This practical guide to big team science by Baumgartner HA et al. is particularly helpful for researchers beginning to work in larger collaborations that need more deliberate leadership than a small project team. It addresses issues such as leadership, governance, team design, communication, decision-making, collaborative writing, and infrastructure. For established researchers stepping into more flexible leadership positions, the value of the guide is that it treats leadership as a set of practices rather than simply a formal role, helping you create structures that allow collaboration to scale up without becoming fragmented.
- Covers the full range of leadership challenges in large collaborations, from governance design to day-to-day coordination
- Helps researchers think about how to distribute leadership and maintain momentum across a wider group
- Practical and applicable to UK multi-partner and multi-site research contexts
What will you take forward?
One thing to consider: Which part of your current leadership approach would need to change if your project team doubled in size or complexity over the next year?
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