Convergence
_______________________________________
Facilitating Transdisciplinary Integration of
Life Sciences, Physical Sciences,
Engineering, and Beyond
Committee on Key Challenge Areas for Convergence and Health
Board on Life Sciences
Division on Earth and Life Studies
NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
Washington, D.C.
www.nap.edu
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS 500 Fifth Street, NW Washington, DC 20001
NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.
This project was supported by the Raymond and Beverly Sackler Science Fund of the National Academy of Sciences, the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, the Kavli Foundation, Research Corporation for Science Advancement, the National Science Foundation through grant PHY-1353249, the National Institutes of Health through award HHSN263201200074I/HHSN26300047, TO#47, the William R. Kenan, Jr. Institute for Engineering, Technology & Science of North Carolina State University, the Frank Hawkins Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and the Connecticut Institute for Clinical and Translational Science at the University of Connecticut. The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organizations or agencies that provided support for the project.
International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-30151-0
International Standard Book Number-10: 0-309-30151-3
Library of Congress Control Number: 20141940815
Additional copies of this report are available for sale from the National Academies Press, 500 Fifth Street, NW, Keck 360, Washington, DC 20001; (800) 624-6242 or (202) 334-3313; http://www.nap.edu.
Copyright 2014 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America.
Suggested citation: NRC (National Research Council). 2014. Convergence: Facilitating Transdisciplinary Integration of Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, Engineering, and Beyond. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
Advisers to the Nation on Science, Engineering, and Medicine
The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president of the National Academy of Sciences.
The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. C. D. Mote, Jr., is president of the National Academy of Engineering.
The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg is president of the Institute of Medicine.
The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy’s purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone and Dr. C. D. Mote, Jr., are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the National Research Council.
This page intentionally left blank.
COMMITTEE ON KEY CHALLENGE AREAS
FOR CONVERGENCE AND HEALTH
JOSEPH M. DESIMONE (Chair), University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina and North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina
TIMOTHY GALITSKI, Institute for Systems Biology and, recently, EMD Millipore Corporation, Danvers, Massachusetts
JAMES M. GENTILE, Hope College, Holland, Michigan
SHARON C. GLOTZER, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
SUSAN J. HOCKFIELD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
JULIE THOMPSON KLEIN, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan
CATO T. LAURENCIN, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut
CHERRY A. MURRAY, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
MONICA OLVERA DE LA CRUZ, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois
NICHOLAS A. PEPPAS, University of Texas, Austin, Texas
LYNNE J. REGAN, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
J. DAVID ROESSNER, SRI International, Redwood City, California
Staff
KATHERINE BOWMAN, Study Director and Senior Program Officer
CARL G. ANDERSON, Program Associate
LAURENCE YEUNG, Mirzayan Science & Technology Policy Fellow
JOSEPH ALPER, Consulting Science Writer
BOARD ON LIFE SCIENCES
JAMES P. COLLINS (Chair), Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
ENRIQUETA C. BOND, Burroughs Wellcome Fund, Marshall, Virginia
ROGER D. CONE, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
SEAN EDDY, HHMI Janelia Farm Research Campus, Ashburn, Virginia
SARAH C.R. ELGIN, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri
DAVID R. FRANZ, Former CDR USAMRIID, Consultant, Frederick, Maryland
LOUIS J. GROSS, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee
ELIZABETH HEITMAN, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee
JOHN G. HILDEBRAND, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
RICHARD A. JOHNSON, Arnold & Porter, LLC, Washington, D.C.
JUDITH KIMBLE, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin
CATO T. LAURENCIN, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut
ALAN I. LESHNER, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Washington, D.C.
KAREN E. NELSON, J. Craig Venter Institute, Rockville, Maryland
ROBERT M. NEREM, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia
CAMILLE PARMESAN, University of Texas, Austin, Texas
ALISON G. POWER, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
MARGARET RILEY, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts
JANIS C. WEEKS, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon
MARY WOOLLEY, Research!America, Alexandria, Virginia
Staff
FRANCES E. SHARPLES, Director
JO L. HUSBANDS, Scholar/Senior Project Director
JAY B. LABOV, Senior Scientist/Program Director for Biology Education
KATHERINE W. BOWMAN, Senior Program Officer
INDIA HOOK-BARNARD, Senior Program Officer
MARILEE K. SHELTON-DAVENPORT, Senior Program Officer
KEEGAN SAWYER, Program Officer
BETHELHEM M. BANJAW, Financial Associate
ANGELA KOLESNIKOVA, Administrative Assistant
JENNA OGILVIE, Senior Program Assistant
LAUREN SONI, Senior Program Assistant
Preface
The scientific opportunities enabled by convergence—the coming together of insights and approaches from originally distinct fields—will make fundamental contributions in our drive to provide creative solutions to the most difficult problems facing us as a society. This convergence provides power to think beyond usual paradigms and to approach issues informed by many perspectives instead of few. In my own experience, the potential for innovation and successful problem solving becomes greater when we are able to harness the knowledge bases, skill sets, and diversity of experience of individuals in an environment that fosters dialogue and respectful participation by all team members. Ultimately, I believe this will entail partnerships at the intersection not only of the life and medical sciences, physical sciences, computational sciences, and engineering, but also economic, social, and behavioral sciences, arts and humanities disciplines, and beyond, thereby amplifying the potential for innovations of incredible variety and magnitude.
