Applying Network Science to Networking at IceLab Days
The annual IceLab Days meeting, organized by the Integrated Science Lab (IceLab), took place on November 13–14 at Skeppsvik Herrgård. The event fostered collaboration among IceLab members and affiliated researchers while strengthening the social and interdisciplinary work culture. This year, IceLab members turned their tools inward, applying network science to visualize current and potential research overlaps.
Bridging Disciplines and Building Connections
IceLab’s mission is to connect researchers across disciplines for the love of launching and landing new ideas. Through initiatives like the IceLab Lunch Pitches, the lab has built a reputation for facilitating spontaneous collaborations. However, what about researchers who aren’t actively seeking collaborations? Rubén Bernardo Madrid, a postdoctoral fellow at IceLab and one of the event organizers, tackled this challenge head-on while designing the program for IceLab Days.
“Many of us are already working on multiple interdisciplinary projects with people outside of IceLab, but there is not as much collaboration within IceLab itself. Our goal was to understand the overlap in current projects within IceLab and to get a better sense of the skills and interests of our members, helping to spark ideas for future collaborations," Rubén explained.
Another priority for the organizers was maintaining IceLab’s unique collaborative culture and flat hierarchy, particularly as IceLab expands through initiatives like Stress Response Modeling at IceLab, a Swedish Research Council-funded excellence center. “Social interaction is one of the most amazing aspects of IceLab. Now that we are growing, we are going to face new challenges, like how we can maintain this same level of connection. Events like this are essential for nurturing those bonds," Rubén added.
Experimenting with Network Science
The centerpiece of the event was an experiment in applying network analysis—a tool many IceLab researchers use in their work-to the researchers themselves. Participants mapped their interests and skills to create a "network of collaboration." Rubén described the process: "We identified topics we’re currently working on and potential areas of interest. Then, we used network analysis tools to visualize existing and possible collaborations in real time."
The results were illuminating. While the exercise successfully identified current research groups, it revealed something unexpected about potential collaborations: "When we explored new topics, we couldn’t form clear groups-everyone seemed interested in everything! This shows incredible potential for collaboration but also highlights the need to refine our approach to identify more targeted partnerships," Rubén observed.
Planning for IceLab’s Future
The event wasn’t only about these professional and personal connections-it also focused on improving IceLab and what activities to hold in 2025. Participants developed an action plan that will be tackled during monthly meetings. Josephine Solowiej-Wedderburn, a postdoctoral researcher and co-organizer, highlighted some outcomes:
"Some of the suggestions we intend to realise are weekly informal exchanges of tools, ideas and challenges; a seminar series featuring the IceLab affiliates; and a series on the science of science with international speakers. The key will be to approach all of these with curiosity and an open mind."
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