# A Randomized Controlled Study to Test the Effectiveness of Developmental Network Coaching in the Career Advancement of Diverse Early Stage Investigators

> **NIH NIH U01** · MOREHOUSE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE · 2023 · $684,320

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
This proposal addresses three of the Advisory Committee to the NIH Director (ACD)
recommendations on diversity in the biomedical research workforce: It 1) expands the concept
of traditional dyadic mentoring, 2) focuses on sustaining a robust network of peers, content
experts, and developers, and, 3) specifically targets career transition and progress toward
research independence. We propose a randomized controlled study that aims (1) To compare
the effectiveness of a developmental network (DN) informed intervention plus structured grant
writing coaching compared with structured grant writing coaching alone, on the research
productivity of early stage investigators (ESIs) including those from underrepresented groups.
(2) To determine if institutional settings influence the developmental networks of diverse ESIs.
We will engage diverse early stage investigators (ESIs) including scientists from NIH research
networks such as Research Centers at Minority Institutions (RCMI), Clinical and Translational
Science Awards (CTSA) and Institutional Development Awards (IDeA), as well as NIH disease
focused Centers of Excellence. Scientists from these NIH funded networks have pledged
support to be potential developers, sponsors and possible mentors for this experimental project
These networks have research resources such as pilot funding and access to laboratories and
mentors, to support project investigators. The intervention will be delivered in a technology
enabled virtual collaboratory, which will support synchronous and asynchronous peer, coach
and content expert interaction, with data generation and collection, allowing us to examine the
effects of ESI characteristics, as well as the contextual factors, including institutional context
and grant writing task requirements that shape the developmental network structure and
content. The Primary Outcome is Research productivity, as measured by time to submission of
a NIH grant application (K, R, U, and/or Minority Supplement mechanisms). Secondary
outcomes include: i) Scored grants; ii) awarded grants iii) Publication in peer reviewed journals
iv) ESI developer network measures including size, composition, and structure of each ego
network; v) persistence and career progression in academic, industry, government or other non-
academic research. Our study will lead to new knowledge about the role of developmental
networks (social capital) in advancing the career of diverse early stage investigators, including
those from underrepresented groups.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10655587
- **Project number:** 5U01GM132771-05
- **Recipient organization:** MOREHOUSE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
- **Principal Investigator:** Elizabeth O. Ofili
- **Activity code:** U01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** $684,320
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-07-24 → 2025-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10655587

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10655587, A Randomized Controlled Study to Test the Effectiveness of Developmental Network Coaching in the Career Advancement of Diverse Early Stage Investigators (5U01GM132771-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10655587. Licensed CC0.

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