"Workshop on Key Challenges in the Implementation of Convergence"; September 16-17, 2013; National Academy of Sciences in Washington, DC

“融合实施中的关键挑战研讨会”将于2013年9月16日至17日在华盛顿特区的美国国家科学院举行。这笔赠款将支持大约15名年轻和多样化的教职员工参与。推动生命科学研究的一个重要发展领域是其研究界与物理、数学、计算和工程科学的整合和合作，通常被称为“融合”。落实这一概念的参与程度超越了一个领域，只是简单地借用另一个领域的工具或技术，以强调建立新的工作伙伴关系和接受新类型挑战的能力。生命科学与物理、化学、数学、计算和工程科学等领域的融合已成为应对复杂挑战和实现新的创新解决方案的关键战略。许多报告探索了当多个学科在综合伙伴关系中结合在一起时能够取得的进展，因此，各机构越来越多地采取行动，实施促进这种融合研究的计划。研讨会将汇集在其实验室和组织中体现或寻求体现融合和跨学科研究的实践者、来自学术界和工业界的领导人，以及基金会和机构的代表，讨论为实现这一愿景而实施的计划的战略，遇到的陷阱，以及吸取了哪些实际经验教训。通过国家科学院任命的一个特别委员会将把讨论和关键信息、结论和建议提炼成一份报告，寻求为社区提供有用的指导。NSF的支持将使更广泛的教职员工群体能够参与研讨会及其讨论，特别是来自不同机构或代表性不足群体的年轻教职员工和/或教职员工。如果要实现这种融合的前景，让不同的观点参与讨论在实施融合科学时遇到的战略和挑战将是重要的。这些年轻和多样化的教职员工将为讨论带来丰富的想法、观点和热情。研讨会将有助于阐明融合科学的兴奋之处，并探讨如何实施它的例子。

The "Workshop on Key Challenges in the Implementation of Convergence" will be held September 16-17, 2013 at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, DC. The grant will support the participation of approximately 15 younger and diverse faculty members. An important area of development propelling research in the life sciences has been the integration and collaboration of its research communities with the physical, mathematical, computational, and engineering sciences, often referred to as "convergence." The level of engagement to implement this concept goes beyond one field simply borrowing tools or techniques from another to emphasize the ability to forge new kinds of working partnerships and take on new types of challenges. Convergence of the life sciences with fields including physical, chemical, mathematical, computational, and engineering sciences has become a key strategy to tackle complex challenges and achieve new and innovative solutions. Numerous reports have explored advances that are enabled when multiple disciplines come together in integrated partnerships, and as a result institutions have increasingly moved to implement programs that foster such convergent research. The workshop will gather practitioners who embody or seek to embody convergent and transdisciplinary research in their laboratories and organizations, leaders from academia and industry, and representatives of foundations and agencies to discuss strategies that programs have implemented to achieve this vision, what pitfalls were encountered, and what practical lessons have been learned. An ad hoc committee appointed through the National Academy of Sciences will distill the discussions and the key messages, conclusions, and recommendations into a report that seeks to provide useful guidance for the community. NSF support will enable a broader group of faculty members to participate in the workshop and its discussions, particularly younger faculty members and/or faculty members from diverse institutions or from underrepresented groups. Engaging diverse perspectives in a discussion of the strategies and challenges encountered while implementing convergent science will be important if the promise of this convergence is to be realized. Such younger and diverse faculty members will bring a wealth of ideas, perspectives, and enthusiasm to the discussions. The workshop will help to articulate the excitement of convergent science and explore examples of how it can be implemented.