Implementation and early outcomes of a team science consultation service: Addressing key challenges in translational research collaborations

Background/objective: Team science, defined as scientific collaboration across disciplines and knowledge domains, has become essential for translational research, yet teams face recurrent challenges that can impede progress and are often difficult to overcome without additional support. We describe the implementation and initial outcomes of our Team Advice and Consultation Service (TACS), a program designed to address team science challenges at a research-intensive academic medical center engaged in translational science across a broad range of disciplines. Methods: Grounded in Knowledge-to-Action framework and Transdisciplinary Innovation theory, TACS provides tailored, case-specific support across the team lifecycle. Results: Through thematic analysis of consultations with seven teams (2023-2024), we identified five recurrent challenge domains: organization/structural complexity, team leadership and management, team dynamics and communication, authorship and credit allocation, and conflict resolution. Conclusion: Findings underscore the value of structured support for team science and provide insights and potential strategies for institutions seeking to implement similar services.