Federally sponsored multidisciplinary research centers: Learning, evaluation, and vicious circles

Area of Science:

• Organizational Learning in Science and Technology Centers
• Evaluation and Management of Federally Funded Research Initiatives

Background:

• Increasing investment in multi-year, federally funded science and technology centers.
• Limited research on how these centers learn and adapt from oversight and evaluation processes.
• Challenges in managing and responding to potentially conflicting evaluative information.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze how science centers manage and respond to evaluative information.
• To illustrate the dynamic of learning and potential 'vicious circles' from external feedback.
• To provide suggestions for evaluators to facilitate effective learning and reduce organizational strain.

Main Methods:

• Case study of the NSF-funded Learning in Informal and Formal Environments (LIFE) Center.
• Analysis of annual reports, strategic planning documents, and other evidence.
• Examination of feedback from external review panels, center evaluators, program managers, and stakeholders.

Main Results:

• Centers can enter a cycle of continuous restructuring and documentation in response to inconsistent recommendations.
• The LIFE Center's organizational approaches evolved significantly due to external evaluations.
• The dynamic illustrates the potential for both learning and detrimental cycles within large research centers.

Conclusions:

• Evaluative processes can inadvertently create a 'vicious circle' of adaptation and documentation.
• External evaluators play a crucial role in guiding effective learning and adaptation.
• Strategies are needed to help centers manage evaluation feedback efficiently and constructively.