Boston University Medical Campus Resources for Faculty Support.

There are a number of faculty professional development programs available to all faculty on the Boston University Medical Campus.

Programs provided by the Boston University Medical Campus Office of Faculty Development and Diversity:

• The Early Career Faculty Development Program is a longitudinal faculty development program for instructors and assistant professors across BUMC. The Early Career program includes peer and senior mentoring, experiential career development seminars, and the completion of an academic project. Applications are accepted in March and April, and the program runs from October through June annually.
• The Mid-Career Faculty Leadership Program (MFLP) is a longitudinal faculty development program for late assistant and all associate professors at BUSM and SPH. The MFLP uses experiential and project-based learning to engage participants in 360 evaluation, self-reflection, inter-disciplinary collaboration, broad peer and senior mentoring networks, and the enhancement of transformational education, clinical, research, and strategic leadership skills. Participants meet for six 2-day modules from July through June.
• Marcelle M. Willock, MD, Faculty Development and Diversity Program (MWP) is a longitudinal leadership and career development program dedicated to Marcelle Willock. This program provides faculty with community and a sense of belonging at BUMC and helps faculty develop strategies to advance their careers and skills and navigate the complexities of academic health sciences. Applications are accepted in March and April, and the program runs from October through June annually.
• The Women’s Leadership Program is a longitudinal program for women faculty on the Boston University Medical Campus. The program uses self-assessment and reflection, experiential learning, and peer and senior mentorship to provide faculty with the tools necessary to navigate a successful career in academic medicine, and to foster leadership skills that enable participants to positively affect change from where they stand. Participants meet on Wednesday afternoons from 3-5pm for 15 sessions from September to June.
• The Narrative Writing Program (NWP) provides faculty with the opportunity to develop narrative skills and gain confidence through in-class reflective writing, close reading and discussion of literary works of various genres, and writing workshops. Such narrative training fosters writing skills and can help guide participants to share stories of their professional work with a broader audience. The program coaches participants through the process of writing and revising a narrative, which could include personal essays, fiction, poetry, op-ed, or other types of non-research writing. By the end of the course, participants will have written and revised a piece of writing suitable for submission for publication.
• BUMC Emerging Leaders Program is a two-day workshop that focuses on developing the leadership skills of some of our most promising early and mid-career faculty and brings together faculty from across Boston University.

Programs provided by the Boston University Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI):

• The KL2 Career Development Award is a mentored career development program for BU’s most promising junior faculty translational researchers. Faculty who are mentored attain improved research skills and are more likely to compete successfully for research support. The BU CTSI KL2 Career Development Award is committed to diversifying the research workforce and, therefore, urge those from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups (UREGs) to apply.
• The Career Development Award Grant Writing Workshop coaches faculty and post-docs through each step of preparing a Career Development Award application. Workshop participants learn to write a concise, rigorous specific aims page, collaborate with mentors to formulate and refine a career development and research plan, write all sections of a career development award application, and participate in a mock grant application review. With ongoing support and constructive feedback throughout the program, the goal is to have a Career Development Award application ready for submission by the end of the program.
• The Mentor the Mentor Seminar is a one-day seminar designed to strengthen mentoring skills. This is an interactive training program which uses case studies to teach critical mentoring skills. After attending the seminar, participants should be equipped to effectively mentor their mentees and assist them in achieving professional success.
• The Mock NIH Study Section is a half-day workshop available for faculty who have not previously received R-level funding for NIH. During the workshop, faculty will have their proposal reviewed by up to three BU faculty with extensive experience as reviewers for the NIH, attend a session to observe BU faculty reviewing the proposal using the same meeting format as an NIH study section, and receive written feedback similar to an NIH Summary Statement.
• The Program for Early Research Career Development provides a roadmap and targeted guidance for senior post-doctoral fellows, post-doctoral associates, and early career faculty committed to launching an independent research career. This program helps attendees assemble a professional portfolio requisite for attaining career development awards (such as the NIH K grant), pilot awards, and/or other funding mechanisms consistent with the success of early-stage investigators. Areas of focus include developing a mentoring team, conceptualizing and drafting a specific aims page, and the preparation/evaluation of scientific manuscripts. Topics will be addressed through a combination of didactic sessions, review workshops, and individual professional mentoring adapted to the goals and background of participants.
• The R01 Proposal Writing Workshop is a 7-workshop series designed to walk faculty submitting their first R01 from research idea to application. Through the program, faculty will learn about the components of an R01 proposal and the NIH review process; complete weekly assignments on the components of an R01 proposal; participate in a mock study section and experience how NIH proposal review works; and receive written feedback similar to an NIH Summary Statement.
• Individual consultations on IRB applications, study design, and study implementation is available for junior faculty and trainees. Researchers can receive assistance with IRB application preparation, including development of data safety monitoring plans (DSMPs), writing and editing of consent forms, and fulfilling HIPAA requirements. Assistance with study design, statistical issues, and development of forms is also available through referral to experts within CTSI. Assistance is also available for study implementation, including questions about regulations, policies, and guidelines to help ensure effective processes related to documentation, consenting, eligibility determination, AE monitoring/reporting, etc.