Faculty Involvement Opportunities (FIO) Initiative

The CFD and its affiliated offices (Office for Clinical Careers, Office for Research Careers, Office for Well-Being, Office for Women’s Careers as well as the Graduate Student Division and Post Doctoral Division) sponsor professional development seminars for faculty and trainees. See a list of programs.

Each office of the CFD has advisory committees that meet regularly to provide oversight, set priorities, help identify needs and suggest programs and initiatives for the center and its offices. Membership is by invitation; faculty may contact the CFD with interest in committee membership.

• Center for Faculty Development Faculty Council
• Office for Clinical Careers Council and Committee
• Office for Research Careers Council and Committee
• Office for Women's Careers Council and Committee

The Postdoctoral Division (PDD) sponsors the annual Research Fellows Poster Celebration, which highlights the research of MGH postdoctoral fellows. Each year a review committee is convened to assess the submitted abstracts (75-100) and select award winners.

There are many opportunities for faculty to gain ad hoc teaching experience through the CFD’s professional development seminars. Faculty are regularly recruited to teach seminars on topics such as clinical careers skills, responsible conduct of research, grant writing, leadership skills, etc. Contact the CFD to discuss opportunities that might match your expertise and knowledge base.

CFD mentoring programs match junior and senior faculty for a focused, guided mentoring experience that typically lasts one academic year, including short self-assessments, group meetings on mentoring topics and check-ins throughout the year.

MGH Research Council: The Research Council, sponsored by ECOR, meets once a month as a town meeting of the MGH investigator community and is open to the entire research community. The Research Council chair and co-chair are the two full-professor elected representatives to ECOR and the ECOR elected representatives serve as the Executive Committee. The goal of these meetings is to provide communication between ECOR and the investigator community and to bring important issues and resources to the attention of the research community.

MGH Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC): The SAC meeting is a two-day annual event, which celebrates key accomplishments of MGH investigators, past and present, and examines strategies for meeting the challenges currently facing the academic biomedical research community at MGH.
Eligibility: Poster session, talks and public portions of meeting are open to all. Faculty breakfast with SAC members: by invitation (anyone interested in attending the breakfast should email ECOR.

ECOR Elected Faculty Representatives: Six faculty (two each at the Assistant Professor, Associate Professor and Professor rank) are elected to represent their colleagues at meetings of ECOR.

ECOR is charged with responsibility for the governance of research at MGH. ECOR provides strategic guidance to MGH senior management and Trustees on future research growth and priorities for MGH, and fosters the integration of research with the other three missions of the Hospital -- patient care, education, and community health. It reports to the MGH President and Hospital Trustees.

ECOR meets twice a month to conduct its business the second and fourth Mondays, from 12 to 2:00 pm.

• Eligibility: Elected representatives serve a 3-year term and to ensure a balance of continuity and renewal, terms are staggered so that two seats are up for election every year.
• ECOR representatives should be able to speak to the research community’s interests and concerns in discussions and planning for research at MGH. Representatives are expected to attend ECOR meetings, Research Council Meetings, serve on the Executive Committee for Research Council, which meets 2-3 times per year and meet informally with members of the research community as needed to address their concerns and to respond to issues raised at ECOR or Research Council meetings.
• To submit a nomination or vote, you must be a scientist at MGH, have your primary appointment at MGH, hold an academic appointment of Assistant Professor or above and answer Yes to the question: "Do you consider yourself to be primarily a researcher?"

SRRP (Subcommittee on Review of Research Proposals): ECOR handles a large number of internal funding opportunities that require a peer review process. This review process is handled through the SRRP. SRRP reviewers provide an essential service to the MGH Research Community by reviewing most grant applications submitted to ECOR throughout the year, including internal calls such as FMD Fellowships and Interim Support Funding (ISF), and preliminary reviews for external single institution nominee calls, such as Pew Scholars and the Smith Family Awards. Each panel is led by one of the appointed SRRP Co-chairs (of which there are four).

Eligibility:

• Hold faculty level at HMS of Assistant, Associate or Professor
• Hold primary appointment at MGH
• Strong publication record
• Independent research expertise
• Have at least one R01 or equivalent level of external support
• For Interim Support Funding ONLY, reviewers must currently serve or have previously served on an NIH study section

HMS/BBS courses sponsored by ECOR: Currently ECOR sponsors two courses through the Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS) division of Harvard Medical School and we are always open to proposals for new courses. The first course, CB 226 Cell Biology - Concepts in Development, Self-Renewal, and Repair. And the second course, GEN 228- Genetics in Medicine- from Bench to Bedside.

If you are interested in proposing a new course, please send an email to ECOR@mgh.harvard.edu.

Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC): The IACUC is responsible for reviewing, approving and monitoring research studies that use animals. An MGH IACUC review panel, comprised of mostly of volunteers from the MGH research community, meet monthly to review animal protocols. All MGH investigators are eligible to be members of IACUC.

Research Safety Committee: The MGH Research Safety Committee provides leadership and support for the management of workplace safety and health and compliance with applicable environmental regulations within the MGH research community. All members of the MGH research community are eligible to participate.

