TRANSforming Bio-medical Research & Academic Faculty through Opportunity, TRaining, & Mentorship (TRANSFORM)

Mid-career faculty, experience high rates of burnout and attrition. Despite the National Institutes of Health investment in training biomedical researchers, promotion of mid-career faculty to senior investigators and academic leadership ranks (e.g., Associate and Full Professors, Division Chiefs and Department Chairs) in academic medical institutions remains challenging. The lack of mentorship, protected time due to demanding teaching and clinical responsibilities, and continual investment in professional and leadership development as well as uncertainty of consistent funding contributes to high burnout, decreased satisfaction and attrition of talent from the academy. Despite the promising outcomes of career development programs (CDP) in facilitating early career success, few CPDs intentionally support the needs of mid-career faculty by bolstering their leadership skills and mentoring them to strengthen their psychological safety and self-efficacy, both of which are critical for professional advancement. Our overall objective is to transform the biomedical research workforce by establishing a national CDP that enhances mid-career faculty retention, promotion, and attainment of institutional leadership roles, thereby promoting longevity of academic research careers which is necessary for biomedical research to remain strong and viable. Our proposed TRANSFORM program unites the expertise and educational modalities of five academic institutions committed to training and growing the biomedical research workforce, to recruit and transform mid-career faculty researchers at the cusp of promotion into highly desired candidates for national and institutional leadership positions. By leveraging the AAMC’s annual Mid-Career Faculty Leadership Seminar as the entry point to our program, we will matriculate 20 scholars per year into a yearlong multi-faceted program for mid-career faculty. Our program aims to 1) promote career satisfaction and retention in research careers by strengthening psychological safety and self-efficacy through small group coaching and peer mentoring, 2) increase academic promotion and leadership attainment by providing leadership skills training, 3) accelerate research career trajectories for scholars by providing individualized mentoring and interactive customized career development plans, and 4) build structured opportunities to facilitate institutional innovation, by having scholars complete a collaborative leadership project with an institutional leader (e.g. Division Chief, Dept Chair). Developed with the variety of partnerships necessary to ensure long-term sustainability, our innovative program will increase retention of mid-career faculty and their promotion to senior ranks and leadership roles. Bolstering the ranks of senior researchers will, in turn, aid in the recruitment and mentorship of future researcher, build strong and productive research programs and ultimately transform the biomedical research workforce that can improve the health and healthcare for all.