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Report from the field: Promoting interdisciplinary research in a college of public health
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
Shana Geary,
Community and Family Health & Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
Carla L. VandeWeerd, PhD,
Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
Ellen Daley, PhD, MPH,
Department of Community and Family Health, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
Hamisu Salihu, MD, PhD,
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of South Florida, College of Public Health, Tampa, FL
Jaime Corvin, PhD, MSPH,
Department of Global Health, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
Azliyati Azizan, PhD,
Global Health, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
Wilbur Milhous, PhD,
Global Health, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
Interdisciplinary research has become critical to the success of translational research programs in public health. This approach organizes efforts around the problem and promotes meaningful analytic strategies. Researchers can be deterred from participating in interdisciplinary research (IR) due to the division of awarded funds among the IR team. Environments that do not encourage interdisciplinary relationships stifle efforts to conduct IR. Successful IR at the university level requires administrative support. The University of South Florida’s College of Public Health (COPH) developed an internal funding program to promote and assist with the initiation of IR. The program awarded $100,000 to 7 novel projects. An evaluation of the return on investment was conducted to establish the program’s success. Qualtrics surveys were used to determine the number of publications, external grants, conference presentations and other outcomes resulting from the college’s positive expenditure. From the COPH’s initial $700,000 investment, the program resulted in 13 publications, 26 conference presentations, and 9 external grants totaling over $3 million. Through establishing internal funding programs that enable IR, universities and researchers can explore innovative research areas resulting in substantial returns to the university and ongoing research projects.
Learning Areas:
Administration, management, leadership
Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Other professions or practice related to public health
Public health or related organizational policy, standards, or other guidelines
Public health or related research
Learning Objectives:
Compare the benefits and difficulties of interdisciplinary research.
Identify ways in which internal funding programs can promote interdisciplinary relationships.
Assess the return on investment of supporting interdisciplinary research through internal funding programs.
Keyword(s): Public Health Research
Presenting author's disclosure statement:Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been the graduate assistant for the College of Public Health's Office of Research in charge of developing and analyzing a survey given to the recipients of the Interdisciplinary Research Development Grant. The purpose of the survey was to determine the Return on Investment of this internal awards program. From these results I have been working with the Research Team to write a Field Report for publication on the outcomes of the internal funding.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines,
and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed
in my presentation.
