Collaboration and Multidisciplinary Team Science

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Over the past two decades interest and investments in large-scale, multidisciplinary team projects have grown dramatically. This is evident by the steep growth in the number of cross-disciplinary publications, journals, RFPs released by public agencies and private foundations, and research collaborations.

When communication is open and effective, team members feel important and confident that their opinions count. An efficient communication approach brings together people from different backgrounds with varying ideologies. This creates understanding among teammates for the greater good. The diversity is easily converted into an advantage based on mutual understanding that facilitates progress. Eventually, the entire team is able to benefit from synergy.

The twin goals of UB's Team Science Core are, first, to help assemble multidisciplinary clinical research teams with the right kind of chemistry for success and, second, to quantify, measure and better understand the principles of effective teamwork that make the first goal possible.

Trust is when you give the benefit of the doubt to someone else. Psychological safety is when someone else gives the benefit of the doubt to you.

Eduardo Salas, PhD
Department of Psychological Sciences
Rice University

The CTSI's Team Science Core defines teamwork to be the set of behaviors executed by two or more individuals as a function of coordinating requirements imposed by independent tasks in achieving common goals (such as a grant submission, a manuscript, grant review committee, or implementation of a new clinical device). Therefore, team coordination is the essence of teamwork: it is the process, the moment-to-moment behaviors, by which independent team members achieve important goals and share valuable resources (i.e., ideas, cell culture, patient access, or time).

Targets for Team Science Activities in the Research Continuum

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Our Team

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TEAM SCIENCE CORE DIRECTOR

Ekaterina I. Noyes, PhD, MPH

Division of Health Services Policy and Practice, Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health

School of Public Health and Health Professions

Elizabeth Bengert.
Team Science Specialist

Elizabeth Bengert

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TEAM SCIENCE CORE CO-DIRECTOR

Patricia Ohtake, PhD, PT

Department of Rehab Science

School of Public Health and Health Professions

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TEAM SCIENCE CORE CO-DIRECTOR

Prasad Balkundi, PhD, MBA

Department of Organization and Human Resources 

School of Management