Examining and Evaluating Team Science Competencies Through Sensemaking

Over the past 25 years, teams have become the standard for scientific endeavors. Team science is a collaborative and interdisciplinary approach to research that brings together diverse experts to solve problems that cannot be addressed by a single discipline. While disciplinary expertise is crucial, successful innovation in team science also depends on core competencies beyond individual skills. Competencies such as facilitating affect, team communication, managing research, collaborative problem-solving, and team leadership are vital for assessing both team readiness and ongoing competency development. However, evaluating these complex competencies remains a significant challenge for team leaders, members, and evaluators alike. Drawing on sensemaking as a theoretical grounding—emphasizing the adaptive use of experience in new environments—this article proposes a novel, multimodal conceptual model for evaluating team science effectiveness. The model presented offers an alternative approach to assessing these competencies by leveraging diverse observational lenses from the social sciences.