Perspectives of Female Biomedical-Science Faculty About the Transition From Student to Independent Researcher

• In Event: Curves in the Road: Career Choice Game Changers

Abstract

Graduate education starts with a dependent phase and transitions into an independent phase when trainees learn to produce original research. This qualitative study analyzed 26 female faculty interviews to identify factors that facilitated or impeded women faculty members’ transition to independent researchers. Facilitators included the ability to write grants, acquire research funding, and publish, post-doctoral training program completion, asking the “right” research questions and having confidence, receiving validation from colleagues during their postdoctoral or faculty training, and mentoring. Barriers included both institutional factors like lack of funding, mentoring, or grant writing and individual factors like lack of confidence. Our findings provide support for targeted grant-writing and mentoring interventions during research training to better prepare women researchers for independence.

Authors

• Devasmita Chakraverty, Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad

• Donna B. Jeffe, Washington University in St. Louis

• Dorothy Andriole, Washington University in St. Louis

• Heather D. Wathington, Lumina Foundation

• Robert H. Tai, University of Virginia