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Follow the project's journey through a story map: Building capacity for transformative research
NEWS When three early-career researchers from different disciplines met through the Umeå Transformation Research Initiative (UTRI), their shared interest in sustainability transformation proved stronger than their disciplinary differences. Their collaboration has since led to a study visit, new research connections, and a forthcoming academic article, which will be presented in poster format at UTRI’s annual conference on 27 November.
With backgrounds in energy engineering, environmental policy, and political science, Natxo García López, Pamela Bachmann-Vargas, and Irina Mancheva first connected through their involvement in UTRI’s network for early-career researchers.
Umeå Transformation Research Initiative (UTRI)
“When we first met, we thought that our different academic backgrounds would make collaboration difficult. But over time, our shared interest in sustainability transformation became the foundation for our work together. It’s incredibly important, especially as an early-career researcher, to find spaces and people who share your interests.”, says Natxo García López.
UTRI’s network for young researchers places particular emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration, career development, and peer exchange – a form of cooperation increasingly prioritised in research funding calls.
Since UTRI’s launch in 2020, Natxo, Pamela, and Irina have been actively involved in developing the young researchers’ network, which eventually led to their own research project.
“After organising several events and encouraging other young researchers to come up with project ideas and proposals, we developed our own project proposal entitled: Capacity building for transformative research.”, says Natxo García López
In 2024, they applied for financial and practical support from UTRI to carry out a study visit to the Netherlands as part of their project.
Over six days, Natxo and Pamela travelled by train from Umeå to the Netherlands, visiting several universities and research initiatives working with sustainability and transformation in various ways. The aim of the trip was to gather insights and tools related to current issues in transformative research.
Pamela Bachmann-Vargas and Natxo García López chose to travel sustainably from Umeå to the Netherlands.
Image“Visiting so many different universities and initiatives in such a short time, within a relatively small geographical area, was incredibly inspiring. It was an immersive experience onto transformative research. We travelled and worked long days and discussed many aspects of the research both before and after the visits.”, explains Pamela Bachmann-Vargas.
She continues to describe that study visits during the early stages of a research career as highly valuable.
“Study visits are very important for building national and international networks and gaining inspiration for new research and collaborations.”
Follow the project's journey through a story map: Building capacity for transformative research
The study visits not only led to new insights and experiences but also became the starting point for a scientific collaboration. Together with Maria Kauffmann from Radboud University – whom they met during the trip – they are now working on a comparative article. Irina, who was unable to join the visit, is also a co-author. The article analyses two university-based initiatives for sustainability transformation: UTRI at Umeå University and TransAct at Radboud University in the Netherlands.
“It is interesting to see that there are important commonalities between the goals from both initiatives. But despite that, there are substantial differences in the contexts where both initiatives act, on the organisation, and on the outcomes. The article also aims to critically discuss the role of these initiatives and contribute to the debate on how university efforts should be oriented towards a more sustainable future.”, says both Pamela and Natxo.
The authors hope the article will inspire researchers at other institutions to engage with transformation-related issues and encourage more universities to support the establishment of similar initiatives.
During the study trip, several educational institutions were visited where transformative research was discussed.
ImageNatxo García LópezThey all agree that UTRI’s support has been crucial.
“Without the financial support from UTRI, the study visit would not have been possible. We also received support when we invited our colleague from the Netherlands to last year’s UTRI conference, which gave us the opportunity to continue working on our analysis and article.”, says Natxo.
Pamela adds “We’ve also always received strong moral support from UTRI. Our ideas have been met with interest and encouragement, and we’ve had the opportunity to develop them further.”
The article is currently being finalised and will be submitted to a peer-reviewed academic journal. Natxo and Pamela have completed their respective doctoral and postdoctoral positions, but together with Irina – now an Assistant professor at Umeå University – they will present the article in poster format at the UTRI conference on 27 November.