The 'Career MODE' Program: Careers through Mentoring and training in Omics and Data for Early-stage investigators

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PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT The National Academy of Sciences describes the barriers that scientists experience on the path from mentored to independent research as the single most critical threat to the future of biomedical sciences in the United States (US). Women and individuals from marginalized groups face steeper obstacles, particularly in technology-intensive fields such as omic sciences. Despite NIH’s separate grant reviews and paylines, the mean age at which investigators receive their first R01 has continued to climb to an all-time high of 46 years, extending a 35-year negative trend. In parallel, the likelihood of PhD graduates becoming professors has dropped significantly in the last decades, putting the future of biomedical research in the US at risk. To address these challenges, we propose the 'Career MODE' program: Careers through Mentoring and training in Omics and Data for Early-stage investigators to empower diverse cohorts of young researchers across the US—i.e., postdocs in the final years of mentored training and faculty members within two years of their first appointment—to establish independent, successful careers in omics and data sciences. Omics— ranging from genomics to the microbiome—have revolutionized biomedical sciences. As they have become part of any biomedical field, the scarcity of a workforce within each discipline with appropriate omic training has emerged as a critical challenge. We seek to develop an 11-month program to provide intensive training in omics and data science and specialized mentoring from a nationwide, diverse network of 70+ mentors. Career MODE will also feature training in professional skills, including leadership and team management, grant writing, mentoring, goal setting and strategy development, communication and teaching, scientific rigor, transparency, reproducibility, responsible conduct of research, and health equity. By leveraging its nationwide group of mentors and trainees, Career MODE will also offer a structured approach to enhance collaborations and networking, help create teams for breakthrough research projects and K99/R00 and R01-type grant proposals, further career development, and help secure tenure-track positions and faculty promotions. Career MODE will feature hybrid (virtual and in-person) coursework and learning activities (boot camps, roundtables, panels, symposia, observerships), a robust evaluation of each objective, and will generate and disseminate extensive educational material on omics and data science. The program will do outreach to the most promising, motivated, and diverse junior investigators—a group traditionally with limited resources— to create empowered cohorts of scientists to pursue independence through advanced knowledge and tools in omics and data sciences applicable to all biomedical research fields. Thus, our program aligns with NIGMS goals and provides a high return for investment. We will also develop strategies to advance equity and access in omics research and promote Career MODE to academic institutions, sponsors, and stakeholders to reach financial sustainability and self-support beyond the five years of R25 funding.