Fostering Transformative Research in the Geographical Sciences (2019)
Chapter: Front Matter
FOSTERING TRANSFORMATIVE
RESEARCH IN THE
GEOGRAPHICAL SCIENCES
Committee on Identifying Transformative Research in the Geographical Sciences
Geographical Sciences Committee
Board on Earth Sciences and Resources
Division on Earth and Life Studies
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
Washington, DC
www.nap.edu
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS 500 Fifth Street, NW Washington, DC 20001
This activity was supported by Grant No. BCS-1263450 from the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of any organization or agency that provided support for the project.
International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-38934-1
International Standard Book Number-10: 0-309-38934-8
Digital Object Identifier: https://doi.org/10.17226/21881
Additional copies of this publication are available for sale from the National Academies Press, 500 Fifth Street, NW, Keck 360, Washington, DC 20001; (800) 624-6242 or (202) 334-3313; http://www.nap.edu.
Copyright 2019 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America
Suggested citation: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2019. Fostering Transformative Research in the Geographical Sciences. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: https://doi.org/10.17226/21881.
The National Academy of Sciences was established in 1863 by an Act of Congress, signed by President Lincoln, as a private, nongovernmental institution to advise the nation on issues related to science and technology. Members are elected by their peers for outstanding contributions to research. Dr. Marcia McNutt is president.
The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences to bring the practices of engineering to advising the nation. Members are elected by their peers for extraordinary contributions to engineering. Dr. C. D. Mote, Jr., is president.
The National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine) was established in 1970 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences to advise the nation on medical and health issues. Members are elected by their peers for distinguished contributions to medicine and health. Dr. Victor J. Dzau is president.
The three Academies work together as the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation and conduct other activities to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions. The National Academies also encourage education and research, recognize outstanding contributions to knowledge, and increase public understanding in matters of science, engineering, and medicine.
Learn more about the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine at www.nationalacademies.org.
Consensus Study Reports published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine document the evidence-based consensus on the study’s statement of task by an authoring committee of experts. Reports typically include findings, conclusions, and recommendations based on information gathered by the committee and the committee’s deliberations. Each report has been subjected to a rigorous and independent peer-review process and it represents the position of the National Academies on the statement of task.
Proceedings published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine chronicle the presentations and discussions at a workshop, symposium, or other event convened by the National Academies. The statements and opinions contained in proceedings are those of the participants and are not endorsed by other participants, the planning committee, or the National Academies.
For information about other products and activities of the National Academies, please visit www.nationalacademies.org/about/whatwedo.
COMMITTEE ON IDENTIFYING TRANSFORMATIVE RESEARCH IN THE GEOGRAPHICAL SCIENCES
MICHAEL F. GOODCHILD (Chair), University of California, Santa Barbara (emeritus)
AMY K. GLASMEIER, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
GLEN M. MACDONALD, University of California, Los Angeles
Staff
MARK D. LANGE, Study Director
ELIZABETH A. EIDE, Senior Board Director
NICHOLAS D. ROGERS, Financial and Research Associate
ERIC J. EDKIN, Senior Program Assistant
*Staff and affiliations current as of 2015.
GEOGRAPHICAL SCIENCES COMMITTEE
WILLIAM L. GRAF (Chair), University of South Carolina, Columbia
CAROL P. HARDEN (Vice Chair), University of Tennessee, Knoxville
ANTHONY BEBBINGTON, Clark University, Worcester
JOHN A. KELMELIS, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park
SUSANNE C. MOSER, Susanne Moser Research & Consulting, Santa Cruz, California
DAVID R. RAIN, The George Washington University, Washington, DC
Staff
MARK D. LANGE, Program Officer
NICHOLAS D. ROGERS, Financial and Research Associate
ERIC J. EDKIN, Senior Program Assistant
*Staff and affiliations current as of 2015.
BOARD ON EARTH SCIENCES AND RESOURCES
ISABEL P. MONTAÑEZ (Chair), University of California, Davis
ESTELLA A. ATEKWANA, University of Delaware, Newark
BRENDA B. BOWEN, The University of Utah, Salt Lake City
CHRISTOPHER (SCOTT) CAMERON, Geological Consulting, LLC, Houston, Texas
NELIA W. DUNBAR, New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources, Socorro, New Mexico
RODNEY C. EWING, NAE, Stanford University, California
CAROL P. HARDEN, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville
THORNE LAY, NAS, University of California, Santa Cruz
ROBERT L. KLEINBERG, NAE, Institute for Sustainable Energy at Boston University, Massachusetts
ZELMA MAINE-JACKSON, Washington State Department of Ecology, Richland
MICHAEL MANGA, NAS, University of California, Berkeley
MARTIN W. MCCANN, Stanford University, Menlo Park, California
JEFFREY N. RUBIN, Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue, Tigard, Oregon
JAMES A. SLUTZ, National Petroleum Council, Washington, District of Columbia
SHAOWEN WANG, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
ELIZABETH J. WILSON, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire
Staff
ELIZABETH A. EIDE, Director
ANNE M. LINN, Scholar
DEBORAH GLICKSON, Senior Program Officer
SAMMANTHA L. MAGSINO, Senior Program Officer
NICHOLAS D. ROGERS, Financial Associate
COURTNEY R. DEVANE, Administrative Coordinator
ERIC J. EDKIN, Program Coordinator
CARLY BRODY, Senior Program Assistant
RAYMOND (REMY) CHAPPETTA, Senior Program Assistant
*Staff and affiliations current as of 2019.
This page intentionally left blank.
Acknowledgments
This Consensus Study Report was reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in making each published report as sound as possible and to ensure that it meets the institutional standards for quality, objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process.
We thank the following individuals for their review of this report:
ANDREW BAZEMORE, Georgetown University
WILLIAM A. V. CLARK, University of California, Los Angeles
JANET FRANKLIN, Arizona State University
ALYSON GREINER, Oklahoma State University
ED HACKETT, Arizona State University
JOHN KUFPAR, University of South Carolina
JOHN TOWNSHEND, University of Maryland, College Park
MAY YUAN, The University of Texas at Dallas
Although the reviewers listed above provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations of this report nor did they see the final draft before its release. The review of this report was overseen by George M. Hornberger, Vanderbilt University, and Robert B. McMaster, University of Minnesota. They were responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with the standards of the National Academies and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content rests entirely with the authoring committee and the National Academies.
This page intentionally left blank.
Contents
1 WHAT IS TRANSFORMATIVE RESEARCH?
2 RECENT TRANSFORMATIVE INNOVATIONS IN THE GEOGRAPHICAL SCIENCES
Transformative Research and General Models of the Diffusion of Innovation
Case Studies: Invention and Early Innovation
Case Studies: Diffusion and Development
The American System of Knowledge Production: 50 Years in the Making
Research and Development Funding Levels in Decline
The Changing Demographics of the College-Bound Population
Competition in the Global Market for R&D and Higher Education
The Role of Transformative Research
