The Next Generation of Biomedical and Behavioral Sciences Researchers Breaking Through (2018) / Chapter Skim
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. Meanwhile, a decline in research funding in real dollars, combined with broader demographic trends, has reduced success rates for grant applications, and the average age of first receipt of a major 1 In this report, "biomedical" refers to the full range of biological, biomedical, behavioral, and health sciences supported by the National Institutes of Health.
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holders spend prolonged periods in postdoctoral positions3 currently characterized by low salaries, inadequate training and mentor ship, and few opportunities for independent research or professional advancement. Although some individuals take postdoctoral positions because they are unsure of which career path to pursue or because they believe postdoctoral experience is necessary to obtain a position in sectors outside of academia, many linger as postdoctoral researchers as they wait for academic research positions to open.
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This reduction in available funds for research has constrained NIH's efforts to address the increasing barriers to biomedical research. Although Congress increased funding for NIH by $2 billion in each of fiscal years 2016 and 2017,5 this only returned NIH funding to the level in real dollars that existed immediately prior 4 See http://faseb.org/Science-Policy -- Advocacy-and-Communications/Federal-Funding-Data/NIH Research-Funding-Trends.aspx (accessed February 2, 2018)
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The nature of research itself has evolved: team science, with its attendant premium on collaboration in multi-investigator and multidisciplinary projects, is ascendant; the growing use of pre-prints enables quick disclosure of research results; experimentation with hybrid business models blend traditional research institutes and for-profit companies; and the emergence of data sciences and online connectivity accelerates the pace at which experiments can be conducted. The committee took its mandate seriously.
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The BREC would exercise ongoing collective guardianship of the biomedical enterprise and function as a forum for sustained coordination, consultation, problem-solving, and assessment of progress toward implementation of the recommendations put forth in this report. Recommendation 3.2 All stakeholders in the biomedical research enterprise -- universities, research institutions, government laboratories, and biomedical industries -- should promote, document, and disseminate their existing and planned efforts to reduce the barriers to recruiting and retaining diverse researchers at all stages of career development.
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Recommendation 3.5 Congress should consider increasing the National Institutes of Health (NIH) budget specifically to support implementation of the recommendations in this report and should provide sustained support for NIH's recently announced Next Generation Researchers Initiative.
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Recommendation 4.2 The National Institutes of Health (NIH) should expand existing awards or create new competitive awards to support postdoctoral researchers' advancement of their own independent research and to support professional development toward an independent research career.
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or parental responsibilities; and • Postdoctoral researchers should be allowed sufficient time between their last fellowship decision and the termination of their funding on RPGs to enable smooth career transitions. Recommendation 4.4 Postdoctoral training should be limited to 5 years, after which time any post doctoral researcher continuing in the same laboratory should be shifted to employment as a staff scientist with increased salary and benefits as appropriate for a permanent staff member.
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Research institutions should experiment with providing career tracks with clearly defined review and promotion processes, as well as opportunities for professional development. Individuals in a staff scientist track should receive a salary and benefits commensurate with their experience and responsibilities.
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Recommendation 5.5 The National Institutes of Health should allocate funds from its Next Generation Researchers Initiative to expand the number of Research Supplements to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research (PA-16-288)
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Many of these recommendations will require new policies or funding mechanisms, and others encompass structural norms that reflect an effort to shift to a new paradigm, one premised on multi-stakeholder involvement, transparency, multiple pathways for research success, and a tradition of evidence-based experimentation and innovation. In this manner, the committee seeks to offer recommendations for reform and for the conditions necessary for their adoption, assessment, and ongoing adaptation and responsiveness, with the goal of creating a biomedical research enterprise that is truly equipped to promote the independence, creativity, and innovation of our scientists, for the benefit not only of the next generation of researchers and the generations to follow, but also the health and economic strength of the nation.
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