UNC Center of Excellence Maternal and Child Health Postdoctoral Program
Grant Status: Active
Training Category: Strengthening the MCH Public Health Academic Pipeline - Competitive Supplement to the Centers of Excellence in MCH Education Science and Practice Program
Project Director(s):
Sandra Martin, PhD
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
104 Airport Drive
Suite 2200, CB#1350
Chapel Hill, NC 27599
Phone: (919) 966-5973
Email: sandra_martin@unc.edu
Problem:
MCH post-graduate training is needed to prepare doctoral graduates, including underrepresented minorities, for MCH faculty positions due to high numbers of MCH faculty retirements, few MCH graduates being employed as MCH faculty, MCH doctoral graduates requiring additional training on research and teaching, and few minority MCH faculty.
Goals and Objectives:
The goal is to address this need by providing postdoctoral training to promote career pathways into MCH academics. Objectives include: implementing and continually refining the postdoctoral program; recruiting/hiring diverse postdoctoral scholars, including underrepresented minorities; training/mentoring scholars via a Mentoring Committee and Individual Development Plans; and enhancing scholars' proficiency in MCH research, teaching, conceptual knowledge, communication, and professionalism/leadership.
Methodology:
This innovative program will fund 2 postdoctoral scholars each year. The program will include Universal Training Activities and expectations (e.g., publishing at least 2 papers each year) and Individualized Training Activities based on individual scholar's interests and needs. The program is cost effective since most faculty working with the scholars will do so as part of their routine academic activities at no financial cost to this project.
Coordination:
We will coordinate with the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB), state/local Title V agencies, other MCH practice/research partners, other MCHB Centers of Excellence in MCH Education, Science and Practice programs, and others in MCH.
Evaluation:
Progress toward the goal and objectives will be evaluated annually, using tracking procedures for processes (program initiation, recruitment of scholars, etc.) and surveys of scholars and mentors to gather information on activities undertaken, scholars' progress towards their goals, and suggestions for program improvement. Scholars also will be surveyed 2, 5, and 10 years post-training to document scholars' academic accomplishments.