The Office of Knowledge Enterprise has launched the Building Innovative Interdisciplinary Groups and Collaborations program to help facilitate connections across the university and provide a foundation for success. BIIG Collaborations is a series of activities designed to provide faculty with the resources and support needed to establish and cultivate collaborations across disciplines, and explore innovative research questions.
“Many of our most complex issues are solved when we bring different expertise and viewpoints together to focus on solutions together,” says Julie P. Martin, associate vice president for research talent and team development in OKE. “Even though faculty can achieve more when working in interdisciplinary teams, it’s not always easy to meet people outside their department or to learn to work together effectively when you speak different research languages. BIIG Collaborations supports our faculty by facilitating connections around emergent themes and fostering new team development through a team science approach.” The first year of the program will focus on biotechnology and STEM education and workforce development.
BIIG Collaborations kicks off with two events developed in conjunction with The STEAM Factory to begin to forge collaborative interdisciplinary teams seeking to innovate around a common research theme. BIIG Collaborations @ The STEAM Factory includes a biotechnology-focused session on October 11 from 3 – 5 p.m. and a STEM education/workforce development session on October 12 from 3 – 5 p.m. These inclusive gatherings are designed to provide faculty with an entertaining and engaging forum that facilitates connections through facilitated networking and focused engagement activities.
Also a part of BIIG Collaborations, the Interdisciplinary Innovation Team Development Awards can provide up to $5,000 to further define and refine budding interdisciplinary collaborations that are poised to tackle complex problems. These funds can be used to support planning meetings, presentations and interactions with funding agencies – activities that help the team coalesce around their idea. These teams will also have access to team development resources, including workshops with a team science expert to help enhance and shape the strategic funding potential of their ideas.
“We designed BIIG Collaborations to help spark ideas into action, all the while providing support and encouragement along the way,” added Martin. “We can’t wait to see what blossoms from these initial collaborations.”
As part of the Enterprise for Research, Innovation and Knowledge (ERIK), the Office of Knowledge Enterprise supports and empowers researchers in both curiosity-driven and large-scale convergence research and creative expression through programs that develop research teams and talent and strategically grow and diversify Ohio State's research portfolio.