| The international scientific community agrees that the climate is changing and that some effects are already being felt. Researchers from various fields try to understand and predict climate change impacts on the environment, the economy and our society. This research takes place around different economic sectors and geographic regions, namely: agriculture, forests, fisheries, water, coastal zones, ecosystems, human health, transportation and others. Climate change and the analysis of its impacts transcend scientific disciplines, creating a need for interdisciplinary research, whether it is on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions or the adaptation of human societies to the potential impacts.;The chosen case study is the Canadian Climate Impacts and Adaptation Research Network (C-CIARN). This Canadian research network was founded in 1999 to answer questions raised by climate change. This network is divided in six regions and seven national "nodes", which links researchers and partners across the country. Researchers from various disciplinary fields converge to study these complex problems closely, and to propose solutions that would mitigate the impacts of climate change. C-CIARN brings together hundreds of researchers who specialize in seven sectors: forestry, agriculture, fisheries, coastal zones, health, landscape hazards and water resources. The network presents a new organizational structure that aims to support a reorganization of research production. This study will focus on the water resources sector.;This research aims to understand how C-CIARN facilitated the implementation of new scientific practices. To answer this question, fifteen university researchers, civil servants and scientists were chosen by a quota sampling to participate in a semi-structured interview. These interviews were analyzed to find perceived networking opportunities and recommendations on how they can be improved. The objective is to determine C-CIARN members' perceptions relating to the network's initiatives to support interdisciplinary research.;To support the interview results, an analysis of sources and a qualitative observation were added to paint a more complete picture. From the results of these three methods, we can conclude that the stakeholders consider that interdisciplinarity is crucial to research involving climate change impacts. We conclude that C-CIARN, even if it doesn't fund research projects, can create a synergy that was successful in bringing together stakeholders from various fields, and ensured a dialogue that contributes to the advancement of science. In conclusion, the study results help us better understand how the C-CIARN network facilitates the networking of researchers and the exchange of interdisciplinary information.;Interdisciplinary research presents various challenges, whether it's the integration of various practices, or disciplinary culture. The focus of this research project is to analyze, through a case study, the manner in which the challenges brought on by interdisciplinary research are met. This research also attempts to test a theoretical framework used to formalize the analysis of the challenges facing interdisciplinary research. |
