The iPlant Collaborative: Using Case Study Methodology in a Systems-based Framework

Claire Stuebe Barbara Heath

Using Systems Theory

• Systems framework • Eoyang’s CDE model • Case Study use • Wheelan’s Group Development Theory

East Main Educational Consulting ~ www.emeconline.com ~ iPlant systems diagram

East Main Educational Consulting ~ www.emeconline.com ~ Case Study questions • How does an effective interdisciplinary team develop?

• How are people interacting across teams, disciplines, agencies, and geographic space?

East Main Educational Consulting ~ www.emeconline.com ~ Data collection • Virtual meetings • Phone calls • Interviews • Document reviews • Surveys

East Main Educational Consulting ~ www.emeconline.com ~ Community chooses Grand Challenges

• Papers submitted • Board of Directors • Teams are created – G2P (Genotype to Phenotype) – iPToL (Tree of Life)

East Main Educational Consulting ~ www.emeconline.com ~ Genotype to Phenotype goals • Elucidating the relationship between plant genotypes and the resultant phenotypes in complex (e.g., non-constant) environments is one of the foremost challenges in plant biology (NRC, 2008). – To predict altered plant responses is central to studies of plant adaptation, ecological genomics, crop improvement activities (ranging from international to biofuels), physiology (photosynthesis, stress, etc.), plant development, and many many more.

East Main Educational Consulting ~ www.emeconline.com ~ G2P organization (containers)

Steering Committee • Scientific Lead Plant Science Community • Project Coordinator • Universities, agencies • Work group leads and co-leads – Lead – Co-lead Work Groups (5) • Scientific Lead iPlant Staff • Project Coordinator • PI • Leads, co-leads • Scientific Lead • Analysts • Project Coordinator • Analysts Engagement Team • Scientific Lead • Project Coordinator

• Analysts

East Main Educational Consulting ~ www.emeconline.com ~ G2P systems diagram

East Main Educational Consulting ~ www.emeconline.com ~ Collaboration

• Individual

• iPlant institutions (TACC, CSH, UA, etc)

• Across universities and agencies (such as Kansas State, , , and the USDA)

East Main Educational Consulting ~ www.emeconline.com ~ Challenges in collaboration

• Communication – Decisions – Intra team communication – Inter team communication

• Organizational flow – Rules for product completion – Need for more analysts

• Cross disciplines – Speaking the same language

East Main Educational Consulting ~ www.emeconline.com ~ Productivity: how is it going? • Cyber infrastructure – Discovery Environment • a software system for the Grand Challenge team participants – Application Programming Interface • allows software to be connected to iPlant cyber infrastructure – Prototype • used to test API – GLM • allows system to take advantage of high performance computers in different ways

East Main Educational Consulting ~ www.emeconline.com ~ Group Development Stages (Wheelan, 2005) I. Dependency and Inclusion II. Counter-dependency and Fight III. Trust and Structure IV. Work/ Productivity – Small subgroups work on important tasks

(It is important to note that groups can fluctuate between stages.)

East Main Educational Consulting ~ www.emeconline.com ~ Next Steps

• Focus in on challenges • Interdisciplinary • Deploy additional survey

East Main Educational Consulting ~ www.emeconline.com ~ Resources • Eoyang, G.H. (2007). Human Systems Dynamics: Complexity-based Approach to a Complex Evaluation. In Systems Concepts in Evaluation: An Expert Anthology. Bob Williams and Iraj Imam (Eds.) AEA, Point Reyes.

• Wheelan, S. A. (2005) Group Processes: A Developmental Perspective. Boston: Pearson Education.

• Wheelan, S.A. (2010) Creating Effective Teams: A Guide for Members and Leaders. Washington D.C: Sage.

• iPlant Collaborative, www.iplantcollaborative.org

East Main Educational Consulting ~ www.emeconline.com ~ Acknowledgements • Thank you to… – Marketta Ray – Angel Mercer – Jennifer Young

• Contact Information – Claire Stuebe: [email protected] – Barbara Heath: [email protected]

East Main Educational Consulting ~ www.emeconline.com ~