Program to Launch URM Success (PLUS)

DESCRIPTION

Academic medicine faces ongoing challenges in recruiting, retaining, and advancing underrepresented minorities (URM) in medicine. PLUS (Program to Launch URM Success) is designed to support the career development of URM faculty in academic medicine. PLUS helps units retain and promote high talent faculty from underrepresented groups who have the expertise and skills to enhance IUSM’s institutional mission.

PLUS is a 2-year cohort program, structured around two pillars: Leadership and Scholarship, and bolstered by networking, advising, career coaching, and wellness programming that is tailored to meet the needs of URM faculty. 

In their first year, PLUS Scholars participate in LAMP (Leadership in Academic Medicine Program).  In the second year, scholars participate in the monthly PLUS Seminar Series, comprised of research methods instruction, writing seminars, career coaching, and wellness workshops.  Spanning both years, the PLUS Scholars will participate in Connections events designed to combat social and professional isolation and to cultivate a sense of community across departments and disciplines.  Scholars will also be assigned PLUS Advisory Council (PAC) Advisors to offer support and oversight.  By the end of the 2-year program, PLUS Scholars will have completed a project that will result in a scholarly product for submission and/or dissemination in a peer-reviewed forum.

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES

• Accelerate the rate of career advancement among participating URM faculty – not only increasing the percentage of faculty pursuing promotion and tenure but also shortening the average time to promotion.
• Support URM faculty in completing scholarly work in research, service, or teaching.
• Provide structured mentoring related to career planning and professional development.
• Develop leadership skills among junior URM faculty to create a leadership pipeline in service of building a more diverse IUSM leadership team.
• Cultivate a sense of community and mitigate experiences of social and/or professional isolation that may threaten URM faculty vitality.
• Develop self-care strategies to promote wellness, overcome adversity, and mitigate burnout.
• Equip faculty with resources, networks, and mediators to help influence institutional systems that result in hostile or inequitable work environments.

ELIGIBILITY

Preferred applicants are tenure-track and clinical-track IUSM faculty at the rank of assistant professor. All assistant professors are eligible, but preference will be given to applicants within 2-5 years of their initial appointment.

Priority will be given to faculty that identify as a member of one of two racial/ethnic groups specified within the Representational Diversity Pillar of the IUSM Diversity Strategic Framework:

• Black/African-American
• Hispanic/Latinx

Eligible faculty member should have an identified primary mentor within their Department or Division. 

TIME COMMITMENT TO PLUS

In support of their efforts PLUS scholars will receive mentorship, project funding, and scheduled time to pursue their scholarly activities over the course of two years. The time commitment to participate in PLUS is approximately 10%. Departments or divisions will provide support by protecting the scholars’ time to successfully complete the PLUS program activities.

PLUS Scholars are required to meet on a regular basis with their mentor(s), on a quarterly basis with their PAC advisor, and participate in PLUS cohort activities, including but not limited to: LAMP sessions (minimum 6/10 in year 1), PLUS seminars (minimum 6/10 in year 2), and a minimum of 5 Connection events over 2 years.

Departments/Divisions that do not support scholar participation may be ineligible for award renewal and/or future awards to the department/division.

PROJECT FUNDING

Faculty can apply for up to $50,000 (one-time award to be utilized over two years) in PLUS Scholar Project Funds. Projects can be research, education, or service-oriented in nature.  Funding proposals should include a description of (1) the objective of your project (2) the methodology, study design, or manner in you will conduct or implement the project (3) the manner in which completion of the project will help you advance your professional goals.  Funding proposals must be submitted with budget justifications in support of the amount requested which explains how the funds will be utilized over the two-year award period. Personnel (e.g. research staff, technicians, student workers), equipment, supplies, courses, and study participant payments are examples of permissible expenses. Overhead such as computers, utilities, and office space are not permitted. Course buy-outs and salary supports for faculty members are not permitted.

Conditions for Funding

• Departmental commitment to support time commitment to complete PLUS activities (estimated at 10% effort)
  • Application must include a brief Statement of Support signed by the Unit Lead (i.e. department chair, division director) to endorse that the applicant is in good standing and that the Unit is willing to release the candidate from clinical, teaching, or administrative duties to participate in program activities.
• Identified Departmental/Divisional Mentor and Mentorship Plan
  • Application must include a brief Mentorship Plan, indicating who within the Unit will serve as the candidate’s mentor and how frequently they plan to meet.

Program to Launch URM Success (PLUS) Application

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