Anti-microbial resistance (AMR) is a complex system problem. There is no single solution or owner.

Different actors, capabilities, and expertise areas need to unite to address it. But academics often work in disciplinary silos. With a research council grant of £400,000, this university needed to activate cross-disciplinary teams, and quickly. Many of the participants didn’t feel that AMR was relevant to them.

We created a ‘goal-oriented’ approach. Bringing cross-disciplinary teams together around a shared framework and language. We brought AMR to life as a societal problem – inviting GPs in to share their experiences.

Teams developed impactful research project ideas. We evaluated and helped them to pitch. These projects went on to win significant funding. One project won £5m follow-on funding from the EPSRC. Our approach has become best practice in the university. It has since been applied to all cross-disciplinary activity.