Transcript integrated multi-disciplinary research

The Charge to Change:
Pursuing Research Excellence
Through Integrated MultiDisciplinary Research
Report from the DD Team
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Office of Research and Development
April 9, 2016
THE CHARGE TO CHANGE
• Problem Statement: ORD must change to
become more effective and more valued.
• Proposed path forward:
–Focus on broad environmental issues of
national significance
–Conduct targeted research needed by Agency
partners
• Key component of the path:
–Integrated Multi-Disciplinary Research
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INTEGRATED MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH
• What do we mean by IMD?
–Integration across disciplines
–Integration across L/C/Os
–Integration with partners
–Integration throughout project
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SUCCESS FACTORS
• Clear, defined, and well communicated
goal and purpose
• Buy-in from all levels of senior
management
• Buy-in from staff
• Change budgetary drivers
• Change culture
3
CULTURAL CHANGES
• Move from single investigator to multi-
investigator research
• May need more scientists with more
flexible skills; fewer rigid specialists
• Impacts future hires
• Impacts training requirements
• Modify award and promotion criteria to
encourage IMD
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CRITERIA – Part 1
• Projects are of broad national importance
and require ORD’s expertise
• Projects are problem driven and have
clear partners
• Projects require some aspect of IMD
• Projects involve all aspects of the risk
paradigm
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CRITERIA – Part 2
• Projects supporting multiple partners are
of higher priority than those supporting
single partners
• Divest from (most) single PI projects
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FRAMEWORK – Part 1
• Partners: Existing partners will help to
identify most valued/needed projects
• Projects: Some projects are more
immediately amenable to IMD (energy
issues, climate change)
• Projects: Greater emphasis on project
planning and problem formulation
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FRAMEWORK – Part 2
• Scientists: Acknowledge existing core
competencies – identify needed new
skills
• Scientists: Broader skills set may be
needed from each scientist
• Scientists: Challenge to get everyone on
the bus
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FRAMEWORK – Part 3
• Management: Implement IMD through
EC, MC, NPDs
• Identify integration barriers
• Budget: Implement through existing goals
or other model
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