Conference: The past, present, and future of convergence research: Reflections on the Growing Convergence Research program

In this one-year workshop project, the Toolbox Dialogue Initiative (TDI) Center will support the continued advancement of convergence research by gathering, synthesizing, and disseminating information regarding convergence research in the context of the NSF Growing Convergence Research Program and beyond. Convergence research is a complex approach to scientific inquiry that involves deep integration across disciplines to address pressing social and scientific challenges. During the last decade, the number of research teams using convergence research approaches has increased, and interest in convergence research continues to grow. This project will conduct a set of workshops with leaders from convergence research teams to gather information on what has contributed to the success of their projects as well as the obstacles they face. The workshops, together with a synthesis of other available knowledge, will yield new understanding about what makes convergence research teams successful and how best to support them. These outcomes will help present and future research teams develop innovative solutions to complex and societally relevant scientific problems. Findings will be disseminated through a report on the state of convergence research, community convenings, website content, and other mechanisms. The workshops funded by this award will enable TDI Center to collaborate with current and former GCR awardees to learn more about convergence research, the ways in which the GCR program has enabled this research, and any gaps to address moving forward. These workshops will be centered on structured dialogues concerning critical components of convergence research as well as key insights and experiences of the teams doing this work. TDI Center will also conduct research about convergence research as a concept and about the ways it is operationalized within projects by drawing upon recent literature, TDI Center’s own research on the subject, the GCR Lecture Series, and results from other related workshops and meetings. The project will strengthen the GCR program by identifying strengths and gaps in the context of the current state of convergence research in the community. It will also provide helpful information for other research programs and teams interested in convergence research. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.