In the latest article to cover the growing crisis in academic science careers, published in the Chronicle of Higher Education, NIMH director Thomas Insel refers to the "really frustrating career path" many graduate students see ahead of them. These frustrations include a decrease in NIH funding, lack of academic tenure-track positions, and longer periods of time to earn doctoral degrees, among others. In this difficult climate, what can be done to ensure the growth and support of future geriatric mental health researchers?
MedEdMentoring hopes to find some answers to this question in our upcoming meeting, Challenges in Recruitment and Retention in Geriatric Mental Health Research, being held on December 1-2, 2007. Co-chaired by Barry D. Lebowitz, PhD, and Stephen J. Bartels, MD, MS, this invitation-only conference will bring together key people from the field and the NIMH to discuss this issue from departmental, institutional, and investigator perspectives.
As always, we welcome your comments and suggestions. If you have a particular issue or question you would like to have addressed at the upcoming conference, please contact us.
Sincerely,
Stephen J. Bartels, MD, MS; Martha L. Bruce, PhD, MPH; Maureen Halpain, MS; Barry D. Lebowitz, PhD;
Charles F. Reynolds III, MD; Gwenn Smith, PhD; Joel E. Streim, MD; Jürgen Unützer, MD, MPH, MA
Society for Women in Academic Psychiatry: a peer mentoring approach.
Seritan AL, Bhangoo R, Garma S, Dubé J, Park JH, Hales R.
Acad Psychiatry. 2007 Sep-Oct;31(5):363-6.
The Society for Women in Academic Psychiatry (S.W.A.P.), a peer mentoring group founded by junior women faculty at UC Davis, is a novel approach to the academic gender gap problem.
What Do Mentoring and Training in the Responsible Conduct of Research Have To Do with Scientists' Misbehavior? Findings from a National Survey of NIH-Funded Scientists.
Anderson MS, Horn AS, Risbey KR, Ronning EA, De Vries R, Martinson BC.
Acad Med. 2007 Sep;82(9):853-860.
The authors examine training in the responsible conduct of research and mentoring in relation to behaviors that may compromise the integrity of science, based on data from early-career and midcareer NIH-supported researchers.
MostViewedPresentations 
General
Case Study: Research Survival Skills Practicum
Jennifer Morse, PhD; Beth Nolan, PhD; Rebecca Ready, PhD
This module provides a simulation of the functioning of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's Research Survival Skills practicum program, which helps scholars prepare K award applications during the course of the postdoctoral fellowship.
Geriatric
Writing Grant Proposals: The Practical Application of Clinical Research Theory
Sharon K. Inouye, MD, MPH
This talk guides the viewer step by step through the writing of a grant proposal and explains the importance of this process.
MostReadArticles 
General
UCSD's Short-Term Research Training Programs for Trainees at Different Levels of Career Development.
Jeste DV, Halpain MC, Trinidad GI, Reichstadt JL,Lebowitz BD.
Acad Psychiatry. 2007 Mar-Apr;31(2):160-7.
There is a critical need for new researchers in psychiatry, including subspecialties such as geriatric psychiatry. In this article, the authors describe several successful short-term research training programs.
Geriatric
Improving the retention of underrepresented minority faculty in academic medicine.
Daley S, Wingard DL, Reznik V.
J Natl Med Assoc. 2006 Sep;98(9):1435-40.
Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2005 Sep;13(9):815-21.
A junior faculty development program that integrates professional skill development and focused academic career advising with instrumental mentoring is associated with an increase in the retention of underrepresented minority faculty.
InTheNews
The Real Science Crisis: Bleak Prospects for Young Researchers
Chronicle of Higher Education.com, Sept. 21, 2007
Tight budgets, scarce jobs, and stalled reforms are pushing students away from scientific careers.
Make Way for the Next Generation: Junior Faculty Are Moving In
Science Careers.org, Sept. 14, 2007
Universities are increasingly reshaping recruitment policies in order to attract and retain more junior faculty, especially women and minorities.
NIH Loan Repayment Program (LRP)
NIH.gov, Sept. 1, 2007
NIH is inviting health professionals engaged in biomedical and behavioral research to apply online for a loan repayment award. The LRP application cycle is open through December 1, 2007.
CareerAutobiographyPatricia Aréan, PhD
Dr. Aréan, Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of California San Francisco, discusses her career pathway. Other career autobiographies can be found in the Researcher Roadmaps section.
EventsCalendar
Geriatric Psychiatry in 2007
When: October 12-13
Where: Boston, MA
59th Institute on Psychiatric Services
When: October 11-14
Where: New Orleans, LA
International Psychogeriatric Association Annual Meeting
When: October 11-19
Where: Osaka, Japan
MedEdResources
Stein Institute for Research on Aging, UCSD
The Stein Institute for Research on Aging (SIRA) offers both summer and yearlong research training opportunities through its SMART program.
American Federation for Aging Grants
Since 1981, AFAR has provided nearly $80 million to more than 2,000 new investigators and students.
Foundation Center
The Foundation Center, a clearinghouse for information on U.S. philanthropy, provides education and training on the grantseeking process and maintains a database of 80,000 currently active grantmakers and on millions of grants.
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