Collaborative research gets a health check

摘要

Team science, whereby multiple research groups collaborate on a study, has become increasingly common in biomedical research. Yet the existing means of recognising individuals' efforts and achievements often make contributions hard to gauge. Recognising this problem, the UK's Academy of Medical Sciences has this month launched a project to improve understanding of the issue and to recommend solutions. "Essentially, we have a perception misalignment in science. We have the Nobel prizes, for example, [which tend to go to one or two people-such as Peter Higgs and Francois Englert-for the results of a huge international effort], things like grants, papers, jobs are structured with the lone genius in mind, but most science-all science from a broader perspective-is done in teams", explains Buzz Baum, professor of cell biology at University College London, UK. "And, in some ways, the system is not fair to people working in teams."