# Postdoctoral Pathways: Broadening Access to Career Advancement

> **NIH NIH R25** · BOSTON UNIVERSITY (CHARLES RIVER CAMPUS) · 2020 · $323,678

## Abstract

Our four institutions will collaborate to improve the quality and inclusiveness of postdoctoral training, working
with partner organizations such as the National Research Mentor Network (NRMN) and the National
Postdoctoral Association (NPA), and leveraging the Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and
Learning (CIRTL) Network. Program evaluation will apply direct assessments and focus groups toward
evaluating a workshop model that emphasizes the generation of work products and motivating behavioral
change for postdocs, plus track participation statistics and completion rates, and collect formative pre-, mid-
and post-workshop learning assessments. The Impact of this program will be to expand the perspective of
competencies to be mastered as part of postdoc training, and to establish broadly available resources to
maximize access to learning of these competencies for a variety of biomedical careers. Specific Aim 1:
Develop a postdoc orientation program that will ensure all postdocs begin their training equipped with
skills critical for their long-term success. Once postdocs have completed entry-level online professional
development activities and identified their career goals, our online platform will support long-term strategic
planning through the development of a new postdoc career advancement plan (PCAP) tool. The PCAP will
help postdocs and their research mentors transition postdoctoral career planning from a shorter-term Individual
Development Plan into a longer-term strategy that defines concrete milestones for research productivity, skill
development, and career outcomes mapped to their desired career trajectory. Specific Aim 2: Create a
Postdoc Academy MOOC series delivered online and in blended formats. We will develop 15 stand-alone
digital workshop modules that will be constructed into two MOOCs, called the Postdoc Academy. The Postdoc
Academy will be offered fully online for postdocs wishing to access professional development at their own
pace, as well as in a blended format (online combined with in-person) to build local communities and to serve
those postdocs desiring higher levels of engagement from professional development. Specific Aim 3: Partner
with the National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN) and other national organizations, scientific
societies, and research networks to ensure the Postdoc Academy is accessible to a diverse postdoc
population. We will make our Pathways program accessible to a wider population of postdocs nationwide
through partnering with the Professional Development Core within NRMN as well as other national initiatives
and outreach activities. Specific Aim 4: Disseminate the Postdoc Academy and build the capacity of
postdoc professional development programs and resources at other institutions. We will create detailed
facilitator instructional guides and resources to open access to the Postdoc Academy MCLC blended learning
model, help build local support networks for postdocs at institutions ou...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9939619
- **Project number:** 5R25GM121257-03
- **Recipient organization:** BOSTON UNIVERSITY (CHARLES RIVER CAMPUS)
- **Principal Investigator:** BENNETT B GOLDBERG
- **Activity code:** R25 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $323,678
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-09-04 → 2023-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9939619

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9939619, Postdoctoral Pathways: Broadening Access to Career Advancement (5R25GM121257-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9939619. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*