The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are inherently complex. This paper contributes to the literature on co-production of knowledge at the interface of science, policy, and society in integrated, transdisciplinary research (TDR) projects. By analysing five projects of the Leading Integrated Research for Agenda 2030 in Africa (LIRA) implemented in nine African cities, the paper identifies the pathways for science-policy-society interactions (SPSI) within the TDR projects, the cross-scale and contextual dynamics influencing the interactions as well as the challenges of foregrounding the interactions. We identified four SPSI pathways: i) TDR processes, ii) explicitly conceptualising and communicating research projects in relation to mandates and policies, iii) the global sustainability agenda, and iv) relationships and networks. We argued that these pathways can be construed as important windows for foregrounding SPSI in TDR projects. Cross-scale dynamics such as the spatial scale of interactions, actors’ roles, and purposes of engagement were critical determinants of the intensity and frequency of the interactions between the project actors. The analysis suggests that being context-sensitive is key to foregrounding SPSI in TDR projects. Conceptual threshold crossing, resource intensity, power differentials, discontinuity, as well as a history of academic and practice silos present formidable challenges to SPSI in TDR projects. These challenges can be addressed through the identified pathways, adequate capability development; incentivising academics and practitioners engaged in co-production of knowledge; stimulating co-production through adequate resources; building redundancies within the project teams, ideas, and processes, and paying attention to the politics of co-production of knowledge.

联合国的可持续发展目标 (SDG) 本质上是复杂的。本文为综合跨学科研究 (TDR) 项目中在科学、政策和社会的界面上共同生产知识的文献做出了贡献。通过分析在九个非洲城市实施的非洲 2030 年议程领先综合研究 (LIRA) 的五个项目，本文确定了 TDR 项目中科学-政策-社会互动 (SPSI) 的途径、跨尺度和背景动态影响交互以及将交互前景化的挑战。我们确定了四个 SPSI 途径：i) TDR 流程，ii) 明确概念化和交流与任务和政策相关的研究项目，iii) 全球可持续发展议程，以及 iv) 关系和网络。我们认为，这些途径可以解释为在 TDR 项目中将 SPSI 前景化的重要窗口。交互的空间尺度、参与者的角色和参与的目的等跨尺度动态是项目参与者之间交互强度和频率的关键决定因素。分析表明，上下文敏感是在 TDR 项目中突出 SPSI 的关键。概念跨界、资源强度、功率差异、不连续性以及学术和实践孤岛的历史给 TDR 项目中的 SPSI 带来了巨大的挑战。这些挑战可以通过确定的途径、充分的能力发展来解决；激励从事共同生产知识的学者和从业者；通过充足的资源促进联合生产；