Standard Research Grant:Interdisciplinary and Scientist/Public Collaboration at Two Nanoscale Science and Engineering Centers

在被称为模式2的科学中，自然和社会科学家以及科学家和非科学家之间的合作一直在增加。越来越多的人认为，大型研究问题需要自然和社会科学家的专业知识，公共部门的参与和合作往往受到资助机构的鼓励或要求。尽管跨学科和科学/非科学合作有所增加，但对其成功或失败的原因及其独特的问题、影响和互动形式的研究仍然有限。更有限的是对社会科学家设计的协作团队的研究。该项目利用目前资助的两个关于纳米技术的社会层面的NSF中心作为研究地点，以提高我们对跨学科和科学/非科学合作的理解。该项目涉及对亚利桑那州立大学和加州大学圣巴巴拉分校纳米科学与工程中心(NSEC)的合作进行详细研究。每个中心都强调社会科学家与自然科学家和工程师之间的合作关系，以及科学家与利益相关者、更广泛的公众以及政策制定者之间在其使命和设计方面的合作关系。博士后研究员在PI的积极指导下，对合作进行3-4个月的现场观察，对合作参与者进行个人访谈，并收集其他相关数据。有几个研究问题指导着项目，但问题2、5和7是优先的。1)跨学科和跨组织协作的不同形式和目标是什么？2)协作对生产力有什么影响？协作本身如何影响参与者？对生产力的看法？3)中心的不同学术等级之间的协作模式是如何变化的？4)中心和大学的哪些组织特征促进了跨学科和跨组织的协作？5)在跨学科的协作关系中普遍存在哪些沟通障碍和策略，以及如何管理它们？6)在中心的组织间协作中发现了哪些独特的挑战和成功？7)如何设计公共参与活动来增强科学家/公共协作的潜力？智力价值：通过两个详细的案例研究，该项目产生了关于社会科学家与自然科学家和工程师之间以及科学家与非科学家之间合作的知识。该项目为科学、技术和学会关于跨学科和跨组织合作的研究提供了经验数据，该研究的重点是对生产率的影响、沟通差距和战略、紧张和风险以及组织和网络环境。这项研究的独特之处在于，它关注的是社会科学家组织的中心。该项目为跨学科交易区的理论工作以及相互作用和相互贡献的专门知识的概念提供了经验数据。它还有助于理论工作，以批判性地评估科学政策朝着增加公众参与的方向发展。更广泛的影响：虽然不是作为评估项目设计的，但结果向这两个NSEC的中心领导人提供了关于协作的信息。除了这种本地化的影响之外，还制定了一份面向社会科学组织的跨学科中心的协作政策文件，并向NSF和其他支持跨学科协作的资助机构提供访问。从个人专业的角度来看，该项目也是博士后从事尖端STS研究的绝佳机会，同时通过与中心人员的联系来扩大专业网络。

Collaboration between natural and social scientists and scientists and non-scientists has been increasing in what has been referred to as Mode 2 science. Large research problems are increasingly perceived to require expertise from both natural and social scientists and the participation of public sectors and collaboration is often encouraged or required by funding agencies. Despite increased interdisciplinary and science/non-science collaboration, there is still limited research into why it succeeds or fails and its unique problems, impacts, and interactive forms. Even more limited is research on collaboration teams designed by social scientists. This project takes advantage of two currently funded NSF centers on societal dimensions of nanotechnology as research sites to improve our understanding of interdisciplinary and science/non-science collaboration. The project involves a detailed study of collaboration at the Nanoscale Science and Engineering Centers (NSECs) at Arizona State University and University of California, Santa Barbara. Each center emphasizes collaborative ties between social scientists and natural scientists and engineers and between scientists and stakeholders, the broader public, and policy makers in its mission and design. A post-doctoral fellow, with active guidance of the PI, conducts 3-4 months of on-site observations of collaboration, conducts personal interviews with collaborating participants, and collects other relevant data. Several research questions guide the project, but questions 2, 5, and 7 are prioritized. 1) What are the different forms and goals of interdisciplinary and interorganizational collaboration? 2) What are the effects of collaboration on productivity and how does collaboration itself affect participants? perceptions of productivity? 3) How do patterns of collaboration vary across academic hierarchies at the centers? 4) What organizational features of the center and university facilitate interdisciplinary and interorganizational collaboration? 5) What communicative barriers and strategies are prevalent in interdisciplinary collaborative relationships and how are they managed? 6) What unique challenges and successes are found in interorganizational collaborations at the centers? 7) How are public engagement activities designed to enhance the potential for scientist/public collaboration? Intellectual Merit: Through two detailed case studies, the project generates knowledge about collaboration between social scientists and natural scientists and engineers and between scientists and non-scientists. The project contributes empirical data to Science, Technology & Society research on interdisciplinary and interorganizational collaboration that has focused on such issues as impacts on productivity, communicative gaps and strategies, tensions and risks, and organizational and network contexts. This study is unique in that it focuses on centers organized by social scientists. The project contributes empirical data to theoretical work on interdisciplinary trading zones and the notion of interactional and contributory expertise. It also contributes to theoretical work that critically assesses the science policy move towards increased public engagement. Broader Impacts: Although not designed as an evaluative project, results nonetheless provide information on collaboration to center leaders of these two NSECs. Beyond this localized impact, a policy paper on collaboration oriented to social science organized interdisciplinary centers is developed and made accessible to NSF and other funding agencies engaged in support of interdisciplinary collaboration. From a personal professional standpoint, this project also is an excellent opportunity for a post-doc to engage in cutting edge STS research, while expanding a professional network through connections to center personnel.