2y2d Fostering Collaboration in the 21st Century Initiative

Vision

Collaboration in the UW of the 21st Century is:

  • team-based
  • supported by multiple models
  • incubated in grassroots initiatives
  • a key component of excellence
  • sustainable

Visioning document
Fostering Collaboration in the 21st Century.

Collaborative work is the key to understanding and solving society’s most pressing issues.  This 2011–2012 priority initiative of the Sustainable Academic Business Plan works to increase and facilitate UW collaborative research, teaching, and learning in order to support broad-based learning and improve our ability as a society to nimbly respond to emerging issues.

Near-term Goals

  • Create a supportive environment for students and faculty to study, teach, and research across boundaries.
    • Improve policies and practices affecting collaboration, such as research centers and joint appointments.
    • Develop infrastructure for collaborative work.
    • Encourage activity that works on solving society's major issues, as identified by 2y2d focus groups.
    • Develop criteria for initial and continued investment in infrastructure that benefits collaborative education and research.

    Outcomes

    • Created Research Centers web site with profiles of self-reported centers at the University of Washington, including including PI, home department, collaborators, and funding.
    • Mapped measures of collaborative activity—including joint appointments, joint courses offered, and types of multiple majors—by school and department, and shared them with the UW campus (see Collaboration Mapping).
    • Published  Guidelines for Establishing Organized Research Units.
    • Guided the Office of Research in developing infrastructure to support large research projects: the Complex Proposals Management Group.
    • Established a working group to make recommendations around collaborative teaching (in partnership with the Teaching & Learning in the 21st Century Initiative working groups).
    • For past outcomes, read the 2010–2011 Initiative Work Summary.

    Next Steps

    • Publish Guidelines and Handbook For New Centers: Establishing a Research Center.
    • Draft best practices for joint appointments, vet with campus groups, and publish.
    • Add increased functionality to the Research Centers web site.
    • Foster community partnerships around 2d areas, problem-based collaborative work.

    Leadership

    Steering Committee and Working Groups