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Understanding the Rules of Life Program: Scientific Advancements and Future Opportunities (2023)

Chapter: Strategies for Fostering the Next Generation of Researchers

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Suggested Citation:"Strategies for Fostering the Next Generation of Researchers." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2023. Understanding the Rules of Life Program: Scientific Advancements and Future Opportunities. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/27021.
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Strategies for Fostering the Next Generation of Researchers

Workshop participants discussed their strategies for mentoring students and other trainees engaged in multidisciplinary research, with the goal of developing a future generation of researchers who approach scientific inquiry in a way that crosses scales and scientific disciplines. Common themes heard more than once include the importance of taking advantage of educational and training opportunities; finding opportunities for the exchange of ideas among students, postdoctoral fellows, and other research team members; and the leadership and training opportunities that arise when graduate students serve as liaisons to multidisciplinary teams (see themes below).

Suggested Citation:"Strategies for Fostering the Next Generation of Researchers." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2023. Understanding the Rules of Life Program: Scientific Advancements and Future Opportunities. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/27021.
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Education and training can be an integral part of multidisciplinary research while fostering the next generation of researchers   Attending conferences
Reading scientific and science-fiction literature
Incorporating multidisciplinary science concepts into existing training programs
Participating in laboratory exchanges and in-person meetings
Discussing the research story that led to a publication (referred to as “paper unwind”)
Creating tailored educational experiences
Acknowledging broad connections by engaging both academic and non-academic audiences
Exchanges among students, postdoctoral fellows, and others on the research team are effective means of training in multidisciplinary projects   Opportunities to serve as liaisons among multidisciplinary teams provide unique leadership and training opportunities for graduate students
Suggested Citation:"Strategies for Fostering the Next Generation of Researchers." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2023. Understanding the Rules of Life Program: Scientific Advancements and Future Opportunities. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/27021.
×
Suggested Citation:"Strategies for Fostering the Next Generation of Researchers." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2023. Understanding the Rules of Life Program: Scientific Advancements and Future Opportunities. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/27021.
×
Page 22
Suggested Citation:"Strategies for Fostering the Next Generation of Researchers." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2023. Understanding the Rules of Life Program: Scientific Advancements and Future Opportunities. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/27021.
×
Page 23
Suggested Citation:"Strategies for Fostering the Next Generation of Researchers." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2023. Understanding the Rules of Life Program: Scientific Advancements and Future Opportunities. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/27021.
×
Page 24
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 Understanding the Rules of Life Program: Scientific Advancements and Future Opportunities
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In 2023, the National Academies held a series of facilitated workshops to gather information on progress to date on projects funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Understanding the Rules of Life (URoL) program. A fundamental goal of the URoL program is to identify the causal, predictive relationships that drive how life functions—a concept articulated as the "rules of life." Principal investigators of the URoL program shared findings from their research and how those findings might contribute to identifying rules of life that are generalizable across fields and scales. Participants also discussed how they have incorporated multidisciplinary, systems-level approaches into their work. This booklet highlights the program's focus areas and reach, major scientific breakthroughs, and lessons for research and education across scientific disciplines. This booklet is intended for policy and lay audiences interested in learning more about the goals and opportunities of NSF's URoL program.

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