The past half-century has witnessed a dramatic increase in the scale and complexity of scientific research. The growing scale of science has been accompanied by a shift toward collaborative research, referred to as “team science.“ Scientific research is increasingly conducted by small teams and larger groups rather than individual investigators, but the challenges of collaboration can slow these teams' progress in achieving their scientific goals. How does a team-based approach work, and how can universities and research institutions support teams?

Enhancing the Effectiveness of Team Science synthesizes and integrates the available research to provide guidance on assembling the science team; leadership, education and professional development for science teams and groups. It also examines institutional and organizational structures and policies to support science teams and identifies areas where further research is needed to help science teams and groups achieve their scientific and translational goals. This report offers major public policy recommendations for science research agencies and policymakers, as well as recommendations for individual scientists, disciplinary associations, and research universities. Enhancing the Effectiveness of Team Science will be of interest to university research administrators, team science leaders, science faculty, and graduate and postdoctoral students.

Contents

• THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
• COMMITTEE ON THE SCIENCE OF TEAM SCIENCE
• BOARD ON BEHAVIORAL, COGNITIVE, AND SENSORY SCIENCES
• Acknowledgments
• Summary
  • KEY FEATURES THAT CREATE CHALLENGES FOR TEAM SCIENCE
  • IMPROVING TEAM AND GROUP EFFECTIVENESS
  • ADVANCING RESEARCH ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF TEAM SCIENCE
• I. Setting the Stage
  • 1. Introduction
    • PURPOSE OF THIS REPORT
    • DEFINING KEY TERMS
    • KEY FEATURES THAT CREATE CHALLENGES FOR TEAM SCIENCE
    • LEARNING FROM RESEARCH ON TEAMS IN OTHER CONTEXTS
    • THE VALUE OF MULTIPLE APPROACHES AND THE PROMISE OF TEAM SCIENCE
    • STUDY APPROACH
    • ORGANIZATION OF THE REPORT
  • 2. Science to Inform Team Science
    • RESEARCH ON GROUPS AND TEAMS
    • THE SCIENCE OF TEAM SCIENCE
    • OTHER CONTRIBUTING FIELDS OF RESEARCH
    • SUMMARY
• II. The Individual and Team Levels
  • 3. Overview of the Research on Team Effectiveness
    • BACKGROUND: KEY CONSIDERATIONS AND THEORETICAL MODELS AND FRAMEWORKS
    • TEAM PROCESSES: THE UNDERPINNINGS OF TEAM EFFECTIVENESS
    • INTERVENTIONS THAT SHAPE TEAM PROCESSES AND EFFECTIVENESS
    • CONNECTING THE LITERATURE TO TEAM SCIENCE
    • SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
  • 4. Team Composition and Assembly
    • TEAM COMPOSITION
    • TEAM ASSEMBLY
    • METHODS FOR FACILITATING COMPOSITION AND ASSEMBLY OF SCIENCE TEAMS AND GROUPS
    • ADDRESSING THE SEVEN FEATURES THAT CREATE CHALLENGES FOR TEAM SCIENCE
    • SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATION
  • 5. Professional Development and Education for Team Science
    • GOALS AND EFFECTIVENESS OF TEAM TRAINING
    • PROMISING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT INTERVENTIONS
    • NEW PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT INTERVENTIONS FOR TEAM SCIENCE
    • EDUCATION FOR TEAM SCIENCE
    • ADDRESSING THE SEVEN FEATURES THAT CREATE CHALLENGES FOR TEAM SCIENCE
    • SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATION
  • 6. Team Science Leadership
    • DEFINING LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT
    • RESEARCH FINDINGS ON GENERAL LEADERSHIP AND POTENTIAL IMPLICATIONS FOR TEAM LEADERSHIP
    • RESEARCH FINDINGS ON TEAM LEADERSHIP
    • RESEARCH FINDINGS ON TEAM SCIENCE LEADERSHIP
    • LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT FOR TEAM SCIENCE LEADERS
    • ADDRESSING THE SEVEN FEATURES THAT CREATE CHALLENGES FOR TEAM SCIENCE
    • SUMMARY, CONCLUSION, AND RECOMMENDATION
• III. The Institutional and Organizational Level
  • 7. Supporting Virtual Collaboration
    • SPECIAL CHALLENGES FOR GEOGRAPHICALLY DISPERSED LARGER GROUPS OR TEAMS
    • INDIVIDUAL CHARACTERISTICS TO MEET THE CHALLENGES
    • LEADERSHIP STRATEGIES TO MEET THE CHALLENGES
    • HOW ORGANIZATIONS CAN SUPPORT VIRTUAL COLLABORATION
    • TECHNOLOGY TO SUPPORT VIRTUAL COLLABORATION
    • HOW TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIAL PRACTICES CAN ADDRESS THE CHALLENGES OF VIRTUAL COLLABORATION
    • SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS
  • 8. Institutional and Organizational Support for Team Science
    • THE ORGANIZATIONAL PERSPECTIVE
    • UNIVERSITY POLICIES AND PRACTICES
    • ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXTS FOR TEAM SCIENCE
    • OPTIMIZING PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENTS FOR TEAM SCIENCE
    • SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATION
  • 9. Funding and Evaluation of Team Science
    • FUNDING FOR TEAM SCIENCE
    • EVALUATION OF TEAM SCIENCE
    • SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS
• IV. A Path Forward
  • 10. Advancing Research on the Effectiveness of Team Science
    • TEAM PROCESSES AND EFFECTIVENESS
    • SUPPORT FOR VIRTUAL COLLABORATION
    • INSTITUTIONAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT FOR TEAM SCIENCE
    • FUNDING AND EVALUATION OF TEAM SCIENCE
    • SUMMARY, CONCLUSION, AND RECOMMENDATION
• References
• Appendix Biographical Sketches of Committee Members

This study was supported by the National Science Foundation under Contract No. OCI-1248170 and by Elsevier. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organizations or agencies that provided support for the project.

Suggested citation:

National Research Council. (2015). Enhancing the Effectiveness of Team Science. Committee on the Science of Team Science, N.J. Cooke and M.L. Hilton, Editors. Board on Behavioral, Cognitive, and Sensory Sciences, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.