Join the conversation about the biomedical workforce

Below are highlights of research studies and press coverage about biomedical workforce issues.

Check back soon for updates in recent years!

2016

• UMass Chan faculty Dr. Cynthia Fuhrmann shares personal perspectives on how to better prepare science trainees for the diverse career pathways they will pursue in Human Gene Therapy.
• The NIH's National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) issues a request for input (RFI) on modernizing graduate education. See the NIGMS Feedback Loop blog post for more information. Response due August 5, 2016. (06-09-2016)
• Science article from founding executive director of The Future of Research, Dr. Gary McDowell, calls for better employment data for Ph.D. level scientists. (06-09-2016)
• Recent developments affecting the status of postdoctoral scholars are summarized in Science article. (06-01-2016)
• UMass Chan's BEST program mentioned in Chemical & Engineering News article about the importance of informed career planning in graduate education. (05-06-2016)
• Data on postdoctoral outcomes from University of California San Francisco in PLOS Biology provides a suggested framework and methodology for monitoring outcomes at other institutions and urges the need for local efforts beyond national surveys to obtain high quality data. (05-06-2016)
• The Scientist features BEST programs and other initiatives aimed at better preparing students and postdocs for the array of careers available to Ph.D. scientists. (05-01-2016)
• UMass Chan's Dr. Cynthia Fuhrmann was invited to present the Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Center for Biomedical Career Development's approach to integrating career and professional development into the training of all graduate students at NIGMS symposium on "Catalyzing the Modernization of Graduate Education" (04-11-16)
  • Symposium videocast (Dr. Fuhrmann speaks at 4:34:00)
  • Pre-coverage of the symposium: Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News article (03-2016)
• The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering & Medicine hosted a workshop on Developing a National STEM Workforce Strategy; see page 91 of the meeting report for next step recommendations (03-2016)
• UMass Chan faculty Dr. Bob Matthews and Dr. Cynthia Fuhrmann contribute their expertise  to national biomedical workforce issues at the Summit on a Sustainable Biomedical Research Enterprise organized by the American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB). (02-2016)
  
  • Coverage of the summit: Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News article, Science article (02-2016); Nature Biotechnology (04-2016)

2015

• A study in CBE Life Sciences Education, "The Role of Scientific Communication Skills in Trainee's Intention to Pursue Biomedical Research Careers: A Social Cognitive Approach", indicates that science communication skill acquisition and productivity significantly predict trainees' intent to pursue research-based careers within or beyond academia (12-2015)
• Results from a national survey of postdocs published in CBE Life Sciences Education article "Career Development Among American Biomedical Postdocs" point to a need for earlier career development interventions that take into account patterns of interest stemming from social identity groups. (12-2015)
• EMBO Reports publishes opinion piece "Are scientists a workforce? - Or, how Dr. Frankenstein made biomedical research sick" by Yuri Lazebnik that offers an alternative diagnosis to why the scientific research community is experiencing 'malaise' centered around conducting scientific research using a business model rather than a community model of operation. (12-2015)
• The FASEB Journal article explaining "The Origin and Implementation of the Broadening Experiences in Scientific Training Programs," co-authored by Center for Biomedical Career Development Director, Cynthia Fuhrmann (10-2015)
• A growing collection of iBiology seminars address the Future of the Biomedical Workforce(2014-Present)
  

• AAMC reports seven institutions' "Approaches to Tracking Research Trainee Information" to promote long-term tracking of PhD, MD/PhD and postdoctoral career outcomes (09-2015)
• Nature features the NIH BEST (Broadening Experiences in Scientific Training) initiative and Ph.D.-level internships as an element introduced by some BEST institutions (09-02-2015)
• NIH establishes a new Division of Biomedical Research Workforce Programs.  NIH welcomes the inaugural director Kay Lund, professor at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; ScienceCareers interviews Dr. Lund about priorities for the new position. (07-2015)
• UMass Chan's Bob Matthews along with other American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) leaders present recommendations for maintaining a strong US biomedical workforce and research enterprise in PNAS article (07-2015)
• Ron Germain of the NIAID weighs in on "Healing the NIH-Funded Biomedical research Enterprise" in a Cell commentary, recommending a 'fund people not projects' approach to encourage support of new investigators (07-2015)
• Scientific thought leaders share perspectives on how "To build a scientist" in Naturejobs (07-15-2015)
• Molecular Cell article features one lab's approach to mentor-mentee IDP discussions (06-04-2015)
• NIH BEST Consortium featured in Science Translational Medicine article, "Transforming training to reflect the workforce," co-authored by UMass Chan Medical School cBCD Director, Dr. Cynthia Fuhrmann(04-29-2015)
• NYTimes op-ed by Newt Gingrinch calls for doubling of NIH budget (04-22-2015)
• The American Society for Cell Biology covers recent proposed legislation that might indicate the NIH budget is coming out of it's "deep freeze"(04-16-2015)
• The biomedical enterprise "quartet" - Alberts, Kirschner, Tilghman, and Varmus - propose a plan in PNAS to continue solutions-oriented, sustained progress towards addressing the growing pains of the US research system (02-17-2015)
• 30-year analysis of B.S. to Ph.D. STEM pipeline challenges the 'leaky' metaphor and calls for more complex, nuanced models to account for discipline-specific gender differences in persistence through STEM higher education 02-17-2015)
  • Coverage of study in the Chicago Tribune continues to challenge the 'leaky pipeline' model (02-17-2015)
• GRADSCICOMM report by COMPASS proposes concrete steps to increasing the integration of science communication training into graduate STEM education (02-2015)
• AAMC analysis-in-brief illustrates the persistent gender disparity in leadership positions at US medical schools (02-2015)
• Beryl Benderly at ScienceCareers considers the "not-quite-stated, awful truth" about postdoctoral training while summarizing the National Academies' report, The Postdoctoral Experience Revisited. (01-08-2015)
• FASEB report summarizes the challenges to "Sustaining Discovery in Biological and Medical Science"(01-08-2015)

