Infectious Diseases and Allergy Scientific Education and Outreach

National Institute Of Allergy And Infectious Diseases

Investigators

Abstract

The Office of Training and Diversity (OTD) serves the Division of Intramural Research (DIR) trainees in all programs, including the Postdoctoral, Visiting and Clinical Fellows; Postbaccalaureates; graduate students; and students participating in the Summer Internship Program in Biomedical Research. Outreach and recruitment are also key endeavors, with the goal of recruiting outstanding, competitive candidates for DIR training positions. [unreadable] [unreadable] In FY 2008, the OTD office moved to a more central campus location within Building 10, making the staff and programs more accessible to trainees and mentors. The new location provided space for small and large group meetings, and facilitated the development of a resource library. OTD infrastructure was strengthened by utilizing the Project Management Plan (PMP) system for all projects. Whereas this approach demanded an initial time investment on the part of all team members, established PMPs insure the continuity and timeliness of projects, improve communication among team members, and foster more accurate evaluations.[unreadable] [unreadable] OTD programmatic offerings were expanded again this year. Two new major initiatives focused on the postdoctoral fellow population. One was the development of an Orientation Program for incoming fellows. This included developing an orientation booklet and orientation session. The orientation booklet was created by OTD staff and pre-tested by postdoc fellows and principal investigators. The orientation session introduced fellows to DIR branch representatives with whom they interface during their training. It also included an explanation of the OTD services which fellows can expect. The orientation session was offered quarterly. The orientation booklet was distributed to incoming fellows during these sessions. [unreadable] [unreadable] The second major initiative was the development of K22 Grant Writing Seminars (Introduction to the K Grant; and Grant-Writing: A Practical Guide) and individual help sessions. The goal was to increase the participation and success rate of DIR fellows in obtaining grants for academic positions. Multiple seminars and individual sessions were held throughout the year.[unreadable] [unreadable] OTD continued to manage three annual programs: NIAIDs Annual Fellows Retreat; Intramural NIAID Research Opportunities (INRO); and the Summer Internship Program in Biomedical Research.[unreadable] [unreadable] The Second Annual Fellows Retreat was held at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. This was the first time the retreat was held off campus. The retreat was planned by the NIAID Fellows Retreat Committee, which included representatives from most of the labs in Maryland and Montana. The theme of the retreat was Career Development. Dave Jensen, the nationally recognized founder and chief executive officer of CareerTrax, Inc., an executive search firm working in the life sciences, was the keynote speaker. Nineteen distinguished speakers from diverse scientific career paths shared their expertise in plenary sessions, mentoring sessions, and workshops. An unprecedented 219 NIAID fellows participated, including 25 fellows who traveled from the Rocky Mountain Laboratories in Hamilton, Montana. The NIH Record published a report of the retreat.[unreadable] [unreadable] Intramural NIAID Research Opportunities (INRO) is NIAIDs centerpiece for outreach to populations underrepresented in biomedical research. Following a nationwide search, 21 talented students were selected to attend the annual 4-day program of scientific lectures, lab tours and interviews for potential training positions. The visiting students also interacted informally with researchers and current trainees. Several former trainees returned to attend INRO and their input was valuable to INRO students and current trainees alike. INRO 2008 was the sixth year of the program, and was notable for the percentage of students who accepted training positions. By the end of the fiscal year, over fifty percent of the INRO participants had returned to NIAID for training as a postdoc, postbac or summer intern, compared with forty percent in past years. The NIH Record published an article about INRO 2008.[unreadable] [unreadable] The 2008 Summer Internship Program in Biomedical Research was again fully subscribed, with students coming from around the country to work in DIR labs for 8 to 12 weeks. One third of the interns presented their research at the annual NIH Summer Intern Poster Day.[unreadable] [unreadable] Several ongoing OTD projects which support the Institutes diversity mission were continued this year: the Sponsorship Program; the Brown Bag Lunch Series; and the Tracking Project. Competitive trainees were again sponsored by OTD, which included stipend, health insurance and one FAES course. This program was fully subscribed in 2008, with nearly 30 trainees being sponsored as postdocs or postbacs. The Brown Bag Lunch Series was held monthly, and provided the sponsored trainees an opportunity to discuss scientific issues informally with guest mentors and to network. The Tracking Project keeps in touch with former trainees as they move to their next educational or employment positions. Tracking the career paths of DIRs minority trainees permits the evaluation of NIAIDs success in creating a more diverse biomedical research workforce. It also allows OTD to provide former trainees information about NIAID opportunities and resources, and to enlist them as ambassadors for OTD programmatic outreach. As a result of tracking OTDs large cadre of former trainees still in the research pipeline, NIAID is well positioned to meet its diversity goals in the near future by recruiting these young researchers back to the Institute as research positions become available.