These resources can be used to improve the productivity of any team; however, they may be most effectively applied where the products of teamwork are research proposals, implementation of biomedical projects or processes, or products related to innovation.
Planning for, building, managing, and leading teams
Collaboration and Team Science: A Field Guide. This resource contains examples of many tools including communication plans and conflict resolution plans. The resource has well-developed scenarios to describe both successful and unsuccessful strategies by teams. Available for download at www.cancer.gov: collaboration-team-science-guide.pdf.
Authors: L. Michelle Bennett, Howard Gadlin, and Christophe Marchand. Published by the National Cancer Institute, Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health.
Enhancing the Effectiveness of Team Science (2015). This book highlights research related to characteristics of individuals who comprise teams and the teaming environment, including the influence of institutions and other organizations. There are recommendations on future opportunities, such as virtual collaborations. These results of a consensus study by the National Science Foundation provide information to enhance the effectiveness of collaborative research in science teams, research centers, and institutes: aplu.org/wp-content/uploads/Convergence-Cooke.pdf.
Editors: Nancy J. Cook and Margaret Hilton | Published by the National Research Council of the National Academies
Team Science Toolkit. A searchable repository of collaboration resources (user generated) of all kinds that support the practice of Team Science: cancercontrol.cancer.gov.
Sponsor: National Cancer Institute
Leading and facilitating effective team processes
Leading and Working In Teams. Describes the process of teaming which enables a team to start working together effectively very quickly and psychological safety, which promotes an 'all in' attitude of teams. This video is available through LinkedIn.
Author: Amy Edmonson
How to turn a group of strangers into a team. Provides additional strategies for getting people working quickly on short notice. This video is available through TED.com.
Author: Amy Edmunson
Tools for Productively Managing Conflict. (Zucker, 2012). Journal of Investigative Medicine 60: pp 776-778. This publication contains step by step instructions on how to handle conflict within a team after it has come to the surface.
The Science of Team Science: A Review of the Empirical Evidence and Research Gaps on Collaboration in Science. Hall, et.al, 2018. American Psychologist, 73(4):532-543. This is a review, but it has information useful to 'making the case' for obtaining resources to conduct team science.
Training
COALESCE TeamScience.net. Contains training modules on The Science of Team Science; from the perspectives of the behavioral, or clinical, or biomedical researcher. There are also modules: Stakeholder Dialogue about evidence Based Practice; Shared Decision Making with Individual Clients; Implementation of Evidence-Based Practice; Collaborative Decision Making with Communities. Self-Paced training for individuals.
Other
Though not specifically a Team Science resource, the UNC Ombuds Office exists to have a safe place to discuss any issues and problems that arise from your work with teams. This would include conflicts between individuals; issues arising from involvement from one or more administrative units within which the team is involved.
The NIH Center for Cooperative Resolution is the home of the NIH Ombudsman. Similar to the UNC Ombuds Office, the office provides assistance to members of the NIH community in addressing lab- and work-related issues. The resource describes itself as neutral, independent, confidential, and informal.
