Fostering the Culture of Convergence in Research Proceedings of a Workshop (2019) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
3 Workshop Themes and Looking Ahead
3 Workshop Themes and Looking Ahead
Pages 25-48
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 25... ...
Although the discussion of how to enable convergence and the identification of systemic practices to support it is important, several participants noted that it is critical to recognize the value of the current U.S. system for funding, conducting, and managing scientific research.
|
From page 26... ...
To enable convergence cultures, leaders need to convey that they value convergence and that it is a priority to them and to the institution. They also need to be responsive to an interest in convergence arising from their researchers, including helping to remove institutional barriers and providing support.
|
From page 27... ...
A culture cannot be changed by fiat; however, creating and sustaining convergence cultures thus entails top-down vision as well as motivation from multiple points across an institution. The leadership role was seen by many participants as necessary to integrate convergence into the "soul of the institution." But numerous participants emphasized that changing institutional cultures is neither a fast nor an easy process.
|
From page 28... ...
Stokols, the five factors of a transdisciplinary orientation include having a value system that is open to other perspectives, and beliefs and attitudes that are conducive to working on convergent projects and in team settings. Transdisciplinary attributes BOX 3-2 Five Attributes of a Transdisciplinary (TD)
|
From page 29... ...
The suggestion was made that universities identify convergent thinking faculty, connect them with each other, and provide institutional endorsement of their efforts. Establishing faculty connections provides visibility and builds an interest group or community of practice.
|
From page 30... ...
Investigators can play significant roles in encouraging convergence cultures, and several participants encouraged PIs to "start at home" by building cross-disciplinary knowledge within their own groups.
|
From page 31... ...
Such highly trained personnel, as well as other types of important support personnel, provide institutional memory and continuity and can help speed convergent innovation by reducing the need to reinvent the wheel. However, many participants noted that sufficient support for technical personnel and research community recognition of this role as a valued career path would be needed.
|
From page 32... ...
Making Use of Shared Facilities Multiuser facilities or shared, core facilities are increasingly involved in numerous research projects and can facilitate the ability of larger numbers of researchers to undertake convergent projects. These facilities are frequently maintained, at least partially, through user fees.
|
From page 33... ...
Funding Proposals Many participants suggested that peer review is a conservative process and tends toward "safe bets." These participants also suggested that it will be important to identify review criteria and pathways to evaluate the potential of highly convergent projects, even when these may appear more risky. Peer reviewers who have deep expertise in a certain area may not have sufficient expertise across the areas involved in a proposal to
|
From page 34... ...
As with funding proposals, journals may increasingly need to develop a peer review process and review criteria that can accommodate efforts combining multiple fields as part of cutting-edge research, including multiple areas of science, engineering, medicine, and social and behavioral sciences. Promotion and Tenure The same issues of allocating credit on collaborative publications and recognizing the impact of integrative publications outside the primary disciplinary journals used by a researcher apply to the evaluation process for promotion and tenure.
|
From page 35... ...
Many participants emphasized the role of federal agencies in changing research cultures and behaviors toward convergence because these agencies provide major sources of funding. There was also recognition among participants, however, that the issue will not be addressed by federal agencies alone and that contributions to convergence from institutional, philanthropic, and corporate sources will be critical.
|
From page 36... ...
It was noted, however, that team science-focused review criteria may not always be the right fit for convergence -- a team-focused proposal is not necessarily convergent and a convergence proposal may not necessarily rely on multi-laboratory collaboration. Some participants suggested that proposals embodying convergence are likely to require longer time scales to show results, particularly if these proposed projects involve a requirement to develop intellectual cohesiveness across disciplines that differ in analytical scales and approaches (what Dr.
|
From page 37... ...
As suggested during the discussions, do agency program managers need to engage in more active curation for convergent projects? Federal agencies have levers they can use to influence culture change in their communities, but they need to balance multiple priorities in determining which to use and when.
|
From page 38... ...
It was suggested by several participants that additional instrumentation hubs could contribute to a number of convergent research projects and that this may be an area for further public–private collaboration. Using Innovative Research Organization Practices The organizations that conduct convergent research, whether universities, stand-alone institutes, national laboratories, industry, or thers, o have instituted a variety of practices that can be useful in fostering convergence.
|
From page 39... ...
Finally, universities are making investments in new buildings specially designed to house convergent institutes and foster interactions across disciplines as well as new types of core facilities that serve as gathering places and resources on campus, along with their associated technical staff. The costs associated with institutional practices to encourage convergence vary.
|
From page 40... ...
Articulating the elements required for convergence cultures and the disincentive barriers that currently exist also helps to illuminate leverage points -- potential places in the overall system in which to intervene and foster change. As would be expected, leverage points exist around areas such as what is valued in the culture, who has the power to change things and through which policies and processes, and what are the relevant flows of information and resources that can be used for convergence.
|
From page 41... ...
