This report, published in March 2016, examined the current incentives and disincentives for individual researchers participating in ‘team science’, and how to improve reward and recognition for their contributions.
'Team science’ is becoming increasingly common across all fields of research. Teams spanning different specialties and geographical centres are often needed to tackle contemporary research questions in biomedical science. However, current recognition frameworks do not always adequately capture or celebrate individuals’ contributions to team science projects.
In 2018, two years on from the launch of the original team science report, the Academy held a follow-up workshop to assess progress made's against the report's recomendations. See the Follow-up work tab for further details.
This project aimed to understand the current incentives and disincentives for researchers participating – or considering participation – in ‘team science’. As part of this process, we looked at how individuals can be appropriately rewarded and recognised for their contributions when working as part of a team.
As part of this, the Academy of Medical Sciences conducted an independent study into these issues to inform future policy within and beyond the UK. The study was led by an expert Working Group, and particularly engaged with researchers, publishers, employers and funders - including those funders undertaking research assessment exercises.
The Working Group collected written evidence in late 2014 and engaged with a wide range of stakeholder groups to develop the conclusions and policy recommendations in the report, which was published in March 2016. The scope of the original 2016 team science report was:
To define the drivers of, and barriers to, the growth of ‘team science’.
To explore and define the benefits and challenges to individual biomedical researchers and to the wider research community of participating in ‘team science’.
To explore how reward and recognition is allocated for individual biomedical researchers participating in ‘team science’, particularly amongst earlier career researchers, and to define any barriers to sufficient recognition.
To make recommendations that address these challenges and barriers.
The recommendations will aim to catalyse the development and establishment of processes to generate and use evidence of individual researchers’ contributions to team science projects, particularly with regards to their career progression. This will involve influencing the behaviour of researchers themselves, as well as the policy and practice in publishers, employers and funders – including those funders undertaking research assessment exercises.
For the purposes of this project, 'team science' is defined as any team-based research involving two or more research groups (even if they are all within the same institution) that aims to result in an academic publication or other research output.
Working Group Members
Professor Anne Ridley FRS FMedSci (Chair) Professor of Cell Biology, King's College London
Dr Mark Bass Lecturer, University of Sheffield
Professor Buzz Baum Professor of Cell Biology, University College London
Professor Robert Burgoyne FMedSci Executive Pro-Vice Chancellor for Health and Life Sciences, University of Liverpool
Professor David Dunger FMedSci Professor of Paediatrics, University of Cambridge
Professor John Fisher CBE FREng FMedSci Deputy Vice Chancellor, Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Director of the Institute of Medical & Biological Engineering, University of Leeds
Dr Amy Foulkes MRC Clinical Research Training Fellow, University of Manchester (until mid 2015)
Professor Philippa Saunders FMedSci Dean of Postgraduate Research in the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, University of Edinburgh
Professor Caroline Savage FMedSci VP and Head Experimental Medicine Unit, Immuno-Inflammation Therapeutic Area, GlaxoSmithKline
Professor Eleftheria Zeggini Group leader - Analytical genomics of complex traits, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Cambridge
The team science report was launched in March 2016. To read the comments of the Working Group on the report, visit this news story.
We also wanted to celebrate the project launch by finding out what team science looks really looks like through a #MyTeamScience image competition.
We asked researchers to create and send us their best image representing their research team using Twitter (#MyTeamScience), for a chance to win £1000 of Virgin Experience vouchers to treat their team to some quality team-building fun.
In March 2016, the Academy of Medical Sciences published a working group report on ‘Improving recognition of team science contributions in biomedical research careers’. Two years on, we brought together key stakeholders to take stock of the progress and identify the existing challenges and opportunities surrounding team science, in addition to providing a platform to identify opportunities to best support team science for the future.
May 2018. This free careers event for early career researchers was designed to enable biomedical and health researchers to seize opportunities to work collaboratively, through workshops, discussion and presentations of the latest team science research.
June 2018. This stakeholder workshop brought together key stakeholders and original Working Group members to assess the state of team science, two years on from the original report. A full report of the workshop can be found in the follow-up report tab.
This blog from our Policy Officer Dr Amy Slater highlights tools and platforms that can support early career researchers in getting acknowledged and gaining credit for their work in team science projects
The team science two year follow-up report was launched in February 2019. A news story from the Chair of the 2016 Team Science report, Professor Anne Ridley FRS FMedSci outlines some of the progress made so far, whilst calling stakeholders to maintain this momemtum to maximise change.
Follow #TeamScience to learn more about the report and the Academy's related activity.
Other projects
A new pathway for the regulation and governance of health research