SINCIERE aims to contribute to integrated environmental research in the changing environment, cooperating across scientific disciplines in order to create the required holistic views and integrated approaches to complex environmental problems.

The DPSIR model (Drivers, Pressure, State, Impact and Responses) provides the key conceptual model for environmental research cooperation and is well suited for building the necessary scientific understanding needed for sustainable management of natural resources. The model motivates both interdisciplinary research and policy relevant scientific development in basic disciplines.

DPSIR CONCEPT
 Drivers: Activities in society to achieve “good life” (increased consumption, population)

Pressures: Side effects of these activities (Emissions of pollutants)

State: Chemical, physical and biological properties of Water, Air, Soil, Climate

Impacts: Weakening or loss of biota, damage to materials, decrease in eco-system services, climate change.

Nature’s response: Changed biodiversity, adjusted ecosystems and feedback mechanisms.

Societys response: Adaptation, environmental protection, environmental technology, environmental policy, legislation and taxes.

The DPSIR figure is central in Strategies and Actions for Common Research (SACRE), the long term plan for common research in the Oslo Centre for Interdisciplinary Environmental and Social Research (CIENS)   
 

Interdisciplinary research
Ref: Interdisciplinary environmental research  - state of the art  CIENS report 2-2010

"Forms of disciplinary cooperation:
Interdisciplinarity   - developing mutual concepts and methods
multidisciplinarity  - corresponding approaches to the same problem
crossdisciplinarity  - borrowing from other schools of thought
transdisciplinary     - involves interdisciplinary knowledge development in cooperation with societal actors not involved in research.

A fundamental driver for interdisciplinary research in the field of environment is to discover new methods of problem solving, both academically and politically.
Interdisciplinarity involves knowledge integration capable of seeing societal causes in relation to environmental and climate consequences.
Important premises for interdisciplinarity are a collective understanding of the problem in its context, a variety of disciplines, flexible funding, shared meeting places and research infrastructure.
A significant barrier to interdisciplinary environmental research is the absence of institutional capacity. Without a solid framework it is difficult to construct an interdisciplinary environmental competence and a research environment that can facilitate long term collaboration crossing the boundaries between natural and social sciences. "