Career Advancement

A critical goal of the CTSI is to ensure that a diverse group of highly trained, well-supported clinical and translational researchers finds a supportive culture at UCSF and a clear path to advancement. Currently, the academic research structure rewards competition and individual effort rather than multidisciplinary cooperative teamwork. Academic career advancement typically requires investigators to be the first to develop ideas or interventions, the single principal investigator, and the first or senior author. Thus, investigators who work cooperatively in teams often are not appropriately recognized or rewarded.

Mentor Development Program Seminar Series

Spring 2008 Seminar Series commences February 4, 2008. View schedule.

The CTSI Career Advancement (CA) Program goals are:

1. To advance the careers of clinical & translational researchers by providing career advice, research mentoring and support.  The CTSI CA programs to achieve this goal include:

1. Career workshops. In collaboration with the campus-wide UCSF Office of Career & Professional Development, career workshops and seminars to address common problems and activities of junior researchers are offered each year.

2. Comprehensive Mentoring Program (CMP). In collaboration with the campus-wide UCSF Faculty Mentoring Program, the CTSI CMP consists of two main components:

   1. The Mentor Development Program: training mid-career research faculty to become the next generation of confident effective clinical and translational mentors.

   2. The Junior Faculty Mentoring Program: a structured mentoring program to support junior clinical and translational investigators (June 2008).

   3. Flexible Mini-Sabbatical Program.  Through the CTSI Strategic Opportunities Support Center, funding is provided to relieve junior and mid-level research faculty of non-research responsibilities for 3-6 months to enhance research productivity and allow them to master new content areas, methods, or skills and/or leadership opportunities.
      

2. To advance under-represented groups in clinical and translational science at UCSF, in collaboration with the UCSF Chancellor’s Diversity Initiative and School-based Diversity Taskforces,the CTSI CA Program has vigorous programs to recruit and retain underrepresented faculty and trainees. The CTSI CA programs include:

1. UCSF Traveling Ambassadors Program.  Through the CTSI Strategic Opportunities Support Center, funding is provided for UCSF faculty, to attend national meetings to inform diverse faculty, residents and students of opportunities at UCSF. 

2. Under-represented Clinical and Translational Research Program. Through the CTSI SOS, funding is provided for fellows and assistant professor faculty from economically under-represented and/or ethnic or racial minority backgrounds for clinical-translational pilot projects.

3. To promote culture change so that clinical and translational researchers are appropriately rewarded.

A key requirement of success for clinical and translational researchers is that the reward structure for faculty advancement take into account the collaborative team approach that this kind of research requires.  In collaboration with the Academic Deans of each school and the Vice Chancellor’s Office for Research, the CTSI CA program is assisting with development of specific guidelines for evaluation of collaborative efforts of clinical and translational research faculty.