Program for Advancing Early-Career Researcher Excellence through Leadership and Management Practices

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Project Summary Background: Traditional scientific training prepares investigators to conduct scientific research, but does not adequately prepare early-career investigators to lead and manage their own labs. Yet, when early-career researchers launch their independent research laboratories, they are tasked with creating a productive, rigorous, and supportive research environment. Good leadership and management practices can cultivate an effective environment and the success of the lab. Conversely, poor management and leadership can result in high turnover, reduced output, and lapses in scientific rigor and responsible conduct of research. Therefore, education and mentoring is needed to foster leadership and management best practices. Participants and Program Aims: The overall goal of this program, Leadership and Management Practices for Scientists (LAMPS), is to develop a nationally accessible training and mentoring program for early-career faculty researchers launching their independent labs. The program develops essential leadership and management skills and provides practical tools and a personalized Lab Manual. We will apply findings from leadership and management research, utilize novel training and mentoring methods, and engage members of the research community to obtain feedback and encourage their support of LAMPS. The program aims to advance diversity by recruiting and fostering the careers of members of historically underrepresented groups in the biomedical sciences, and by increasing inclusive leadership and mentoring practices among LAMPS scholars. Methods and Evaluation: Over the course of 5 years we will: 1) build an innovative, collaborative digital learning environment to deliver a scientific leadership and management curriculum and scalable mentoring, 2) pilot test and refine the program 3) recruit and provide the program to 100 early-career researchers per year, 4) implement program outreach, dissemination, and sustainability plans, and 5) evaluate all research education program components and track the career development of LAMPS scholars. Team: An outstanding team of experts in industrial-organizational psychology, research ethics, diversity and inclusion, and biology will develop, implement, and evaluate the LAMPS program. Innovation and Impact: The LAMPS program is highly innovative and is grounded in research conducted by our team and effective pedagogical methods. It is informed by relevant biomedical stakeholders and includes a novel approach to peer mentoring for professional development. The novel and scalable digital learning environment will be open to all junior faculty researchers at institutions across the nation. Practical tools related to leadership and management will drive application of best practices in the laboratory, strengthening scholars' ability to conduct impactful research. In turn, LAMPS will create a lasting positive impact in the biomedical research community.