LOOKING AHEAD: ACTIONS ACROSS THE RESEARCH ENTERPRISE Participants also provided numerous future actions that could be taken to build on this workshop and prior meetings and reports, continue to advance the conversation, and strengthen the culture of convergence in research. Demonstrating Opportunities for Convergence in Key Areas of Science An opening workshop session motivated participants to consider what the research community cannot do without convergence, and conversely what a convergence approach enables, as illustrated using several examples drawn from energy and agricultural sustainability.
|
From page 42... ...
42 FOSTERING THE CULTURE OF CONVERGENCE IN RESEARCH TABLE 3-1 Selected Examples of Progress in Fostering Convergence Noted During the Workshop Actors Actions Desired Outcomes National • Foster coordination on • ccelerated innovation and A vision-setting convergence economic growth body • Build public and professional • national infrastructure that A awareness of convergence as can solve emerging problems a catalyst of new scientific which transcend traditional and technical knowledge and boundaries applications Funder of • Identify problems that would • Expanded mechanisms for science and benefit from convergence funding convergent research technology approaches • Collaborative proposal review innovation • ddress barriers to effective A across funding organizations convergence, both within and when needed across institutions Academic • ddress barriers to effective A • Recruitment practices, cost leader convergence partnerships, recovery models, and research both within and across support policies that facilitate institutions convergence, including • Develop policies, practices, catalytic seed funding and guidelines to support • Promotion and tenure policies and evaluate convergent and that recognize the importance disciplinary research equally of convergence and have • Utilize the expertise of unique evaluation criteria for economic, social, and those faculty behavioral sciences as well • Evidence-based practices as program management and for facilitating convergence strategic planning fields when effectively planning an initiative • More convergence efforts, partnerships, synergies, and collaborations, particularly at small universities and institutions that serve traditionally underrepresented groups Government • Develop partnerships, • Evidence-based practices laboratory synergies, and collaborations for facilitating convergence with colleagues across effectively institutions and from a wide • New products and services range of fields derived from convergent • Facilitate efficient transfer of research technologies derived from convergence research
|
From page 43... ...
WORKSHOP THEMES AND LOOKING AHEAD 43 Progress Since 2014 • Continued release of reports from academic institutions, federal agencies, and other organizations that describe convergence and discoveries it can enable; see also Chapter 1 • National Science Foundation identification of convergence as one of its 10 big ideas; Science Philanthropy Alliance and Health Research Alliance discussions on the impact of convergence • Philanthropic foundation support for the practice of convergence and for areas of science advanced by convergence • nnouncement of federal and public–private initiatives on cross-cutting topics A that embody convergence, including advanced manufacturing, the microbiome, and quantum sciencea • Ongoing and expanded use of strategies, including seed funding, spatial adjacency, and creation of research institutes/centers to foster convergence • Increased awareness of the need to address promotion and tenure policies to support convergence • Expanded availability of resources in areas that contribute to convergence, such as team science and transdisciplinary research • Recognition of the increasing need for hubs for access to complex instrumentation • Ongoing role of collaborations among academia, industry, and national laboratories as partners in convergence continued
|
From page 44... ...
; future efforts could help to expand awareness among research communities in other fields. The second suggestion was to consider convening focused discussions on an example challenge area that would analyze in greater depth and specificity exactly which changes to which criteria, structures, policies, or other components would be required to enable effective convergence in that particular area.
|
From page 45... ...
Networks such as the Science Philanthropy Alliance and Health Research Alliance can be resources in reaching out to their members. A number of participants also felt that it would be valuable to strengthen interfaces with people outside of academia who are engaged in convergence.
|
From page 46... ...
An overarching message expressed in most of these suggestions is the importance of finding more and better ways to develop and share best practices among those interested in fostering convergence. Table 3-2 summarizes these ideas, organized around elements described by participants as characterizing the institutional convergence cultures provided in the chapter.
|
From page 47... ...
The teams might draw convergence on expertise in areas such as team science, transdisciplinary research, innovation studies, and organizational change • Establish research instrumentation hubs with expert staff scientists, supported through novel funding mechanisms • Consider the advantages and disadvantages of various financial support models Develop criteria • rticulate promising proposal review processes and criteria for A for success evaluating convergent funding submissions reflective of • Identify outcome metrics of success for the results of convergence convergent research • Explore strategies to address challenges in publication of convergent manuscripts • Collate effective practices and criteria for researcher advancement, including academic promotion and tenure and parallel career paths beyond the traditional tenure track • Discuss expanded metrics of success for departments and institutions that will recognize both disciplinary scholarship and convergence
|
From page 48... ...
48 FOSTERING THE CULTURE OF CONVERGENCE IN RESEARCH tunities to overcome barriers and foster convergence-based approaches. Acting on ideas generated by participants may help to achieve more effective cultures of convergence and further the ability of researchers to undertake work that relies on a convergence approach.
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.