Interdisciplinary research (IDR) can be one of the most fruitful and inspiring of human pursuits—one that provides a set-up for conversations and networks that lead to new knowledge. In recent decades, the growth of scientific and technical knowledge has prompted scientists, engineers, academicians, and humanists to join together in addressing multifaceted problems that must be tackled simultaneously with deep understanding and knowledge from different perspectives. Students are now showing increasing enthusiasm about problems of global importance that have practical significance, such as disease prevention, economic progress, social inequality, and global climate change—all of which can best be addressed through IDR. Academic institutions should develop new and strengthen existing policies and practices that reduce or remove barriers to interdisciplinary research and scholarship, including developing joint programs with industry and government and non-government organizations. The talk dwells in some of the pointers that define the IDR with special emphasis on the elements required to setup laboratories that support IDR.