Promoting Action to Build Research Communities in the Age of Open Science

University Of Illinois At Urbana-Champaign, Urbana IL

Investigators

Abstract

This project will conduct a one-day workshop to bring together key university leaders (e.g., presidents/provosts) to focus attention on issues related to establishing robust academic career paths in the "open" computational and data sciences. These scientists might not fit under traditional academic track models as they create different outputs than the traditional journal articles. This workshop will elucidate for university leaders the opportunities and challenges of career trajectories in such computational and data science disciplines. Outcomes are expected to be actionable guidelines for universities to operationalize principles for promoting academic careers in computational and data science, for agencies to support them through dedicated funding support, metrics of scholarly activity, procedures for career promotion, etc. Achieving the desired outcomes from the workshop will lead to massive impacts in terms of career paths for individuals, leading to more open scientists in higher positions, which will in turn lead to positive societal changes. This project will conduct a one-day workshop to bring together key university leaders (e.g., presidents/provosts) to focus attention on issues related to establishing robust academic career paths in the "open" computational and data sciences. These scientists might not fit under traditional academic track models as they create different outputs than the traditional journal articles. The challenges identified related to this new paradigm of Open Science are being felt in all areas of research including those represented within the NSF. This workshop will elucidate for university leaders the opportunities and challenges of career trajectories in such computational and data science disciplines. Outcomes are expected to be actionable guidelines for universities to operationalize principles for promoting academic careers in computational and data science, for agencies to support them through dedicated funding support, metrics of scholarly activity, procedures for career promotion, etc. Achieving the desired outcomes from the workshop will lead to massive impacts in terms of career paths for individuals, leading to more open scientists in higher positions, which will in turn lead to positive societal changes.