Team Research Forum
UC Davis’s Team Research Forum is an example of an event that organizations can host to encourage dialogue about the nature of Highly Integrative Basic And Responsive (HIBAR) research projects, to showcase projects that highlight their value, and to identify new opportunities for cross-sectoral co-production that leverage the strengths of the organization.
What is the Team Research Forum?
UC Davis uses the Team Research Forum to encourage new interdisciplinary collaborations among researchers within the campus research community. A goal of the forum is to identify “unusual pairings”, so speakers are challenged to think of the forum as a way to showcase the impact of their research rather than focusing on the technical aspects and to present it in a way that invites discussion with members of the research community with whom they do not typically engage. and topics are often selected because they are of broad interest across campus. The presentations are non-technical and presenters are encouraged to focus on the “edge” of their research – not just to report on the work that they have done but to describe where they are aiming to go with their research and the types of expertise that the work requires.
All members of the campus research community – faculty, students, and staff – are welcomed to participate in the forum. It runs on a regular basis – typically every 2- 3 weeks, and always on Fridays at 10:30am for one hour via Zoom. UC Davis has found that once the standard operating structure was set up, it is fairly straightforward to run the series on a regular basis. It requires some ongoing effort to select appropriate topics and prepare speakers well.
As an example, in May 2022 UC Davis and the HIBAR Research Alliance co-hosted a Team Research Forum focused on HIBAR research, as a way of introducing HRA activities to members of the UC Davis research community. This 1-hour event began with a short presentation by members of the HIBAR Research Alliance leadership team describing the key characteristics of HIBAR research, and it featured presentations and a Q&A session by three Davis faculty members describing a wide range of HIBAR projects currently underway at UC Davis. This particularly forum was not intended to focus deeply on co-leadership and shared decision-making, but it was an effective preliminary event to develop awareness of HIBAR research and its value among the UC Davis research community.
This strategic action can encourage cross-sectoral co-leadership and shared decision-making:
- by promoting dialogue on HIBAR research by raising awareness of its value, particularly through cross-sectoral co-leadership and shared decision-making;
- by highlighting inspiring HIBAR projects by having research teams co-present, sharing both benefits and challenges of cross-sectoral collaboration; and
- by exploring new cross-sectoral opportunities by broadening participation, encouraging discussions on societal challenges, and fostering engagement across unusual pairings of academia and non-academic sectors.
This strategic action directly contributes to various common institutional priorities, including:
HIBAR projects enable university-based researchers and non-academic researchers and practitioners to work together on projects that strengthening commitment to research excellence and also greatly accelerate progress toward solving society’s critical problems, since co-produced research outcomes are more likely to be translated to benefit society in the long term.
HIBAR projects involve deep partnerships with individuals in external organizations, often in locally-based industries, governments, non-profits, and communities. This inclusion helps build long-lasting relationships with people and organizations holding diverse knowledge and perspectives, and increases future community-engaged activities and solutions.
The integrative cross-sectoral decision-making within a HIBAR project accelerates knowledge creation and generates better and faster solutions toward society’s critical problems. This strengthens a university’s relationships with non-academic organizations, and increases future opportunities to identify and contribute to solving societal challenges.
Learn more about the Team Research Forum