Those who participate in convergent science are excited by the possibilities, but they know how difficult are the challenges to creating and sustaining environments that facilitate it. The present study was undertaken to better understand these challenges and to explore examples of current convergence programs in order to inform investigators and organizations interested in expanding or establishing their own efforts. Beyond this goal, the approach embodied by convergence provides a framework for thinking about the research enterprise and the network of partners that together form the ecosystem that enables science from innovative
research to translational application. Convergence provides us with an opportunity not only to discuss strategies to advance science but also to elevate discussions on how to tackle fundamental structural challenges in our research universities, funding systems, policies, and partnerships.
I was joined in this project by committee members who enthusiastically brought their creativity and knowledge, informed by multiple areas of expertise, to the study, and it has been a great pleasure to work with each of them. We were also fortunate to have the support of the presidents of the three Academies—the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and Institute of Medicine—in supporting a role for the National Research Council to address this topic. The committee’s data-gathering workshop likewise drew on the contributions of scientists from graduate students to senior deans, along with agency, foundation, and industry leaders. Their perspectives were critical to the committee’s thinking and I am grateful for their active engagement. Finally, on behalf of the committee, I want to recognize the dedication of the NRC staff, especially study director Katherine Bowman, who worked alongside us to bring the report to fruition. Their guidance, ideas, and support throughout the process were invaluable.
Bringing together the insights enabled by rapid progress across multiple disciplines has the potential to transform science for the benefit of society. It is the committee’s hope that the report will bring awareness of this convergence to a wider range of audiences and stakeholders and catalyze the systematic efforts necessary to harness its power most effectively.
Joseph M. DeSimone, Chair
Committee on Key Challenge Areas for Convergence and Health
Acknowledgments
This report has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the National Academies’ Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making its published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the process.
We wish to thank the following individuals for their review of this report:
Ann M. Arvin, Stanford University
Michael M. Crow, Arizona State University
Jerry A. Jacobs, University of Pennsylvania
Philip M. Neches, Teradata Corporation
Jack C. Schultz, University of Missouri
Esther S. Takeuchi, Stony Brook University
Although the reviewers listed above have provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations, nor did they see the final draft of the report before its release. The review of this report was overseen by William
H. Press, University of Texas and Robert H. Austin, Princeton University. Appointed by the National Academies, they were responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of this report rests entirely with the authoring committee and the institution.
The committee also thanks all those who participated in the workshop “Key Challenges in the Implementation of Convergence,” held September 16-17, 2013 (Appendix B).
Contents
1.1 A Science and Technology Revolution is Occurring
1.2 Convergence is an Expanded Form of Interdisciplinary Research
1.3 Convergent Thinking is Advancing Science
1.4 Institutions Need Guidance to Foster Convergence Effectively
1.5 Organization of the Report
2.1 A Knowledge Network Will Improve Disease Treatment
2.2 Three Dimensional Printing Will Bring New Healthcare Options
2.3 Convergence Occurs in Federal Agencies: ARPA-E
2.4 Convergence Occurs in Industry: Biotechnology
2.5 Convergence Stimulates the Bio-based Economy
3 CONVERGENCE IS INFORMED BY RESEARCH AREAS WITH BROAD SCOPE
3.2 Many Factors Affect the Success of Integrative and Collaborative Research
3.3 Revising STEM Education Will Facilitate Convergence
3.4 Convergence May Contribute to Understanding Quantification and Reproducibility in Life Sciences
4 FOSTERING CONVERGENCE IN ORGANIZATIONS: CHALLENGES AND STRATEGIES
4.1 Convergence is Facilitated by Depth and Breadth of Expertise
4.2 Diverse Perspectives Support Innovation
4.3 Convergence Requires a Culture and Supporting Structures
4.4 Convergence Intersects with Faculty Structures and Reward Systems
4.5 Facilities and Workspaces Can Be Designed for Convergent Research
4.6 New Education and Training Programs Can Be Developed to Foster Convergence
4.7 Convergence Relies on Effective Partnership Arrangements
4.8 Sustainable Funding is Necessary for Convergence Efforts
4.9 The Convergence Ecosystem Includes Core Elements
5.1 Conclusions and Recommendations
5.2 National Coordination is Needed
A Committee Member Biographies
B Workshop on Key Challenges in the Implementation of Convergence: Agenda and Participants
1-2 Two representations of the process of integration represented by convergence
1-3 The role of research in the convergence–divergence process
2-1 Building a biomedical knowledge network for basic discovery and medicine
2-2 Conceptual model of three dimensional printing for organs and tissues
3-1 Factors influencing the effectiveness of transdisciplinary science initiatives
4-2 The web of faculty interactions created by Bio-X
4-3 The effect of path overlap on research collaboration
TABLES
S-1 Selected Examples of Convergence Institutes that Have Been Established in the United States
S-2 Comparison of Perspectives on Common Challenges Encountered in Fostering Convergence
S-3 Ideas for Fostering Convergence with a Steady State Budget
S-4 Summary of Recommendations
4-1 Comparison of Perspectives on Common Challenges Encountered in Fostering Convergence
4-2 Ideas for Fostering Convergence with a Steady State Budget
