UH Population Health Receives $1.9M to Support Next Generation of Researchers

There's a saying in academia that describes the pressures faced by early career faculty.

"Publish or perish."

The tone of this statement is a bit dramatic and ominous, but it certainly captures scholars' struggles in identifying viable outlets for their research. Studies have demonstrated that these challenges are even more daunting for researchers of color and women.

One such study published on the Journal of the American Medical Association Network found significantly lower rates of publications among scientists who are women, Latino and Black. The implications for these researchers can stifle their career growth within science, medicine and academia.

University of Houston Population Health (UHPH) hopes to discover how to close these gaps while supporting scholars from all ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Beech and colleagues will soon launch a randomized trial with early career faculty comparing two models aimed at increasing productivity among faculty seeking to publish scientific manuscripts. This study, titled Write from the Start, is supported by a $1.9 million grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (one of the National Institutes of Health).

"Many people are unaware of the disparities in scientific publishing rates among different subgroups of people," said UH Chief Population Health Officer Bettina Beech. "Publications are key metrics used for faculty members' annual reviews and for tenure and promotion decisions. Faculty productivity also has implications for grant applications as publications are also essential in building scholars' investigator scores."

Beech and colleagues will assess the impact of writing accountability groups (WAGs) on early career faculty members. At research institutions such as the University of Houston, WAGs support faculty by helping them become effective academic writers. They can be led by colleagues and accompanied by programming to familiarize faculty with the rigors of writing. Other WAGs may simply be guided by rigid programming without the guidance and support of peers.

Beech will lead a 20-week study comparing peer-led WAGs that include an online education program, as well as those that are solely guided by the same online education program without peer guidance.

"There are a variety of WAG models and a cornucopia of writing productivity interventions in the scientific literature. There has not been a randomized trial to determine which type of interventions are most effective, under what conditions and which subgroups may benefit the most," she said."

WAGs, Beech said, often function when a group of scholars meet regularly for timed sessions to accomplish a writing goal. The goal may be a grant application, a manuscript or another aspect of academic writing. Sessions may last 30 minutes or longer and run for weeks at a time. Members of WAGs, however, must commit to writing daily to complete the goal at hand.

"WAGs are about habituating writing," Beech said. "This can help people become successful in their careers."

For 20-weeks, participating faculty will engage in two sets of WAGs. Following the conclusion of the WAGs, Beech and colleagues will monitor the productivity of participants for two years.

Approximately 120 early career faculty from institutions across the nation will have participated in the study once it is completed.

UHPH's study will begin soon and can ultimately affect researchers across nation. Likewise, it can support research that might not otherwise be recognized yet yields myriad benefits for the general public.

Multiple principal investigators for this study include Marino Bruce, director of UHPH Collaboratories and Clinical Professor in the Fertitta Family College of Medicine and Roland Thorpe, professor and vice chancellor for Faculty Diversity at Johns Hopkins University. Additional contributors include Susie Gronseth, clinical professor of curriculum and instruction in UH's College of Education.

This forthcoming study complements Beech's work with UHPH and her own research interests in the science of research training and mentoring. She's committed to supporting future researchers and is hopeful this upcoming trial will help others realize their dreams of publishing their research within scientific journals.

"One of the most important things I will do in my career is preparing the next generation of scientists to be productive," she said. "This project is just one step toward that goal."

Provided by University of Houston