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Making team science better: Applying improvement‐oriented evaluation principles to evaluation of cooperative research centers
Author(s) -
Gray Denis O.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
new directions for evaluation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.374
H-Index - 40
eISSN - 1534-875X
pISSN - 1097-6736
DOI - 10.1002/ev.262
Subject(s) - evaluation methods , computer science , program evaluation , management science , engineering management , engineering ethics , process management , knowledge management , political science , engineering , reliability engineering , public administration
Abstract The rise of the research center has changed the landscape of U.S. research enter‐prise. It has also created a number of evaluation challenges, particularly when considering strategically focused, multifaceted cooperative research centers (CRCs). The author argues that although recent CRC evaluation efforts have gone a long way toward meeting the needs of groups interested in accountabil‐ity, they do little to meet the needs of inexperienced scientist managers who try to lead and manage these organizationally complex initiatives. An exception to this trend is described: the improvement‐oriented evaluation strategy pio‐neered by the National Science Foundation IUCRC program. © Wiley Period‐icals, Inc.