Preparing Our Next-Generation Scientific Workforce to Address the Grand Challenges for Social Work

Abstract

AbstractThe 12 Grand Challenges for Social Work make clear the need for a broad new approach for social work to solve complex contemporary social problems. The grand challenges likewise highlight the importance of developing and coordinating a plan to prepare the next generations of social work scholars for high-impact careers that contribute to the identification and implementation of solutions. This paper provides an overview of contemporary trends affecting the scientific enterprise in which our current and emerging scholars operate and within which strong practice, policy, and community-engaged research partnerships must be forged and sustained. We discuss modes of successful transdisciplinary team and translational science and how we expect these new scientific approaches to advance the Grand Challenges for Social Work. We identify the major challenges entailed in this ambitious agenda and highlight strategies for successfully conducting coordinated team science that spans disciplines and extends acr...