Large-Scale Biomedical Science Exploring Strategies for Future Research (2003) / Chapter Skim
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6. Training and Career Structures in Biomedical Research
6. Training and Career Structures in Biomedical Research
Pages 140-161
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From page 140... ...
The recent emergence of large-scale projects in the biomedical sciences, in particular, could present significant challenges in meeting the needs of trainees and junior scientists, as the tradi140
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From page 141... ...
SOURCE: National Science Foundation, 2002, Appendix Table 5-27.
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~ 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1973 1975 1977 1979 1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 Year _ Postdoctoral scientist - Other
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tional structure of training and career paths in academic research may be at odds with efficient and effective endeavors in large-scale science. The effects on the career trajectories of biomedical scientists of working within large-scale projects have not been studied, but by examining career issues more broadly in the field, it may be possible to identify potential obstacles faced by such scientists.
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From page 145... ...
The Johns Hopkins University adopted the apprenticeship model shortly after its founding in 1876, and in the 1920s the Rockefeller Foundation established formal postdoctoral fellowships in physical science, recognizing that physics had become too complex to learn within the time limits of traditional programs. After a postdoctoral fellowship, the next step in a customary academic career path is securing a tenure-track faculty position (National Science Foundation, 2002~.
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From page 146... ...
Both the midcareer appraisal and the tenure review include the solicitation of evaluations from experts outside the university. While the granting of tenure may be the most important decision affecting a faculty member's career, the post-tenure merit-based review system has recently entered the academic tenure structure at many institutions and has become a hotly debated national issue, especially as it pertains to the philosophy of academic freedom.
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From page 148... ...
In the last 15 years, an increasing percentage of these degrees have been awarded to citizens of other nations, more than half of whom choose to remain in this country (National Research Council, 1998b; National Science Foundation, 2000; see Figure 6-4~. During this same period, tenure-track faculty positions have declined sharply, and the number of full-time non-faculty or non-tenure-track positions has increased (National Science Foundation, 2000; Hackett, 1987~.
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scientists (e.g., in industry, funding agencies, patent law, science writing) , a recent survey indicates that the majority of doctoral students enter their graduate program with an interest in a faculty career (Golde and Dore, 2001~.
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Postdoctoral scientists with foreign citizenship may be especially vulnerable within this system. The number of foreign nationals taking postdoctoral positions in the United States has quadrupled since the mid1970s (National Research Council, 1998b, 2001a)
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From page 151... ...
In many laboratories, these "junior" scientists help write grant proposals and papers; present the laboratory's research results at professional society meetings; and also educate, train, and supervise other members of the laboratory (National Research Council, 1998b, 2000~. Indeed, a 1999 survey of research articles published in Science found that 43 percent of the first authors were in postdoctoral positions (Vogel, 1999~.
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From page 152... ...
The number of postdoctoral positions supported on principal investigator grants is even greater (National Science Foundation, 2002) , reflecting the relatively heavy use of postdoctoral scientists in university-based biomedical research, as well as the growth of independent research institutes, which hire postdoctoral scientists but do not train graduate students.
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From page 153... ...
As a result, little information is available for assessing the effects of different work environments or projects on the career trajectories of junior scientists. There is also a paucity of data available on scientists who work in 3 This is in contrast to most professional schools (e.g., law, business, medicine)
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From page 154... ...
Some positions do come with independent investigator status, but even those who have established successful independent research programs from such positions often report a feeling of "second-class citizenship" compared with tenured faculty in their institutions (Barinaga, 2000~.
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From page 155... ...
As teaching and research hospitals grapple with the new realities of cost containment and managed care policies, they require more patient care time from their medical faculty, leaving less time for research. These expectations, combined with the relatively long training period for a research career and the large debts upon completion of professional training, have apparently discouraged many new M.D.s from following a research career path, which is likely to provide a lower salary than a clinical career path (Zemlo et al., 2000; Heinig et al., 1999; Institute of Medicine, 1994, 2000; Nathan, 1997~.
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From page 156... ...
, focus groups reported that, with regard to promotions, serving as an essential collaborator on a project with other principal investigators was valued less than work done under an independent NIH RO1 grant. They also noted that this difficulty was exacerbated by departmental policies that discouraged members from submitting grant proposals through organized research units or functioning as coinvestigators on grants to
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From page 157... ...
As a result, principal investigators who receive funding to undertake a large-scale project often need to hire scientific managers for the project. It can be difficult to recruit such people, as they must be well versed in the science and technology of the project and also have managerial skills, which are generally not taught in life science training programs.
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From page 158... ...
In fact, individuals with training in bioinformatics were in short supply and highly sought after as the field of genomics expanded (Stephen and Black, 2001~. A review of available positions in genomics, proteomics, structural biology, and bioinformatics advertised in two randomly chosen issues of Science magazine in 2001 6 Trainees with an interest in bioinformatics were still involved in data analysis.
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From page 159... ...
It is just that sort of reputation for personal scientific achievement that has always been critical for scientists in such fields as high-energy physics, in which publications include many authors listed in alphabetical order, but the field is small enough for the main players to recognize the relative contributions of the various participants. Even in that field, however, postdoctoral fellows and junior scientists have struggled to establish careers in their discipline, dealing with many of the same issues described here for life scientists (Glanz, 1998; American Institute of Physics, 1992~.
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From page 160... ...
Despite the paucity of such information, a number of potential obstacles in the career paths of scientists associated with large-scale research can be postulated now by examining trends in the field as a whole. Life scientists, both M.D.s and Ph.D.s, are struggling to establish traditional academic tenure-track careers in biomedical research, albeit for different reasons.
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From page 161... ...
Given the changing nature of biomedical science, collaborative endeavors are likely to become more commonplace. Thus, it would be very beneficial to the field to nurture young scientists who wish to take these positions and learn the necessary skills to manage such projects.
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