Collaborative Research: A Workshop on Interdisciplinary Collaboration in Innovative Science and Engineering Fields in Boston, Massachusetts

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There is increasing evidence that cross disciplinary collaboration spurs innovation and helps solve pressing scientific problems. This workshop advances understanding on knowledge on how, when, where, and for whom interdisciplinary collaboration works, and when it does not. The experts attending the workshop span the social science disciplines of cognitive psychology, social psychology, organizational behavior, economics, anthropology, sociology, and science/technology studies. Intellectual Merit: The workshop provides an overview of the state of the art across disciplines of the science of interdisciplinary collaboration, as well as specific gaps in theory, constructs, data, and methods. The workshop also provides an opportunity for cross-fertilization, communication, and innovation to occur among the social scientists themselves. The approach documents ways in which interdisciplinary collaboration can be more effectively studied, including addressing complex measurement and conceptual issues as well as ways in which infrastructure can be created and maintained. Broder Impact: The US is facing serious challenges in the fields of science and technology. The results of the workshop inform the structure of science and engineering education: as ways of composing, structuring, and instructing teams are examined. In addition, the workshop's explicit goal is the generation of a structure that could help drive new, innovative research. The audience is extremely broad, spanning social science disciplines and having practical and policy implications for other scientists and engineers. The results of the workshop are also broadly disseminated through a workshop website, executive summary and link to the website in professional newsletters and publications.