NIDCR Mentoring Networks for Underrepresented and Early-Career Investigators (Reissue)

September 2023

Research Training and Career Development Branch
Division of Extramural Activities

Goal

The goal of NIDCR Mentoring Networks for Underrepresented and Early-Career Investigators is to facilitate and provide opportunities for structured interactions among investigators (mentors), who are committed to mentoring postdoctoral fellows and junior faculty (mentees) who are underrepresented in the biomedical, behavioral, and social sciences to enhance the mentees’ grant writing skills; professional development; and successful pursuit of dental, oral, and craniofacial (DOC) research careers. NIDCR-funded investigators will engage in mentor training to promote informed approaches to guide the mentees’ professional development. Yearly cohorts of mentees will engage in opportunities for peer mentoring and support. Mentoring activities may include technical expertise, advice, and insight into developing a research career; facilitating scholarly writing and grant writing; promoting successful transitions from one career stage to another; coaching leadership development; helping to identify potential collaborators; and assisting to establish interdisciplinary or translational collaborations to foster research career independence.

Both networking and mentorship offer opportunities to connect individuals beyond their local institutions to promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility among all participants, and provide a forum to exchange ideas and share evidence-informed approaches to improve mentoring relationships and enhance research career progression. As a result of these experiences, the mentees are expected to submit competitive grant applications for independent NIDCR research funding. These achievements will lead to the broadening of the DOC biomedical research workforce and increasing the number of skilled investigators from a wide variety of backgrounds to advance the objectives of the NIDCR Strategic Plan 2021-2026.

Background

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recognizes the need to diversify the scientific workforce by enhancing the participation of individuals from groups identified as underrepresented in the biomedical, clinical, behavioral, and social sciences (collectively termed "biomedical") research workforce. Individuals from all backgrounds deserve equitable opportunities to engage in the biomedical research enterprise to pursue their scientific interests and further their careers. Moreover, diversity at all levels — from the kind of science to the region in which it is conducted, to the backgrounds of the people conducting it — is integral to scientific excellence and strengthens the research enterprise. Research shows that diverse teams working together and capitalizing on innovative ideas and distinct perspectives outperform homogenous teams. Scientists and trainees from diverse backgrounds and life experiences bring different perspectives, creativity, and individual enterprise to address complex scientific problems. There are many benefits that flow from a diverse NIH-supported scientific workforce, including: fostering scientific innovation, enhancing global competitiveness, contributing to robust learning environments, improving the quality of the research, advancing the likelihood that underserved or health disparity populations participate in and benefit from health research, and enhancing public trust.

Although NIH currently provides multiple opportunities to develop research careers and improve participation for individuals from groups underrepresented in the biomedical, behavioral, and social sciences, a report from the NIH Director’s Working Group on Diversity of the Biomedical Research Workforce (WGDBRW) provides evidence that achieving diversity in the biomedical research workforce remains an important problem that must be actively addressed (see the Diversity Biomedical Research Workforce Report). This report examined five key transition points in the biomedical research career pipeline: (i) entry into graduate degree programs; (ii) the transition from graduate degree to postdoctoral fellowship; (iii) the appointment from a postdoctoral position to the first independent scientific position; (iv) the award of the first independent research grant from NIH or equivalent in a non-academic setting; and (v) the award of tenure in an academic position or equivalent in a non-academic setting.

Mentoring/career preparation and retention was identified as a high priority. One recommendation suggested that NIH should partner with established minority scientific and professional groups and other organizations to implement a system of mentorship “networks” for underrepresented minority students that will provide career guidance throughout their career development. The networks would be expected to make available a cadre of experienced investigators who would help shape a junior investigator’s research ideas and formulate a compelling grant proposal and provide workshops to increase professional skills in support of research career development, including the NIH grant process. The committee’s full recommendations and comprehensive strategy to increase the diversity of the biomedical research workforce are included in the report.

