How to run a succesful research faculty

Besides patient care and education, research is also an important part of a med school. Funding and keeping a research department alive in medicine is very complicated. Below are some suggestions from a approach as published in a recent article from the Advances in Health Sciences Education. It’s my own interpretation of the suggestions made in this readable and excellent publication by Randy R. Brutkiewicz.

Use

1. Research faculty development seminars, or “brown bag lunches” around these topics:

• Features and use of the ‘‘guide for applying for research grants’’ for new Research Faculty (specific for
  each institution)
• Balancing grants and kids
• How to recruit personnel to your laboratory
• Mentoring graduate students and postdoctoral fellows
• Helping trainees get to the next level
• Dealing with personnel problems in your laboratory
• Choosing a faculty mentor
• Getting recognized as an independent scientist—without being a ‘‘photon magnet’’!
• Patenting inventions and other intellectual property elements
• Diversity in science

2. Research faculty-oriented workshops about how a review panel discusses grant applications as can be seen in the video above. Improve grant writing by doing workshops or courses. Invite grant agencies or institutions to help the faculty be more successful by letting them attend or give these grant writing workshops. Courses can be of benefit for junior researchers who have not yet been funded. For examples see this website Penn State College of Medicine Grants Academy or University of Minnesota Medicine Department

3. Use a website as a resource for research faculty Examples can be seen at

• Indiana University, department of medicine
• University of Pittsburg
• UC Davis School of Medicine
• Duke University School of Medicine

4. Mentoring. Usually there are two approaches. To my opinion the one on one approach is the best. The mentoring of junior faculty is the responsibility of senior researchers not only of the department chair. The chair is responsible for appointing these mentors to junior faculty.

5. Infrastructure, or having enough money and administrative personal to support these initiatives mentioned above.

6. Evaluation and assessment of events offered to support research faculty development

Surely many more suggestions are available please share them in the comments.

Brutkiewicz, R. (2010). Research faculty development: an historical perspective and ideas for a successful future Advances in Health Sciences Education DOI: 10.1007/s10459-010-9261-4