Team Science at Mizzou

The University of Missouri is set up incredibly well for researchers of all disciplines to connect and work together — it is one of only six public universities in the U.S. that contains a medical school, veterinary medicine college, nuclear research reactor and a law school all on the same campus. Mizzou also houses several research centers such as Bond LSC and NextGen Precision Health where scientists in various fields can share core facilities equipment, have dedicated lab spaces next to each other and work together if inspiration strikes.

And collaboration is more important than ever. “It’s no secret that research funding is getting more competitive,” said Charlene Emerson, research development lead at NextGen Precision Health. “One of the ways to distinguish yourself is by forging these interdisciplinary collaborations.” 

But even with MU’s well-appointed infrastructure — working with someone in a different area can be a challenge for researchers who are highly specialized and have spent their careers becoming experts in their fields. Branching out can seem daunting. 

This is where Team Science comes into play. The MU Division of Research, Innovation & Impact has a dedicated team that can help facilitate collaboration events, called Team Science, to bring researchers together specifically to make connections and form ideas for interdisciplinary proposals.

“Team Science doesn’t just combine different skills — it’s also about blending different ways of thinking,” Christie Terry, RII professional development director, said. “A biologist might see a problem through the lens of living systems, while an engineer might approach it from a design perspective, while a humanist may focus on ethical and social implications. When these perspectives converge, new ideas and solutions often emerge that would never have come to light in a more traditional, single-discipline approach.”

There are four different types of Team Science events that your research group can request: 

Connections Café – For groups at the earliest stages of collaboration.
Inspiration Studio – For groups who are ready to start developing ideas into a new, promising lines of inquiry.
Proposal Acceleration Lab – For groups who have identified a specific funding opportunity that they’d like support in preparing a strong proposal.
Proposal Consultation – For teams who need support on specific aspects of their proposal development. 

Learn more about the details of these events. 

If you’re not sure which specific event is right for your team, reach out anyway, and the Professional Development Team will work with you to craft an agenda that will meet your goals. The team will also handle the logistics and the facilitation of the event, including creating a fast-paced experience that is designed to get input from all participants. After the event, participants will receive a summary with notes and next steps as well as ongoing support in the form of follow-up meetings, connecting with additional partners and more. 

Emerson has worked with the professional development team through several Team Science events at NextGen Precision Health. “Christie and Amanda are experts in group dynamics,” Emerson said. “They’re so good at facilitating really productive group discussions in such a way that no one’s ideas get left out. They create unique situations that get creative juices flowing, but also help the group close in on next steps."

Meredith Deatz, director of research in the College of Education and Human Development, hosted a Connections Café last spring for researchers in the college. “I would recommend research teams try these events. It can be challenging to come up with innovative ways to bring faculty together, and having Christie and Amanda come in to facilitate and bring fresh perspectives in was a great experience that resulted in some cross-department collaborations for us,” Deatz said.

“Team Science is a set aside time for great ideas to actually make it out of the group chat – you know what I mean?” Emerson said. “Researchers might see each other in passing like ‘We should set aside some time to talk about how your work relates to mine.’ But it’s hard to make that initial meeting happen without a nudge. Team Science gives researchers dedicated space to do that.”

Jamie Day, an assistant professor in the College of Education and Human Development who studies technology-based literacy interventions to support K-12 multilingual students, was able to connect with Ayca Fackler at a Team Science event. Dr. Fackler's work also deals with supporting multilingual students, and they learned that their methodological approaches are different, but complementary. Since the Team Science event, they've had several working lunches to discuss how their work intersects. 

"Our current goal is to continue our professional network started by Team Science and brainstorm for future grant proposals that integrate our respective areas of expertise." 

In addition, by making these connections at Team Science, Day learned about a teacher development opportunity in Hallsville, where she and two other education faculty members are able to share their expertise in supporting multilingual students.

"I am grateful for the opportunity to support local teachers and would not have learned about this need if I hadn't had the chance to connect with my colleagues."