Workshop: Professional Development in Writing and Publication for Early-Stage Underrepresented Faculty at Pembroke, Virginia, August, 2013

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Intellectual merit: The attrition rate for biologists from underrepresented groups is currently highest during the post-doctoral and assistant professor years. Tenure and promotion success to reach senior faculty positions requires sustained research productivity, even at small teaching-centered colleges. As such, virtually all early-stage faculty face the challenge of developing into consistent, creative and productive writers within their discipline. Common barriers to effective scholarly writing include: lack of a supportive community; poor mentorship and training in productive writing habits; and lack of guidance on best strategies for disseminating work. An intensive writing workshop and retreat for early stage faculty from underrepresented groups will develop models for effective publication by drawing on the expertise of editors and reviewers, highly productive senior scientists, and administrators knowledgeable about tenure processes from a range of institutions. Participants will divide their time between panel discussions and informal workshops led by the mentors, and time to work on and receive feedback about a writing project of their own. Additionally, the workshop organizers will collect and disseminate data on both the pitfalls early-stage faculty encounter in effective writing and the most effective strategies identified during the workshop for overcoming those barriers.Broader impacts: Bringing together a diverse group of participants and mentors who encompass the full range of scholarly publication experience will build a more diverse community of biologists who may support each other in attaining scholarly productivity commiserate with promotion and tenure in a variety of institutional contexts.