Perspectives on Interdisciplinary Research IDR

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Perspectives on Interdisciplinary Research (IDR)

• Great Plains Network/MIDnet
• Annual Meeting
• Ralph Davis, University of Arkansas
• Gordon Springer, University of Missouri
• Gurcharan Khanna, Dartmouth College
• Greg Monaco, Great Plains Network

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Report from the National Academies of Science
onConvocation on Facilitating Interdisciplinary
ResearchGreg MonacoDirector for ResearchGreat
Plains Network greg_at_greatplains.net
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Interdisciplinary
research, teaching, or problem solving that
integrates several disciplines to create a
unified outcome
James Collins
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Multi- and Interdisciplinary Research

A
A
Work on
Multidisciplinary
common problem
B
B
A
Interaction
C
Interdisciplinary
forges new discipline
B
Lawrence Tabak, NIH
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Monitoring the Temporal Patterns of Cholera
Transmission Risk
AVHRR
AVHRR-SST
TOPEX-SSA
SeaWiFS-Chl-a
Life Sciences Division
Ames Research Center
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Human Language Technology

• Including machine translation (speech to text,
  text to speech, text to text)
• Linguists
• Computer Scientists
• Psychologists

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Bio-X Program Themes
biocomputation
genomics/ proteomics
biodesign
imaging
biophysics
regenerative medicine
chemical biology
brain and behavior
Harvey Cohen, Professor, Pediatrics, Stanford
School of Medicine, and Chair, The
Interdisciplinary Initiatives Committee, Bio-X,
Stanford University
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Source NSF/SBR
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W. M. Keck Foundation

• Characteristics of successful interdisciplinary
  grants
• Faculty already talking/collaborating
• Funds move seamlessly as needed
• Students/Postdocs move seamlessly as needed

Maria Pellegrini, W. M. Keck Foundation
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NSF

• CLEANER Collaborative Large-Scale Engineering
  Analysis Network for Environmental Research An
  Engineering Cyberinfrastructure "Test Bed"
• IGERT Integrative Graduate Education and
  Research Traineeship
• Human and Social Dynamics
• Biocomplexity in the Environment
• Workforce Training
• Engineering Sensor Research
• Information Technology Research
• 100K Planning Grants to enable IDR teams to come
  together, forge common lexicon, plan, etc.

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NIH Roadmap Activity (1/24/2004)

• RFAs
• Dynamic Assessment of Patient-Reported Chronic
  Disease Outcomes
• Interdisciplinary Health Research Training
  Behavior, Environment and Biology
• Short Programs for Interdisciplinary Research
  Training
• Curriculum Development Award in Interdisciplinary
  Research
• Centers for Innovation in Membrane Protein
  Production
• Multidisciplinary Clinical Research Career
  Development
• Programs Development of High Resolution Probes
  for Cellular Imaging
• Meetings and Networks for Methodological
  Development in Interdisciplinary Research
• Metabolomics Technology Development
• Exploratory Centers (P20) for Interdisciplinary
  Research
• National Technology Centers for Networks and
  Pathways
• National Centers for Biomedical Computing
• Training For A New Interdisciplinary Research
  Workforce
• RFPs
• RFP Announcement Molecular Libraries Small
  Molecule Repository
• Broad Agency Announcements (BAAs)
• Re-Engineering the Clinical Research Enterprise
  Feasibility of Integrating and Expanding Clinical
  Research Networks

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W. M. Keck Foundation

• Basic life sciences and physical sciences
• High risk/high impact
• Interdisciplinary, consortial proposals
• Transformative, not incremental to government
  funding

Maria Pellegrini, W. M. Keck Foundation
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MULTIDISCIPLINARY UNIVERSITY RESEARCH INITIATIVE
(MURI)

• Supports teams of researchers investigating
  topics that
• Are key to DoD Science and Technology Strategy
• Interest more than one Service.
• Intersect more than one traditional discipline.
• Takes multidisciplinary approach that, for many
  problems
• Accelerates research progress.
• Expedites transition of results to application.
• Prepares students to works across disciplines.
• Complements Service Defense Research Sciences
  programs that
• predominantly support single-investigator
  approach.
• ? 183 Active projects

Dr. Bill Berry Director, Basic Research ODUSD(LABS
)
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Challenges to Interdisciplinary Research

• The current system of academic advancement favors
  the independent investigator
• Most institutions house scientists in discrete
  departments
• Interdisciplinary science requires
  interdisciplinary peer-review
• Project management and oversight is currently
  performed by discrete ICs
• Interdisciplinary research teams take time to
  assemble and require unique resources

Lawrence Tabak, NIH
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How to Facilitate Inter-disciplinary Research

• Inter-disciplinary research by definition
  requires the researchers to learn the other
  disciplines vocabulary, methodology and
  techniques.
• This requires effort and investment of time.
• The researchers involved must trust each other
  -have a mutual respect for each other. It will
  not work if one discipline is perceived as
  superior to the other.
• There must be a reward system in place which will
  acknowledge the overhead in time and effort that
  interdisciplinary research takes.

Ruzena Bajcsy, UC Berkeley
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Research Focus Visualization

• Design, implementation and evaluation of novel
  methods for more accurately, intuitively, and
  effectively conveying information through images
• An inherently interdisciplinary effort, involving
  the integration of insights from vision and
  perception with inspiration from art and
  illustration, and algorithms from computer
  graphics, computer vision, and mathematics, along
  with human subjects experiments
• Victoria Interrante, Assistant Professor,
  Computer Science and Engineering,
• University of Minnesota

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What Motivates Inter-disciplinary Research?

• New scientific and technological problems,
  examples are Biotechnology, BioInformatics, or
  BIO any scientific combination.
• Nano science and Nano technology
• Space science
• Networking sensor webs, computer webs, social
  webs..
• Complex systems and their interaction over time,
  environment, machines, people/society/cultures
• Thoughts on Interdisciplinary Research Reward
  System
• Cluster hiring including senior staff
• Reward Deans/Chairs who foster interdisciplinary
  research
• Set up special tenure/salary reward processes
• Seed funds

Ruzena Bajcsy, UC Berkeley
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Interdisciplinary

• We should always be looking for leaders who can
  foster interdisciplinary connections and thus
  advance the scientific enterprise
• Rita Colwell, NSF

We should always be looking for leaders who can
foster interdisciplinary connections and thus
advance the scientific enterprise Rita Colwell,
NSF