@article{c56b537829684aa2a5acb09f04cb43b1,
title = "Policy recommendations for optimizing the infectious diseases physician-scientist workforce",
abstract = "The Infectious Diseases Society of America, HIV Medicine Association, and Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society are concerned by the continued decline in the number of infectious diseases trainees pursuing careers as physician-scientists and the attrition of junior and midcareer physician-scientists. The inability to replace the aging physician-scientist workforce will have a negative, long-lasting impact our biomedical research enterprise and its ability to drive the discovery of new treatments for important infectious diseases. We discuss policy recommendations for securing and optimizing the infectious diseases physician-scientist workforce in the areas of education, training, compensation, and mentorship, as well as ways to improve federal research funding, cross-sector collaboration, and workforce diversity.",
keywords = "biomedical research workforce, diversity, federal funding, physician-scientist",
author = "Upinder Singh and Jaclyn Levy and Wendy Armstrong and Bedimo, {Roger J} and Creech, {C. Buddy} and Ebbing Lautenbach and Popovich, {Kyle J.} and Jessica Snowden and Vyas, {Jatin M.}",
note = "Funding Information: The average IDSA researcher currently receives support from 4.6 research grants, averaging $1.37 million in annual funding. About half of ID investigators receive institutional subsidies for their work, such as provision of support staff, technician, free core services, etc [2]. To maintain adequate grant and institutional resources for the next generation of physician-scientists, we advocate expanding initiatives such as the R38 StARR program to offer research support during the fellowship training years. By not linking to prior residency experience with the R38, this would be a higher yield for NIAID and offer the best chance to develop physician-scientists in infectious diseases. Expansion of the R38 StARR program to include fellows would be advantageous to the NIH and more aligned with successful clinical and research training timelines. Funding Information: We also recommend that federal agencies and institutions consider strategies to improve mentorship programs and career support for underrepresented minorities during MD and/or PhD training. Existing programs to develop mentorship for the PSW, such as those offered by the Center for AIDS Research [28], can serve as templates for providing faculty with tools for more effective mentoring—particularly for underrepresented and early-career trainees. Highlighting opportunities for research experiences during residency, promoting the availability of postresidency fellowship training programs, supporting applications for grant opportunities to promote independence, and balancing research, patient care, and family life in a physician-scientist career are all critical elements of the support needed to increase and retain diversity in the PSW pipeline. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2018 The Author(s).",
year = "2018",
month = aug,
day = "14",
doi = "10.1093/infdis/jiy246",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "218",
pages = "S49--S54",
journal = "The Journal of infectious diseases",
issn = "0022-1899",
publisher = "Oxford University Press",
}