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?
Related Resouces
See all Established Researcher resources
Create a group charter or lab book
Clarify expectations, values, and ways of working in your group to save time, reduce friction, and support inclusion, creativity and good research practice.
Effective induction practices – from the Academic’s Success Guide
Get induction right from the start, helping new staff and students settle in quickly and efficiently, with a clear understanding of expectations.
Learn from a case study of effective coordination of a multi-site research consortium
See, in practice, how one consortium structured governance, infrastructure, and coordination of six organisations.
Peer Discussion Guide: Putting your energy where it matters
This guide curates a small selection of related resources and offers a light structure for reflection and conversation.
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