title: Evaluating Academic Scientists Collaborating in Team-Based Research: A Proposed Framework.
abstract: Criteria for evaluating faculty are traditionally based on a triad of scholarship, teaching, and service. Research scholarship is often measured by first or senior authorship on peer-reviewed scientific publications and being principal investigator on extramural grants. Yet scientific innovation increasingly requires collective rather than individual creativity, which traditional measures of achievement were not designed to capture and, thus, devalue. The authors propose a simple, flexible framework for evaluating team scientists that includes both quantitative and qualitative assessments. An approach for documenting contributions of team scientists in team-based scholarship, nontraditional education, and specialized service activities is also outlined. Although biostatisticians are used for illustration, the approach is generalizable to team scientists in other disciplines.The authors offer three key recommendations to members of institutional promotion committees, department chairs, and others evaluating team scientists. First, contributions to team-based scholarship and specialized contributions to education and service need to be assessed and given appropriate and substantial weight. Second, evaluations must be founded on well-articulated criteria for assessing the stature and accomplishments of team scientists. Finally, mechanisms for collecting evaluative data must be developed and implemented at the institutional level. Without these three essentials, contributions of team scientists will continue to be undervalued in the academic environment.
authors.affiliation: M. Mazumdar was professor and chief, Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, Weill Cornell Medical College, and director, Research Design and Biostatistics Core, Clinical and Translational Sciences Center, New York, New York, at the time this article was written. She is currently director, Institute of Healthcare Delivery Science, Mount Sinai Health System, New York, New York.S. Messinger is associate professor, Division of Biostatistics, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, and director, Research Design and Biostatistics Core, Miami Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute, Miami, Florida.D.M. Finkelstein is professor of medicine (biostatistics), Harvard Medical School, and Department of Biostatistics, Harvard School of Public Health, and chief, Biostatistics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.J.D. Goldberg is professor of biostatistics, Departments of Population Health and Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, and director, Study Design, Biostatistics, and Clinical Research Ethics Program, NYU-HHC Clinical and Translational Science Institute, New York, New York.C.J. Lindsell is professor and vice chair, Department of Emergency Medicine, associate dean for clinical research, College of Medicine, and codirector, Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Research Design, Center for Clinical and Translational Science and Training, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio.S.C. Morton is professor and chair, Department of Biostatistics, Graduate School of Public Health, and director, Comparative Effectiveness Research Core, Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.B.H. Pollock was professor and director, Division of Clinical and Translational Sciences, Department of Internal Medicine, professor, Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Research Design, and director, Informatics, Institute for t
authors.forename: Madhu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mazumdar
authors.forename: Shari
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Messinger
authors.forename: Dianne M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Finkelstein
authors.forename: Judith D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Goldberg
authors.forename: Christopher J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Lindsell
authors.forename: Sally C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Morton
authors.forename: Brad H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Pollock
authors.forename: Mohammad H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Rahbar
authors.forename: Leah J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Welty
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Parker
mesh_terms: D000046:Academic Medical Centers; D001319:Authorship; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D004650:Employee Performance Appraisal; D005178:Faculty / Q000592:standards; D005180:Faculty, Medical / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D012106:Research; D013663:Teaching