In response to the recommendations presented in the report and the need to grow the DOC biomedical workforce, the NIDCR Mentoring Network for Underrepresented and Early-Career Investigators initiative was developed. This Program is intended for individuals at the key transition points iii and iv (above) and addresses the recommendations in the areas of mentoring, career preparation, and retention in biomedical research careers.

Relevance to the NIDCR Mission: Enhancing Diversity in the Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research Workforce

Strategic Priority #4 of the NIDCR Strategic Plan 2021-2026 is to nurture future generations of DOC researchers and oral health professional scholars who can address public health needs within a continually evolving landscape of science and technology advances. The proposed program will dovetail with NIH-wide efforts to broaden the perspectives in the NIH biomedical research workforce while providing a unique emphasis on mentorship for individuals pursuing careers in DOC research. Promoting diversity in the extramural scientific workforce is critical to the success of the NIH mission and is consistent with the directives of the 21st Century Cures Act and the Next Generation Researchers policy. While scientific workforce diversity supports and is integral to the NIH mission, expanding the pool of early career academic investigators in the biomedical research workforce remains an elusive goal. NIH has a longstanding commitment to training the next generation of biomedical scientists and supporting training of students from diverse backgrounds, including those from groups underrepresented in biomedical research, through a variety of fellowships, career development awards, and institutional training and student development programs. In spite of recent advances, individuals from certain groups and backgrounds remain underrepresented in the biomedical sciences research workforce (see Notice of NIH's Interest in Diversity). Additionally, while the United States has seen a significant increase in the number of Ph.D. degrees in the biomedical sciences earned by scientists from historically underrepresented racial and ethnic groups in the biomedical research workforce, corresponding increases in the ranks of the faculty in basic science departments (Gibbs, et al., eLife 2016; Valantine, Lund & Gammie, CBE-Life Sciences Education, 2016) or NIH-funded investigators (Hoppe et al, 2019; Lauer, 2020) have not occurred.

Currently, NIDCR participates in several diversity targeted programs for early career investigators including the NIDCR Mentored Career Development Award to Promote Diversity, Common Fund FIRST Program and National Research Mentoring Network, NIGMS sponsored MOSAIC K99/R00, NIGMS SuRE Program and Research Supplements to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research. The majority of these programs involve an individualized mentored research training and career development experience. The proposed NIDCR Mentorship Network will complement and leverage these existing programs through its focus on cohorts of individuals at the career transition point between postdoctoral fellow/junior faculty member and independent investigator, and its intent to foster success in this transition. In addition, the NIDCR Mentorship Network is expected to lead to the development of a nationwide network of DOC research mentors and participants that can augment individual research training and career development experiences.

Key Features of the NIDCR Mentoring Network Initiative

The NIDCR Mentoring Network initiative uniquely addresses the research career development needs of the community of DOC early career investigators:

• The postdoctoral scholar to tenure-track faculty transition is a pivotal stage for early career researchers, as it represents the most likely time for individuals to opt-out of academia research careers.
• Few of the programs develop a community of DOC researchers dedicated to the mentorship and career progression, retention, and success of underrepresented individuals in the dental, oral, and craniofacial research workforce.
• Strong mentorship is provided to a cohort of underrepresented early career mentees through a network of experienced investigators/mentors dedicated to guiding these individuals in the development of professional scientific skills to enhance their career trajectory towards participation in the DOC biomedical research community and coaching the writing and development of grant applications for submission to NIDCR for research (RPG) or research career development (K) support.

Funding

NIDCR funded one cooperative agreement award (1UE5DE029439-01) in 2020, “AADR Mentoring an Inclusive Network for a Diverse Research Workforce of the Future-MIND the Future”; Principal Investigators: Christopher Fox, David Drake, and Efthimia Ioannidoum, in response to RFA-DE-19-007), which provides five years of support (FY 2020-2024) for cohorts of 10-11 mentees per year.

