‘If you can empower others to build connections, you can help build a thriving collaborative ecosystem’

There is a metaphor I use when talking about collaboration. 

I can buy all the ingredients and follow a recipe to bake a cake. But consider what a master baker can do with the same ingredients. They know how minuscule adjustments in temperature, humidity, spice or sugar can make the best cake you’ve ever had. This is also true in academia. It’s the difference between grouping two $100,000 research efforts into one $200,000 research effort – and grouping them together to create a $1 million project. 

The difference is making sure researchers have the right information, support and a collaborative environment. With the right approach, a project can be greater than the sum of its parts. 

Four years ago, the University of Alberta (U of A) embarked on a new journey. The idea was simple in principle: group similar faculties together into colleges. Foster a streamlined approach, take advantage of economies of scale and, perhaps most importantly, create new opportunities for cross-faculty collaboration.

I am dean of one of these bodies within the U of A: the College of Social Sciences and Humanities (CSSH). This includes the college’s namesake faculties, along with the Alberta School of Business, Faculty of Education and Faculty of Law. 

Finding ways to bring pianists, supply-chain experts, lawyers, anthropologists and others to work, teach and research together is no simple task – but it yields results. 

Here are lessons I’ve learned in my time here.

The art of the possible

Right now, at any given school, there are research efforts, new programmes and all manner of other projects that would benefit from teaming up with each other – but don’t know it. As dean, it’s my job to know what’s going on, to talk and, most importantly, to listen. 

For example, the Fyrefly Institute for Gender and Sexual Diversity, based out of the Faculty of Education, and the eHUB Entrepreneurship Centre, situated in the Alberta School of Business, recently teamed up. At face value, the two groups have pretty different mandates: one focuses on entrepreneurship and the other on supporting members of the LGBTQ+ community. But I knew that the business school was looking to get marginalised groups involved in entrepreneurship and that the Fyrefly Institute wanted to improve the lives of its community members. So, I approached them about connecting. 

The result was a $3 million (£1.7 million) federal research grant. Together, they will build a national research network focused on collecting data to research the entrepreneurship landscape in the LGBTQ+ community, and developing tools to benefit these entrepreneurs. 

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This kind of connection-building requires filling your Rolodex with names, and a deep understanding of what’s going on. Keep an open mind about what’s possible and develop an eye for creative partnerships. 

No one can be everywhere at once, so it’s vital that you foster this mindset in others. Everyone will see different opportunities; and if you can empower others to build connections, you can help build a thriving collaborative ecosystem.

For example, our deans meet regularly to discuss ideas and share updates. From these regular meetings came our recent production, the SSH Podcast, which showcases research activities that happen across the college.

Leverage senior staff and faculty

In some form or another, collaboration is already happening at your institution. It’s not our job to reinvent this wheel. Rather, we should find out what’s been working and what can be improved. 

Senior scholars are a great source of knowledge here – many know all too well the challenges inherent in cross-faculty collaboration. But first, you must gain their trust. Reassure them that you value their opinions, that you aren’t going to force collaborations on them, that you’re not interested in taking credit for their work – or any of their grant money. And, of course, listen to how you can help them achieve their goals. 

To build trust, advocate on their behalf. 

Sometimes in interdisciplinary work, people think they must add a social scientist to “check a box”. But it’s much more than that. 

An example of this is the funding stream, New Frontiers in Research, geared towards interdisciplinary research. The CSSH advocated for research to be truly interdisciplinary. As a result, several recipients have principal investigators or co-principal investigators from the CSSH, and we are already seeing an impact on research projects.

Bring in new points of view

Leverage new scholars who are thinking about novel approaches to collaboration or topics of research and tackling old challenges from new perspectives. Starting them on the path to innovation early in their careers can make a big difference to their work and the university. That said, some of these newer academics may be hesitant when it comes to going outside their disciplines. Or they might not have the time, resources or confidence. 

As administrators, it’s part of our job to help researchers do the cool stuff, without getting bogged down or intimidated by the forms, calendars and other paperwork.

Some of this is, in a very direct sense, finding supports within the university to help them with administrative tasks and making them aware of these tools. The CSSH Office of Research, for instance, offers mentorship and guidance, along with other resources.

The CSSH has several communications channels – such as our newsletters – to help get the word out about our professors’ work. Some newer researchers may be unsure of how to promote their efforts, so this is a great way for them to get exposure. 

That better cake

When I think again about that cake metaphor, the example that comes to mind is the Black-led Research Network Initiative. Housed at the CSSH, the organisation is working to build out a long-term strategy to support Black excellence in research. The group has collaborated with colleges across the university, and U of A research with Black principal investigators has received nearly double the funding it did when the organisation was founded in 2022: from $2.1 million to $4.1 million. 

When smart people work together, amazing things can happen. We are just here to help it along. 

Marvin Washington is dean of the College of Social Sciences and Humanities in the University of Alberta, Canada.