The science of teamwork: Harnessing productivity for impactful collaborations

Hannah Sunderman’s Hatch project examines what makes USDA-funded interdisciplinary scientific collaborations successful.

By Julie Shlisky

Tackling complex problems often requires a blend of varied and unique perspectives, and in scientific research, collaboration across disciplines is increasingly recognized as essential for innovation and far-reaching impact.

Hannah Sunderman, an assistant professor in the School of Agricultural, Leadership, and Community Education, leads a Hatch project examining how scientists from different disciplines work together on USDA-funded collaborative grants. Sunderman and her team are analyzing how often grant teams engage in practices linked to effective teamwork, with the goal of identifying what makes interdisciplinary collaborations successful.

“Interdisciplinary scientific collaboration is dramatically more prevalent now than it was decades ago,” Sunderman said. “It is recognized as essential for innovation.”

The United States leads the world in research and development spending, investing $656 billion in 2019 — three times the amount spent in 2000 and accounting for 27 percent of global research and development expenditures. Sunderman said generating evidence for the experiences and skills that foster authentic, effective interdisciplinary collaboration is crucial for ensuring success and minimizing wasted funds due to mismanagement or conflict.

Building and managing effective interdisciplinary collaborations requires significant time and effort to establish relationships, communicate, and share ideas. While challenging, Sunderman emphasized that investing in these processes is critical to a project’s success.

Sunderman’s team is currently collecting data from USDA-funded interdisciplinary grant teams and continues to identify new teams for their research. The findings are expected to provide practical tools for research teams, funding agencies, universities, and stakeholders to build and manage collaborations more effectively.

The outcomes of the project will also inform training for graduate students, including team needs assessments, intervention strategies, and mentoring skills. Additionally, a multi-institutional, interdisciplinary collaboration focused on team science and science communication is in development.

As the project continues, Sunderman hopes to engage legislators to highlight the importance of interdisciplinary collaborations. She encourages members of the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources research community who are building — or considering building — interdisciplinary collaborations to reach out.

“Effective collaborations start during project development,” Sunderman said. “An investment of time and expertise at the start can offer substantial payoffs in long-term, meaningful success.”