Presenter(s):
Ruth Varner, University of New Hampshire
Suzanne Hodgkins, The Ohio State University
Sarah Bagby, Case Western Reserve University
Taniya Koswatta, University of Nevada
Shirley Vincent, Shirley Vincent Evaluation Consulting, LLC
Brett Fredericksen, University of Minnesota Twin Cities
Gina Kahn, University of New Hampshire
Jeni Cross, Colorado State University
Brittany Fonner, Ohio State University Main Campus
Vereena Knerich, Colorado State University
Anne Mook, Colorado State University
Virginia Rich, University of Arizona

Primary Convener:
Suzanne Hodgkins, The Ohio State University

This workshop would benefit early-, mid-, and late- career scientists interested in participating in, launching, or leading multidisciplinary scientific teams.  Workshop participants will receive and learn to apply a toolkit of resources for accomplishing interdisciplinary team science.  The toolkit spans 6 areas: Governance & Infrastructure, Data Management, Team Science, Science Communication & Outreach, Mentorship, and Evaluation. The domain guides and templates will be introduced to participants as interconnected elements, which can be used independently. In small-group activities, participants will work through a few key tools and challenges, including reconciling disciplines’ different authorship norms, and building effective team communication. Participants will develop a roadmap for applying relevant tools to their own projects, and depart ready to do so, with adaptable templates and strategies.  

Unlike tools imported into scientific settings from the business community, where differing culture and terminology can create a mismatch with users, this toolkit is built by scientists for scientists. These templates have been tested and refined with teams in a variety of cross-disciplinary contexts, from small teams within a single university to large institutes which cross scientific organization types and countries.

Governance & Infrastructure tools include an Authorship Policy and Agreement, Field Safety Manual, Mission Statement, and Governance Plan, and have an overarching emphasis on building resilient structures.   

Data Management tools include Data Management Plans, Data Sharing Policies, open-source data management software & other technical systems, and Data Management Best Practices.

Team Science tools include the development of Group Norms and Values, mapping differences in Team Communication (including conflict resolution, giving feedback, and repairing relationships), building Collaborative Thinking & Team Creativity, Roles & Responsibilities, Cultivating Genuine Relationships (and why they lead to better science), approaches to Inclusive Leadership, and practices for Running Effective Meetings. 

Science Communication & Outreach tools include a catalog of diverse science communication and outreach methods suitable for interdisciplinary cross-institutional projects, as well as implementation guides.

Mentorship Tools include variants for both one-on-one and team mentoring systems, from the Mentoring Charter to Mentor and Mentee Action Plans, to a How-To Guide for Writing a Mentorship Philosophy and developing an agenda for Mentorship Training. 

Evaluation tools include Project Evaluation Plans, Capacity Development Surveys, Social Network Analysis Frameworks to assess team integration, and Project Activity Evaluation Surveys (e.g. for workshops, courses, outreach activities, etc.). 

This toolkit is being developed in an National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded Research Coordination Network that works to assemble tools across the NSF Biology Integration Institutes. Tool creators include scientists and science-of-team-science sociologists, and many tools incorporate experience- and evidence-based improvements.