Overview

The Junior Faculty Research Career Development Forum is a monthly interactive, 60-minute session that supports the biomedical research careers of junior faculty at the K or career development level. Sessions are organized as peer mentoring, led by the participants and facilitated by senior faculty with expertise in career development and federal grant funding.

In 2024-2025, these interactive seminars will be supported by quarterly large group seminars with opportunities for networking and informal discussions. These will be held in person at the Tufts Boston campus with a virtual option.

What are the montly seminars?

At the monthly seminars, discussions focus on the participants’ research activities such as specific aims, grant applications, grant resubmissions, responses to comments, and manuscript preparation and revisions.

What are the large group seminars?

The quarterly large group seminars will be combination of didactic presentations and interactive discussions. Topics will include a wide variety of topics relevant to development of a successful research career, and may include what to expect at an NIH review group, how to lead a research team, including how to delegate most effectively, tips and techniques for academic presentations or communicating with lay audiences, or media training.

Lunch will be served with opportunities for networking before or after the formal agenda.

Who is eligible?

Eligible individuals are those who are faculty at a Tufts CTSI partner or collaborator organizations, are an Instructor or Assistant Professor within the first five years of their appointment, have a proportion of effort dedicated to protected research, have a funded K grant or equivalent career development award, or plan to submit a K grant or equivalent career development award within the following year.

Faculty who meet these criteria but are not actively planning to submit a K grant can apply for participation on the large group seminars.

Selected junior faculty will commit to one year of participation.

Responsibilities of selected participants?

For the monthly seminars, we ask for:

  • A commitment to attend 10 of the planned 12 sessions for one year
  • Agreement to prepare and present research progress at least twice during the year.  Provision of materials (such as specific aims, manuscript drafts, responses to review) one week before the session
  • Agreement to be an active participant in materials provided for discussion by the other JFF members

To apply

  • Current Tufts CTSI and BIRWCH K12 Scholars during the 2024-2025 are enrolled and do not require further applications
  • Past K12 Scholars, current K23 or K08 or equivalent awards Scholars are requested to send a letter outlining research and grant writing goals in the academic coming year (one paragraph or bulleted lists is accepted), and brief description of ongoing academic projects
  • For other faculty, please submit the following
    1. As a single Word document, information about yourself and your research plans which should include the following
      1. NIH Biosketch
      2. Brief summary of your current job description including protected time for academic activities (one paragraph)
      3. Long term career goals (max half page)
      4. Research and grant writing goals in the coming year (one paragraph or bulleted lists)
      5. Description of ongoing academic projects, and may include QI or protocol development (max one page)
      6. Why do you want to join the JFF? (one paragraph or bulleted lists)
    2. A letter of nomination from your research or career mentor

Applications should be sent to tufts.mc.research.career.awards@tuftsmedicine.org. The deadline for application is Friday, August 16, 2024.