April 12th: Taking STEPS Toward Convergence Research Success: Sharing a plan and inviting community wisdom

Click here to view the April 12 2022 INTEREACH webinar, where Drs. Christine Ogilvie Hendren, Gail Jones, and Anna-Maria Marshall introduce Convergence Research efforts within STEPS (Science and TEchnologies for Phosphorus Sustainability), an NSF Science and Technology Center funded in October of 2021. STEPS is a convergence research community of diverse researchers who address the complex challenges in phosphorus sustainability - at once a limited, critical nutrient and a harmful, overabundant pollutant - by integrating disciplinary contributions across the physical, life, social, and economic sciences. During the multiple years that led up to the funding of this 9-university, 30+ investigator Center with as many self-identified disciplinary backgrounds, project leaders intentionally included Team Science and convergence expertise within the team, and welcomed evidence-based methods for collaboration and convergence into the fabric of the planning and the culture. Examples include the incorporation of named Boundary Objects, collaboration planning best practices, group commitment to epistemic humility, interdependence, and knowledge co-creation. This team of STEPS investigators shares Center approaches, plans to research themselves in real time, and most importantly, welcomes insight and feedback from the INTEREACH community.