2016 AAAS Annual Meeting (February 11-15, 2016)

February 10 - 15, 2016

The Impact of Convergence on Innovation Across Sectoral and Global Boundaries

Solutions to global challenges increasingly depend on research at the intersection of multiple disciplines. Efforts to make medicine personalized, mitigate the effects of climate change, minimize energy disruptions, or feed the growing population will likely rely on continuing advances in life sciences, in concert with informatics, computer science, engineering, chemistry, and physical sciences. Social sciences, humanities, and economics will play significant roles in these solutions, as well. A research approach exemplified by convergence – integration of the knowledge, tools, and ways of thinking from multiple fields to form a comprehensive framework for tackling scientific and societal challenges that exist at interfaces – is becoming a feature of academic and industrial centers and is gaining momentum in Washington and internationally. The convergence approach requires both individuals with deep expertise in one or more areas and broad understanding of others, and new institutional thinking about the structures and partnerships that facilitate convergent research projects. The session features leaders from academia and industry who are thinking about how to take advantage of the opportunities enabled by convergence, in the US and globally. This discussion builds on recent reports that explore integration across disciplines and also considers the challenging issue of how talent from academia and industry can be effectively connected.