Ensuring faculty success to advance biomedical science research

Vanderbilt University, Nashville TN

Investigators

Abstract

Numerous challenges may impede the research success and productivity of early and mid-career faculty. Faculty research productivity is closely intertwined with psychological stability. Factors such as support, mentoring, professional networking to forge collaborations, and a satisfactory work-life balance are associated with improving faculty stability. There are several programs largely focused on increasing the pipeline from undergraduate to graduate and post-doctoral scholars, leaving a gap in the training and mentoring needs of new and mid-career tenure-track faculty that require training and mentorship to enhance scholarly productivity and achieve success in grant writing in biomedical research. The overarching goal of the Faculty ACCESS Program is to provide early and mid-career faculty with tools and resources necessary to be successful biomedical scientific leaders. The objectives are 1) To provide programming and mentoring for early and mid-career faculty that focuses on skill building to increase rigorous research productivity, 2) To provide targeted training in grant-writing to increase NIH grant submissions, 3) To provide a network of funded senior faculty mentors to enhance social and tangible support for trainee participants. Expected outcomes of the Faculty ACCESS Program are to facilitate skill development in rigorous research to increase publication outputs, increase NIH grant submissions and resubmissions, better prepared faculty for promotion and tenure processes. The overarching goal is to facilitate success of faculty and increase retention in the biomedical research field.