LEADING A TRANSDISCIPLINARY TEAM MODEL ACROSS A COMPREHENSIVE CAMPUS

Area of Science:

• Transdisciplinary research
• Team science
• Academic medicine

Background:

• Land-grant research institutions require effective research strategies.
• Transdisciplinary research models are crucial for scientific advancement.
• Assessing team dynamics is key to research success.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a transdisciplinary research strategy in a College of Medicine (COM).
• To identify key factors influencing research team success.
• To develop a model for future transdisciplinary team building.

Main Methods:

• Literature review and analysis of existing institutional data.
• Quantitative mixed-methods study on team dynamics, collaboration, and outcomes.
• Qualitative study to further assess team interactions.

Main Results:

• Positive association found between team interactions and scholarly products.
• Approximate doubling of COM National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding over four years.
• Development of a process for building effective transdisciplinary teams.

Conclusions:

• A structured, team-based model with clear criteria enhances research productivity.
• The developed process can guide leadership in forming successful transdisciplinary teams.
• This model is applicable across university research, education, and service initiatives.