Workshops and Coaching to Foster Career Skills in Newly Funded NIDDK Scholars

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PROJECT SUMMARY ABSTRACT: The broad goal of the University of Miami's Advanced Workshops and Coaching Network (AWACN) is to enhance the stage-specific career development skills of newly funded, underrepresented minority NIDDK researchers at the postdoctoral and junior faculty levels. Continued development of professional skills will foster early career success and lay the foundation for a strong and rewarding career in academic research. Program scholars will participate in a 3-day workshop hosted by the University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine. Workshop curricula will be determined by pre-workshop needs assessment surveys allowing each workshop to target needs of the scholar cohort and avoid overlap with strong programs at the scholars' home institutions. Workshops will include didactic instruction, experiential activities and provide scholars with tangible outputs. All workshops will be led by NIDDK-funded researchers at the University of Miami, or faculty with expertise in transferable skills development. The latter will include effective negotiation tactics, strategies to combat microaggression, and work/life balance. During the workshop each scholar will also meet their two coaches, who, over the next two years, will provide guidance and support to the scholar. Coaches are all University of Miami faculty with current research funded by NIDDK and who are trained mentors. One coach will match the research type of the scholar (basic science, translational, or clinical research) and the other coach will provide a broader perspective (e.g. a translational scientist will bring experience in moving basic science discoveries into potential therapies). Coaches will meet remotely with their scholars approximately once a month by phone or video conference to provide guidance on topics of the scholar's choice. Coaches will also strongly promote the scholar's engagement in productive, substantive collaborations that lead to joint publications that then support their recognition in their field and promote their career progression. The effectiveness of the workshops (Aim 1) and extended coaching (Aim 2) will be evaluated using a outcome logic model. This model will assess the effectiveness of the program components and resources on the scholars' career progression and satisfaction. The evaluation process will also address whether an external workshop program and/or coaching network can enhance career development programs at the home institution, and if present, counteract negative aspects of the home institution's working environment. Dissemination of course content and anonymized results will include publication on a dedicated website and publication of a peer-reviewed manuscript. Evaluation and dissemination will be strengthened by working with the NIDDK Program Scientist collaborating on the project, and the Steering Committee of Program Directors from all funded programs under RFA-DK-22-002 to administer a common evaulation strategy and combine data from all programs into a comprehensive analysis and publication describing these results.