On Soloists, Symphonies, and Transdisciplinary Research

摘要

There is little dispute about the benefits and importance of scientific research to the prosperity and competitiveness of the United States. It may be less apparent, however, that some of the greatest scientific achievements, such as magnetic resonance imaging and the sequencing of the human genome, were born out of the integration of new knowledge, methodologies, and technologies from multiple disciplines. They thrived because of productive collaboration between federal agencies, universities and the commercial sector. A new report from the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, ARISE 2: Unleashing America's Research & Innovation Enterprise, proposes that addressing the complex problems facing today's societies will require even greater integration of scientific and technologic disciplines and better alignment of resources from government, academia, and industry. The success of the U.S. scientific research enterprise has created unprecedented opportunities to foster such integration, yet cultural and organizational barriers obstruct deeper collaboration and stifle American innovation.