Preparing junior faculty for success.

Abstract

In their Policy Forum “Improving support for young biomedical scientists” (18 May, p. [716][1]), B. Alberts et al. point out the urgent need to reform funding schemes to support junior faculty in biomedical sciences. The important national-level changes in funding that Alberts et al. propose should be complemented by institution-level policies that facilitate integration, career development, and overall success for junior faculty, who are increasingly overtaxed and stressed ([ 1 ][2], [ 2 ][3]). Junior faculty should receive help transitioning into academic leadership (often in a new country). Guidance regarding institutional infrastructures and policies would ease the transition and allow new faculty to integrate both professionally and socially into the local research community. Junior faculty positions should include defined expectations regarding teaching, service commitments, and intellectual leadership. Clear priorities will help these young scientists manage their time. In addition, institutions can help inexperienced investigators with critical first recruitment and funding efforts by providing joint recruitment events and grant coaches. Regular mentoring meetings with a senior faculty member who can give honest and constructive feedback will help juniors deal with unforeseen situations. Institutions should actively nurture a communicative and collegial climate to foster in-house collaborations. Finally, recognizing that the start of scientific independence often coincides with having children, institutions should adopt tangible policies to help harmonize work and private life. 1. [↵][4]1. K. Powell , Nature 538, 446 (2016). [OpenUrl][5] 2. [↵][6]1. B. Maher, 2. M. Sureda Anfres , Nature 538, 444 (2016). [OpenUrl][7][CrossRef][8][PubMed][9] [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.aar8405 [2]: #ref-1 [3]: #ref-2 [4]: #xref-ref-1-1 View reference 1 in text [5]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DNature%26rft.volume%253D538%26rft.spage%253D446%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [6]: #xref-ref-2-1 View reference 2 in text [7]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DNature%26rft.volume%253D538%26rft.spage%253D444%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1038%252F538444a%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F27786225%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [8]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.1038/538444a&link_type=DOI [9]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=27786225&link_type=MED&atom=%2Fsci%2F361%2F6399%2F238.2.atom