In recent years, federal funding agencies have offered more and larger funding opportunities that encourage collaborative, interdisciplinary research teams to address grand, societal challenges. While faculty have formed interdisciplinary research teams to compete successfully for these large federal grants, relatively little attention has been devoted to ensure that these teams have the necessary skills to function as high-performing teams. In addition, integrating the social, behavioral, biological, natural, and physical sciences is a significant challenge.

Michael O’Rourke, an expert in environmental philosophy and communications, developed the Toolbox Project. Supported by NSF funding, the Toolbox Project was designed to study and facilitate communication in collaborative, cross-disciplinary research and practice. This initiative provides a philosophical yet practical enhancement to cross-disciplinary, collaborative science in the form of a dialogue-based “Toolbox Workshop.” Workshop participants will engage with others in a structured dialogue about their research assumptions to identify and examine dimensions of their collaboration and communication from a philosophical perspective. They will discuss potential disagreements and misunderstandings about fundamental research commitments. The goal is to generate self-awareness and mutual understanding, supplying cross-disciplinary research collaborators with the robust foundation needed for effective collaboration.

Note: This workshop is a repeat of the morning session. Please register for only one session.

To register for this workshop please visit
http://research.unl.edu/events/researchfair.php?eventID=3585