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Team research at the biology-mathematics interface: project management perspectives
John G Milton1, Ami E Radunskaya, Arthur H Lee
1The Claremont Colleges: Joint Science Department, Keck Graduate Institute of Applied Life Sciences, Claremont, CA 91711, USA. jmilton@jsd.claremont.edu
CBE Life Sciences Education
|September 3, 2010
Summary
Undergraduate interdisciplinary research teams showed strong individual performance but struggled with project management. Enhancing curricula with time and project management skills is crucial for future research initiatives.
Area of Science:
- Interdisciplinary STEM Education
- Undergraduate Research Training
- Mathematical Biology
Background:
- Interdisciplinary research teams are vital for scientific advancement.
- Effective team performance relies on specific skill sets.
- Undergraduate research experiences offer valuable training opportunities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate student and team performance in undergraduate interdisciplinary research projects.
- To identify key factors influencing the success and challenges of these teams.
- To inform curriculum development for future STEM initiatives.
Main Methods:
- Assembling undergraduate student teams with complementary biology and mathematics backgrounds.
- Conducting summer research projects in off-campus laboratory settings.
- Mentors evaluating student performance across various research attributes.
Main Results:
- Mentors consistently rated students' creativity and independent research abilities as very good to excellent.
- Research teams encountered significant difficulties in meeting project deadlines.
- Poor time and project management skills were identified as the primary cause of delays.
Conclusions:
- While individual student capabilities were high, team-level project management skills were lacking.
- Time and project management are teachable skills essential for effective research.
- Undergraduate curricula should be modified to incorporate these skills to support initiatives like MATH-BIO 2010.
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