2014

• New report from the Council of Graduate Schools emphasizes the need for more and higher quality career pathway outcomes data for Ph.D.-trained scientists (12-2014)
• Dr. Shirley Tilghman is named ScienceCareers' Person of the Year in acknowledgement of her "significant and sustained contribution to the welfare of early-career scientists." (12-22-2014)
• Recommendations for managing and supporting the career expectations of Ph.D. students from the Royal Society (12-18-2014)
• AAMC expresses concern that U.S. government science spending, particularly the NIH, unlikely to see significant increases in 2015 (12-10-2014)
• Long-awaited National Academies report, "The Postdoctoral Experience Revisited," emphasizes career development as an important element of training for
  students and postdoctoral researchers (12-2014)

• Evidence showing differences in career interest patterns amongst underrepresented groups in the sciences, suggests that increasing the supply of talent ("pipeline") will not be adequate to diversify the professoriate. This study is a follow-up to the paper "What do I want to be with my PhD?" (12-10-2014)
• Early career scientists publish white paper (ScienceCareers commentary) following Boston symposium on workforce issues and the research enterprise (11-28-2014)
• CBE Life Science Education article emphasizes what matters to trainees when it comes to diversifying the STEM workforce—early education about career options, experiential training opportunities, interdisciplinary cross-training, communication skills, mentorship, integration of social justice issues, and guidance and open dialog about work-life balance (11-2014)
• Speak out about issues in U.S. graduate education now (and for a limited-time; it's a 3 month pilot) on the new NSF GradEd Forum (11-3-2014)
• Second round of BEST grant recipients announced by NIH Common Fund (11-3-2014)
• Boston Globe front page article on "glut of postdocs"& follow-up ScienceCareers commentary about postdocs speaking up following the Future of Research symposium organized by a coalition of postdocs from Boston-area institutions (11-3-2014)
• NY Times op ed by Congressman Andy Harris (R, MD) proposes age restrictions on 1st research awards (10-02-2014)
  • Commentary in Science with response by Sally Rockey, NIH Deputy Director for Extramural Funding (10-06-2014)
• NPR Morning Edition series on the state of US biomedical research (09-2014)
• American Institutes for Research report, "Exploring Gender Imbalance Among STEM Doctoral Degree Recipients" (09-30-2014)
• 2014 AAMC Building Bridges and Spanning Boundaries Award winners for Innovations in Research and Research Education (09-24-2014)
• Update to the Office of Management & Budget Uniform Guidance FAQs about participation of NIH-funded trainees in career-related activities & internships (08-29-2014)
• Nature article and study in Academic Medicine by MD Anderson Cancer Center researchers Warren Holleman and Ellen Gritz characterizes "biomedical burnout" amongst science faculty with suggestions for federal and institutional changes to help reduce stress and improve morale (08-28-2014)
• USA Today op ed "Bill Gates' tech worker fantasy" with ScienceCareers commentary (07-27-2014)
• Society for Neuroscience Pres. Carol Mason on preparing trainees for the diverse careers available to Ph.D. scientists (07-16-2014)
• "Furthering America's Research Enterprise" report from the National Research Council of the National Academies recommends renewed, focused attention on three pillars of the US research system to maximize the benefits of federally-funded research: 1) talented, interconnected workforce, 2) adequate, dependable resources, 3) world-class basic research in all major areas of science (06-27-2014)

• Alberts, Kirschner, Tilghman & Varmus on "Rescuing US Biomedical Research"
  Join the dialog at rescuingbiomedicalresearch.org (04-22-2014)

•  "Where will a biology PhD take you?" infographic from American Society for Cell Biology (04-11-2014)