TEAM SCIENCE

EVIDENCE-BASED BEST PRACTICES FOR INTERDISCIPLINARY COLLABORATION

 

Research addressing societal grand challenges increasingly requires working with teams of investigators from varied disciplines, colleges, and institutions. These efforts can powerfully leverage the strengths and expertise of individuals trained in different fields but also face challenges in effectively communicating and collaborating. Team science provides empirically tested tools and strategies to help interdisciplinary research (IDR) teams and their leaders overcome these obstacles and increase the impact of their research.

The Grants Hub offers team science consultation, resources, training, and facilitation to current and prospective IDR team leaders and their teams, including:

  • Connection to available ISU resources and services
  • Tailoring of team science tools for an individual team
  • Assistance identifying prospective team members and bringing a team together
  • Developing a project mission statement
  • Developing a team communication plan
  • Creating a collaboration agreement
  • Establishing team rules and a common team language
  • Assessment of team health
  • Strategic planning facilitation
  • Active team facilitation (in select cases only, due to limited bandwidth)

 

To request project management support, click the red “Submit a Request” button to the right.

RESEARCH COLLABORATION CATALYSTS

The Grants Hub coordinates the Research Collaboration Catalysts program, a selective team science academy offered by the Office of the Vice President for Research. Each academic year, a cohort of nominated faculty learn how to build and lead high-functioning, high-performing interdisciplinary research teams from both Iowa State experts and national leaders in team science.

Nominations for the 2024-25 program are now open until April 26, 2024, for tenure-eligible and research term faculty who have demonstrated potential to lead high-impact interdisciplinary research team. Interested candidates are encouraged to discuss their potential nomination with their supervisors. More information, including the nomination instructions, is available here.

Resources

See these resources for additional guidance on interdisciplinary team research: