Early-Career Scientist Opportunity – Thriving Hearts Mentorship Program
Contact: ThrivingHeartsMentorship@med.unc.edu
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Program Goals:
There is a critical need to support innovative research to change social and structural factors that will generate maternal health equity. However, disparities also exist when considering who has been able to lead scientific research and how that research gets designed and financially supported to address maternal health outcomes. Research scientists from historically oppressed racial and ethnic groups have been underrepresented due to barriers to developing sustainable careers, including racial macro- and microaggressions that may diminish success or cause premature exits from research careers. The principles of cultural tailoring, which can promote patient well-being and success in maternity care, can also be applied to promote well-being and success among early-stage investigators who are dedicated to transforming maternal health and health care. Healthy and supported scientists have greater potential to be creative and innovative, and thus to solve the pervasive problems related to maternal outcomes. If scientists who are dedicated to resolving the social and structural determinants of maternal morbidity and mortality receive professional development support that is tailored to their needs, they will be better equipped to resolve the health and healthcare system-related challenges that have created and perpetuated unjust disparities.
The Thriving Hearts Mentorship program’s overarching goal is to support the holistic career development and success of mentored researchers who demonstrate a sustained commitment to address and resolve disparities in maternal health through developing an impactful, scalable, and sustainable community-engaged maternal health research that results in system change and improved population health outcomes.
Early-Career Research Mentee Selection Criteria:
We will surround, support, and uplift an early-career investigator Mentee who has aptitude for and interest in conducting community-partnered maternal health research. Mentee eligibility is conferred to early-career researchers with a faculty appointment at one of the Thriving Hearts partnering academic institutions (UNC-Chapel Hill, North Carolina Central University, Duke University, North Carolina A & T State University, Wake Forest University). Applicants must have a doctoral degree and a current faculty position that does not exceed the junior faculty /junior scientist level. Applicants must not have a history of funding support as PI on a PCORI award and meet NIH definition). Mentees must have demonstrated a sustained commitment to engaging in work to address and reduce maternal health disparities. Individuals who are first-generation college graduates, from rural backgrounds, from health care professions shortage areas, or low-income designations are particularly encouraged to consider the Mentorship Program.
Description of the Mentored Research Experience:
Just as it “takes a village to raise a child,” it “takes a committee to raise a researcher,” and we propose that the Mentee will be guided by a Development Committee that consists of multiple mentors whose combined perspectives and support are greater than the sum of their parts. The Thriving Hearts Mentee Development Committee will be composed of:
• Committee Chair and Development Coach: An academic with experience using holistic development approaches to strengthen early-career investigator capacity to thrive in maternal health research. They will lead the Development Committee and recommend specific holistic professional development programming for structured and/or self-directed training.
• Research Mentor: A senior researcher involved in Thriving Hearts, preferably with experience in intervention studies and strong track record of mentoring junior investigators. They will provide advice and connections to develop or enhance the mentee’s developing research program
• Community Engagement Mentor: A senior community partner involved in Thriving Hearts who will provide advice and connections to develop or enhance community-engaged research
• Clinical Mentor: If applicable to the mentee’s faculty appointment, this clinician-scientist will guide the Mentee in strategies for balancing clinical care and research.
• Domain Mentor(s): Provide advice relevant to the Mentee’s research program development or other interests.
A Unique Focus on Personal Growth and the Development of Professional Skills Necessary to Thrive:
The Mentee will work with a Development Coach to complete reflection, goal-setting, and assessment activities. Using these inputs, they will co-create a Mentorship Agreement and an individual development plan that maps out professional and personal growth goals and activities. The completed Mentorship Agreement will offer the Mentee a path to theoretical grounding, self-awareness, and growth strategies, subject matter expertise, and career development opportunities.
The Mentee and Development Committee will work together to identify a plan for engaging in relevant seminars, workshops, and professional development activities. These activities will include guest speakers, senior-level experts, and topics to equip the mentee with knowledge and skills to help them address factors related to the demanding work of their chosen field, strategies to prevent burnout, and contextual factors to overcome potential and unique challenges related to being historically underrepresented in research and academic careers.
Thriving Hearts Mentorship Program Salary Support:
Salary Support: Funding will cover a percentage of the scholar’s full-time workload at the equivalent FTE of up to $20,000 per year for up to five years to pursue mentored professional development and research focused on reducing maternal health inequities.
The Thriving Hearts Mentorship Program is one component of Thriving Hearts: Healing-Centered, Integrated, Community Maternity Care, a PCORI Partner Targeted PFA for maternal health. Learn more about the project here.
Key Dates:
- Thriving Hearts Mentorship Program Application Due Date: 07/15/2024
- Thriving Hearts Mentorship Program Projected Semi-Finalist Notification Date: 07/30/2024
- Thriving Hearts Mentorship Program Semi-Finalist Interviews: 07/30/24 through 08/19/24
- Thriving Hearts Mentorship Program Projected Award Notification Date: 08/31/2024
- Thriving Hearts Mentorship Program Earliest Projected Start Date: 04/01/2025 (with up to five years of support)
