Discussion Paper
Interdisciplinary Health Research Team Training
Introduction to the Discussion Paper from the co-authors
Meghan, Lavinia, Carol, and I came together from very different worlds in health research to consider our academic futures and the nature of our respective training experiences within the context of Alberta’s changing context for health research. The process of writing the paper helped each of us think about the differences in our backgrounds and perspectives, right down to the variations in how we each thought of disciplines and what interdisciplinary research really meant. In spite of these differences, the recommendations in this work, particularly those for students, emerged from our common experiences both of what has been of value in our respective training programs as well as what we thought has been missing. The experience of working with one another reinforced our belief that preparation for work on interdisciplinary research teams can best be obtained through experiential learning, and that such experiences should be available to all grad students, particularly those with an interest in interdisciplinary research.
- Katherine Duthie, MA
School of Public Health
University of Alberta
Please find the link here for the discussion paper on Interdisciplinary Health Research Team Training.
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Comments
From: Brenneis, Fraser
Sent: April 10, 2010
Subject: RE: Discussion Paper on Interdisciplinary Research Team Training
Thank you for sending the Discussion Paper. It was both informative and thought provoking.
May I share it with the Associate Deans in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry at the U of A with education as a specific focus?
They may find it interesting and informative as well.
Fraser
Fraser R Brenneis MD CCFP FCFP, Vice Dean Education
Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, 2J2.07 WMHSC, University of Alberta
From: Babiuk, Lorne
Sent: April 11, 2010
Subject: RE: Discussion Paper on Interdisciplinary Research Team Training
Congratulations on a great document. If there is anything you want me to do to move this along please let me know.
Lorne A Babiuk
From: Magnan, Jacques
Sent: April 14, 2010
Subject: RE: Discussion Paper on Interdisciplinary Research Team Training
Thanks for the document.
The issue of graduate education is indeed a big one as we move forward in our own planning, and that of the Alberta Innovates system as a whole.
The big question for me is one of timing all these further consultations that we need to do on various aspects of our strategic planning. We just have too many processes already moving forward (including Cancer Legacy funding that has just landed here as well) to embark on preparing for a separate one on graduate training during the Spring time. I’m running out of time, staff and, frankly, energy for adding yet another layer of discussions to our activities.
Let me get through our next Board meeting (April 26) and this might provide some additional clarity of processes and potentially open a window, but if not, this may have to wait its turn in the queue and be pushed back to the operationalization phase of our planning (which may be late Summer early Fall).
Jacques
From: van der Hoorn, Frans
Sent: April 16, 2010
Subject: RE: Discussion Paper on Interdisciplinary Research Team Training
Thanks for sending this interesting document. This contributes very well to the management of overall changes we will be seeing, affecting all levels of trainees and all faculty members. Of course, we need to realize that only a rather small cohort of graduate students will find themselves in academia after graduation, and this needs to be incorporated: those moving to business already always experienced a lack of preparation during grad school for team work, and focused approaches. I will distribute this to the graduate program directors of our grad programs, and we will have a discussion about it.
Frans
Frans A. van der Hoorn, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Graduate Science Education)
Professor of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Faculty of Medicine
tel: 403–220-5712
fax: 403–210-8109
More comments to be posted shortly