywords:
early-career researchers, epistemic translation, cross-disciplinary research, research culture, ECRs, interdisciplinary research, research precarityAbstract
Early-career researchers (ECRs) increasingly navigate interdisciplinary landscapes, where addressing complex societal problems requires crossing disciplinary boundaries before fully consolidating a scholarly and professional identity. Drawing on my experiences as an ECR in Applied Linguistics, which include engaging in research-informed teaching, mentoring, and collaborative projects across computer science, chemistry, medical education, AI and mental health, this article critically reflects on the practices, challenges, and opportunities of interdisciplinarity facing ECRs. These include negotiating identity as a disciplinary ‘outsider’, performing epistemological translation across differing research cultures, and managing the relational and cognitive labour of boundary-spanning. While such work can exacerbate precarity and divert focus from core disciplinary expertise, it also cultivates linguistic agility, epistemic humility, relational intelligence, and integrative problem-solving, the competencies of what I term ‘interdisciplinary expertise’. Supporting ECRs requires institutional structures that value cross-boundary contributions, provide longer-term stability, foster recognition and inclusive practices, and strengthen mentorship networks. By reframing interdisciplinarity as a site for cultivating adaptability, leadership, and integrative thinking, institutions can empower researchers to thrive as confident, future-ready scholars.
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