Characteristics of the “MIND the Future” Program

• Establishing a network of NIDCR-funded mentors in areas of dental, oral, and craniofacial research.
• Selecting cohorts of 10-11 individuals per year among applicants and who remained engaged in year-long program activities.
• Developing curriculum of educational activities with a primary focus on mentoring and skills development.
• Convening annual meetings to bring together mentees and mentors to foster in-person networking and mentorship activities.
• Enhancing participation of diverse cohorts of mentees by engaging individuals from underrepresented backgrounds including race, ethnicity, discipline, and geographic area, etc.
• Alumni mentees continue their networking and interactions through regularly scheduled virtual ”coffee chats” via their own American Association for Dental and Craniofacial Research (AADOCR) Microsoft Teams Channel.
• All mentees and mentors completed the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center Workshops focused on aligning expectations in mentoring relationships, addressing diversity and inclusion, seeking professional development, and everyday bias for healthcare professionals.

Grants and Funding

• All mentees spend one year developing a full grant application in partnership with program leadership, peers, and mentor(s).
• All mentees submit a complete grant application to a mock study section for feedback or observe the mock review meeting.
• Mentees have successfully competed for NIDCR grants: 50% of mentees from Cohort 1, 45% from Cohort 2, and 18% from Cohort 3 achieved subsequent NIH awards, to date.

Table 1: Overview AADOCR Mind the Future Mentees FY 2020-2023

Table 2: Education Plan

Table 3: NIH Subsequent Awards for Mind the Future Mentees

NIDCR Mentoring Networks for Underrepresented and Early-Career Investigators initiative is fulfilling its goals as intended. The Initiative offers structured interactions for both mentees and mentors following formal mentor and mentee training and provides participating scholars the opportunity to broaden their networks beyond their home institutions and across an array of DOC research topics. Beyond the one year of support, mentees continue to interact and network within and across the cohorts in both formal and informal interactions. These interactions provide opportunities to connect with peers and potential collaborators. Continued support of this initiative is anticipated to further build a robust network focused on a vulnerable career stage that is critical for growing and enhancing a DOC research workforce. It also provides an opportunity to focus on the current needs of this community of early career investigators and offer skills to be successfully competitive in establishing an independent research career.

References

• Diversity in the Biomedical Research Workforce Working Group Report. Prepared By: Working Group on Diversity in the Biomedical Research Workforce (WGDBRW), June 13, 2012. The Advisory Committee to the Director (ACD).
• Gibbs KD, Basson J, Xierali IM, Broniatowski DA. Decoupling of the minority PhD talent pool and assistant professor hiring in medical school basic science departments in the US. Elife. 2016 Nov 17;5:e21393. doi: 10.7554/eLife.21393.
• Ginther DK, Schaffer WT, Schnell J, Masimore B, Liu F, Haak LL, et al. Race, ethnicity, and NIH research awards. Science. 2011 Aug 19;333(6045):1015-9. doi: 10.1126/science.1196783.
• Guardia CM, Kane E, Tebo AG, Sanders AAWM, Kaya D, Grogan KE. The power of peer networking for improving STEM faculty job applications: a successful pilot programme. Proc Biol Sci. 2023 Apr 26;290(1997):20230124. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0124. Epub 2023 Apr 26.
• Hobin JA, Clifford PS, Dunn BM, Rich S, Justement LB. Putting PhDs to work: Career planning for today's scientist. CBE Life Sci Educ. 2014 Spring;13(1):49-53. doi: 10.1187/cbe-13-04-0085.
• Hoppe TA, Litovitz A, Willis KA, Meseroll RA, Perkins MJ, Hutchins BI, et al. Topic choice contributes to the lower rate of NIH awards to African-American/black scientists. Sci Adv. 2019 Oct 9;5(10):eaaw7238. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.aaw7238.
• Lauer M. The Open Mike Blog. National Institutes of Health, Office of Extramural Research. Institute and Center Award Rates and Funding Disparities. Posted August 12, 2020.
• Valantine HA, Lund PK, Gammie AE. From the NIH: A Systems Approach to Increasing the Diversity of the Biomedical Research Workforce. CBE Life Sci Educ. 2016 Fall;15(3):fe4. doi: 10.1187/cbe.16-03-0138.