Enhancing the Process of Network-to-Network Collaboration: A TDI-Facilitated PI Meeting for the AccelNet Program

Michigan State University, East Lansing MI

Investigators

Abstract

In complex research environments such as networks of research networks, attention to process can be crucial to ensuring steady progress toward project objectives. The Toolbox Dialogue Initiative (TDI) will organize and deliver a meeting in Washington DC for newly funded members of international network-to-network collaborations, providing an early, focused opportunity to develop key components of their projects. TDI will stay engaged with awardees after the meeting to help facilitate the development of ideas generated through team reflection and social learning. One outcome of the meeting will be the fostering of a community of practice. The meeting will also expand abilities to enhance complex research communication and collaboration among broadly distributed network communities. This workshop is to provide newly funded project members the opportunity to engage in activities designed to increase their collaborative and communicative capacity, learn from one another and members of the prior cohort, hear from experts, and interact with NSF officials. Workshop participants will represent the second cohort of funded projects in the Accelerating Research through International Network-to-Network Collaboration (AccelNet) program. Building on the previous AccelNet project meeting, the workshop will include structured team reflection and social learning on planning for network coordination, professional development, and evaluation. The TDI team will produce reports for the participating teams and follow-up webinars designed to support the development of the teams’ plans and a community of practice involving members of the cohort. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.