FOSTERING THE
Culture of Convergence
IN RESEARCH
PROCEEDINGS OF A WORKSHOP
Amanda Arnold and Katherine Bowman, Rapporteurs
Division on Earth and Life Studies
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
Washington, DC
www.nap.edu
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This activity was supported by a grant from The Kavli Foundation and by the National Academy of Sciences’ Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Fund. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of any organization or agency that provided support for the project.
International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-48495-4
International Standard Book Number-10: 0-309-48495-2
Digital Object Identifier: https://doi.org/10.17226/25271
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Suggested citation: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2019. Fostering the Culture of Convergence in Research: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: https://doi.org/10.17226/25271.
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ADVISORY GROUP ON CONVERGENCE
Members
MARCIA McNUTT, Ph.D., National Academy of Sciences
C. D. (DAN) MOTE, JR., Ph.D., National Academy of Engineering
VICTOR J. DZAU, M.D., National Academy of Medicine
FRANCES H. ARNOLD, Ph.D., California Institute of Technology
PETER BREWER, Ph.D., Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
STEVEN CHU, Ph.D., Stanford University
DONALD E. INGBER, M.D., Ph.D., Harvard University
CATO T. LAURENCIN, M.D., Ph.D., University of Connecticut
PETER LEE, Ph.D., Microsoft Research
GENE E. ROBINSON, Ph.D., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
DANIEL STOKOLS, Ph.D., University of California, Irvine
MICHAEL S. WITHERELL, Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley
Staff
KATHERINE BOWMAN, Senior Program Officer, Board on Life Sciences
AMANDA ARNOLD, Consultant and Head, National Research Policy, Arizona State University
JEFFREY FISHMAN, Senior Program Assistant (Temporary), Board on Life Sciences (until November 2018)
KOSSANA YOUNG, Senior Program Assistant, Board on Life Sciences (from November 2018)
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Acknowledgments
This Proceedings of a Workshop was reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in making each published proceedings as sound as possible and to ensure that it meets the institutional standards for quality, objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process.
We thank the following individuals for their review of this proceedings:
Although the reviewers listed above provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the content of the proceedings nor did they see the final draft before its release. The review of this proceedings was overseen by ANN ARVIN, Stanford University. She was responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this proceedings was carried out in accordance with stan-
dards of the National Academies and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content rests entirely with the rapporteurs and the National Academies.
Contents
Organization of the Proceedings
2 CONVERGENCE IN PRACTICE: OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES
Welcome Remarks and Introduction to the Workshop
National Science Foundation Support for Convergence
Strengthening the Ecosystem for Convergence Discovery and Translation
Supporting the Life Cycle of Convergence
Achieving Institutional Culture Change
Parallel Breakout Sessions and Innovative Ideas from Participants
Boxes, Figure, and Tables
BOXES
3-1 Elements That Characterize a Convergence Culture Within an Institution
3-2 Five Attributes of a Transdisciplinary (TD) Orientation
FIGURE
2-1 Key facets of a convergence ecosystem
TABLES
3-1 Selected Examples of Progress in Fostering Convergence Noted During the Workshop
3-2 Suggestions for Future Efforts Arising from Workshop Discussions
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