Open AccessLessons Learned from an Academic, Interdisciplinary, Multi-Campus, Research Collaboration
Author(s) -
Elaine Nguyen,
Xiaomeng Xu,
Renee Robinson
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
innovations in pharmacy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2155-0417
DOI - 10.24926/iip.v11i2.3202
Subject(s) - deliverable , institution , academic institution , medical education , space (punctuation) , public relations , order (exchange) , psychology , political science , engineering ethics , business , engineering , medicine , computer science , library science , operating system , systems engineering , finance , law
Background: The formation of productive academic research groups can be difficult, especially in environments without a robust and existing research infrastructure. Idaho and Alaska, are Institutional Development Award (IDeA)-eligible states, historically receiving low levels of funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Purpose/Methods: We present a case study highlighting an academic research collaboration established across two-disciplines, three-career stages, and three-campuses utilizing distance technology.
Results: One lesson learned from our experiences is that regardless of position (junior or senior faculty) or time at the institution/department (new or established), it is important to reach out to others. Collaborations require conscientious effort to establish and maintain. Second, a psychologically safe space must be created, establishing trust. Lastly, in order to eliminate distractions, optimize team performance, and improve deliverables, the team must have a shared mission. Team members must recognize, appreciate, and fully utilize each other and available resources.
Conclusion: Our experiences and lessons learned can be utilized by others to strengthen opportunities to form and grow interdisciplinary research collaborations and develop a stronger research infrastructure.
Article Type: Note