So you want to develop a training grant?

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So you want to develop a training grant?

• Julie Thompson Klein
• Faculty Fellow for Interdisciplinary Development
  in OVPR
• Professor of Humanities in English

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• 1) Complexity of nature and society
• 2) Problems and questions not confined to one
  discipline
• 3) Societal problems
• 4) Power of new technologies

shared problem domain borrowing tools,
methods, concepts migration of specialists
crossfertilization interdisciplinary traffic
Next Gen factor
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Training the Next Generation of
Transdisciplinarians
Short-Term, Project-Specific Approaches TS
training workshops, training modules,
collaborative readiness audits Longer-range
Modalities curricula (early vs. post
specialization), post doc/grad internships
with multiple mentors, experiential learning,
immersion experience, learning in situ, mutual
learning
Transdisciplinary Training undergraduategt
didactic advanced graduate and postdocgt
apprenticeship and mentoring
Integration in the MIT Complex ... Transdisc
iplinary Orientation/Ethic
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http//research.wayne.edu/idre/Definitions.php
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Transdisciplinary Training Key Components and
Prerequisites for Success
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Transdisciplinary Training Key Components
and Prerequisites for Success
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K. Gebbie, et al., Training for
Interdisciplinary Health Research
Valerie Holt
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Qualities and Outcomes of Doctoral Training
Programs TD Orientation
commitments attitudes beliefs values skills
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Epistemologies reductionist vs. contextualist,
quantitative vs. qualitative, aggregate vs.
individual levels of analysis
Approaches systems thinking, participatory
methods, knowledge management Methods and
Tools stakeholder analysis, conflict
resolution Skills integration, collaboration,
communication, translation Habits reading,
taking courses, and attending meetings outside
primary field frequent meetings and
communication with colleagues from different
disciplines   .
didactics ... pro-seminar ... journals teamwork
... tutorials
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• Examples of toolkits used for training purposes
  include
• (1) Helping trainee to understand uniqueness,
  challenges, and processes of TD training and
  research
• (2) helping trainee to develop some essential TD
  values and skills competencies
• (3) guiding mentors in training TD scientists,
  especially mentors
• who work with trainees outside their own
  primary discipline.
• Examples of toolkits used for evaluation purposes
  include
• (1) audits of training readiness to assess
  presence of TD characteristics in prospective
  trainees
• (2) audits of mentoring readiness for potential
  mentors, and
• (3) assessment methods and measures to monitor
  ongoing processes in
• TD training and to evaluate outcomes.

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MSCI 307 Team Science Northwestern University
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Short Guides to .

• Developing Interdisciplinary Research Proposals
• Reviewing Interdisciplinary Research Proposals
• Building and Managing Interdisciplinary Research
  Teams
• Supervising Interdisciplinary PhDs
• Troubleshooting Common Interdisciplinary Research
  
• Management Challenges
• Designing Interdisciplinary Research for Policy
  and Practice
• Developing Interdisciplinary Strategies for
  Research Groups
• For Funders of Interdisciplinary Research
• Evaluating Interdisciplinary Research
• Leading Interdisciplinary Initiatives
• www.tinyurl.com/idwiki

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Avoiding the Potholes when applying for
interdisciplinary grants

• Pothole 1 Use M, I, T, and C as
  buzzwords.
• Pothole 2 Parrot back the language of the
  grant description.
• Pothole 3 Identify a top-notch group of
  experts.
• Pothole 4 Avoid thinking long-term.
• Pothole 5 Ignore authoritative definitions
  and literature.
• Pothole 6 Create a plan then stick with it.
•  Pothole 7 Worry about assessment and
  evaluation later.
• Pothole 8 Trust that integration,
  collaboration, and communication occur
  naturally and good will prevails.
• Pothole 9 Rely on standard indicators and
  measures.
• Pothole 10 Write a persuasive expository
  essay.

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