At the same time, observers warn, there are institutional roadblocks to such collaborations. Most universities remain bound by traditional departmental structures for administrative and curricular purposes, including peer review, tenure, and promotion.
Funding agencies, too, have been structurally allied to a discipline-specific academic model, agency officials acknowledge, and have found it difficult to handle collaborative research proposals. But recent government initiatives have begun to address and support this trend in investigation_and if schools don't follow suit, they may find top scientists passing them by, researchers warn.
WAVE OF THE FUTURE: Duke's Mark Rodger says the institutions that will succeed are those that can reorganize themselves.
Institutions are using different strategies to foster these relationships. Some establish interdisciplinary laboratories, centers, or institutes through special programs. Others construct separate buildings wholly dedicated to cross- disciplinary work. Still others sponsor seed grant programs to spur unconventional partnerships among faculty.
Many life scientists point ...
