NEWS

North Carolina Central University is part of$4 million program to inspire young scientists

By SCOTT LOWRY

UNC-CH Department of Biology

CHAPEL Hill -- U.S. graduate schools are producing highly trained postdoctoral scientists in record numbers, but most of them won’t wind up in the research track careers for which their years of study prepared them.

"The work force is filled with an estimated 35,000 postdoctoral trainees who are now or will soon be looking for jobs," said Dr. Walter E. Bollenbacher, professor of biology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

"Many are frustrated because they feel that their specialized training prepares them only for academia -- where only 25 percent will secure jobs," he said. "What’s more, many postdoctoral trainees want to balance their research careers with more hands-on, innovative teaching skills, for which they receive no training."

So last year, 11 biology professors from the eight N.C. universities in the Partnership for Minority Advancement in the Biomolecular Sciences (PMABS) began building a new approach to better prepare those with advanced science degrees for the 21st century job market. With 11 years working together to propel underserved and underrepresented students into hot careers like molecular biology, they knew they could help.

The result, Seeding Postdoctoral Innovators in Research and Education (SPIRE), a five-year, $4 million program centered at UNC-Chapel Hill, supported by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, part of the National Institutes of Health.

The program aims to provide postdoctoral fellows with broader experience to better prepare them wherever they go. Those entering the private sector will bring a strong science background plus training in interpersonal skills that high-tech firms value. Fellows pursuing academic careers will acquire the balance of research, education and community service necessary for tenure-track positions. North Carolina Central University, one of the seven historically minority universities that joined forces with UNC-CH to create PMABS, will play a key role in the process by contributing significantly to the educational component of the program.

Dr. Leslie Lerea, program coordinator, explained that fellows selected from a national applicant pool would spend their first two years at UNC-CH. There, they will augment the sort of research traditionally assigned to postdoctoral trainees with workshops on business skills development, pedagogy, instructional technology, and distance education.

Their final year will place trainees at a historically minority university campus such as North Carolina Central University. There they will share their expertise, doing research and teaching cutting-edge courses that would otherwise be unavailable through the smaller biology departments common on these campuses. At the same time, first-rate teachers will mentor these developing scientists as they gain experiences and skills that will serve them well in the job market.

Dr. John Mayfield, professor of biology at North Carolina Central University said, "This approach will greatly benefit all the partners: research intensive universities, minority-serving academic institutions, involved postdocs, and all institutions served by SPIRE participants. SPIRE activities will not only have a profound effect on the direction of undergraduate education, but will increase participation and acceptance of the department and university as community entities."

The corporate community is also excited by the project. Glaxo Wellcome, Inc., for one, is eager to participate.

"We look beyond scientific excellence and achievement in hiring scientists into Glaxo Wellcome Research," explained Bob Bell, vice president of research in the company’s U.S. division. "Because the success of our drug discovery efforts depends on teamwork, communication and adaptability, we hire people with these skills."

Ultimately, everybody wins. SPIRE postdoctoral fellows gain the experience needed to get the jobs they want. Participating schools get access to a wider knowledge base. Employers can choose from better qualified scientists. And all have a better understanding of how to prepare the next generation for scientific and technical careers.

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