Research Information Technology (IT) Institutional Advisory Boards: The ongoing mission of the Institutional Advisory Boards is to guide and develop the research information service & technology (IS&T) strategy for the research community. MGH senior investigators and subject matter experts involved in computing and computing technology are eligible to join this advisory board.

• HMS faculty governance and committees
• Joint Committee on the Status of Women

Joint Committee on the Status of Women: The JCSW is a standing committee of the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, established in 1973, representing a constituency of women and men faculty, fellows, residents, post docs, students, and staff of Harvard Medical School, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, and affiliated hospitals and institutions. Its mission is to facilitate and enhance the contribution of women faculty and staff at HMS and HSDM by expanding and enhancing opportunities for leadership and advancement. This is achieved through identifying and documenting obstacles, developing educational programs and networking events, and making recommendations to the Dean's Office and relevant administrators to address areas for improvement.

Faculty Council: The Faculty Council is an elected body of 35 faculty at the assistant professor level and above from across HMS and HSDM that advises the Dean on a range of matters including curricular planning, academic policies, finances and strategic planning for the School. The membership is divided into districts in an attempt to represent the range of departments, pre-clinical and clinical, and faculty at the senior and junior ranks. The Council meets monthly and hears presentations on a wide range of topics. The Council is chaired by the Dean and a faculty co-chair is elected annually from the Faculty Council membership.

Harvard Medical School Admissions Committee: The HMS Admissions Committee is comprised of approximately 70 faculty drawn from all components of the HMS community, as well as 16 second year and four fourth year Harvard medical students. Faculty are assigned to one of the four subcommittees and are asked to interview 2-3 candidates each week and to attend bi-weekly meetings of the subcommittee which are held in Gordon Hall during late afternoons. Prior to an interview, a candidate’s application is sent to the interviewer; the candidate generally comes to the office of the interviewer at a time convenient for the faculty member. A brief, prompt evaluation of the applicant is expected from the interviewer.

Faculty interested in further exploring this opportunity should contact Dr. Robert J. Mayer, Faculty Associate Dean for Admissions, at his academic office at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (617) 632-3474.

HMS Graduate Programs: Harvard and HMS have a number of graduate/PhD programs that MGH faculty may be eligible to join as teaching faculty. Membership in one of these programs can lead to both teaching opportunities and recruitment of graduate students for your laboratory.

Teaching Opportunities in the New Pathway Fundamentals of Medicine curriculum: The New Pathway program at Harvard Medical School offers a variety of teaching opportunities for qualified faculty members in the pre-clinical curriculum. Teaching roles vary by course. Additional information on teaching roles in your specialty area can be found by clicking on the course-link listed on the website.

Scholars in Medicine: Beginning with the 2011-12 entering class, Harvard Medical School will require its students to engage in extended scholarship (typically 4-12 months sometime during their four years of medical school). Known as the Scholars in Medicine Program (SIM), this initiative will provide students with a mentored experience of scholarship and the training to accomplish it. Students have always sought mentors for summer and part-time projects (whether paid or volunteer). Going forward students will also seek mentors for projects with sufficient depth and complexity to meet the scholarly requirement. Faculty are invited to provide students with opportunities for scholarship through the Scholars in Medicine Office (SMO) Opportunities Database.

Observed Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs): The Medical School requires student OSCEs for the Patient Doctor II Course (in January) and a Final Comprehensive OSCE (in June) for graduating students. Faculty are recruited for a half day commitment to observe a section of the exam and may volunteer for an area most suited to their expertise. The program is coordinated by Agnieszka Jackson who can be reached at Agnieszka_Jackson@hms.harvard.edu.

The Academy: The Academy was established to advance the education of physicians and scientists throughout the Harvard Medical School community by:

• Creating and supporting a community of leaders in education and a culture of excellence in teaching and learning.
• Fostering the careers of educators in medicine and science.
• Providing programming to improve the skills of teachers.
• Stimulating and supporting the creation and implementation of innovative approaches to learning and assessment.
• Supporting educational research and scholarship in medical and graduate education.

In addition to sustaining and building upon the work of the Center for Teaching and Learning, the professional development arm of The Academy, we will now be working more closely with the Graduate programs, the Program in Medical Education at HMS, and with the evolving educational centers at many of our hospitals. Among our goals, we hope to support innovation in pedagogical methods and curriculum, and promote research that focuses on teaching, learning, and assessment at the undergraduate and graduate medical education levels and in the science education of our graduate students.

Harvard Catalyst: The Harvard Clinical and Translational Science Center offers a wide variety of resources to support your research and career, including:

• post-graduate educational opportunities in a range of topics, from leadership to biostatistics
• clinical research facilities, both in- and out-patient, with nursing support, and access to subsidized sample analysis
• access to expert advice in several fields, and assistance in locating collaborators and mentors
• funding opportunities for pilot research projects and investigator training
• access to a diverse array of cutting-edge technologies, tools, and services to support biomedical research

Undergraduate Medical Education (UME)

• Patient-Doctor I & II courses (Practice of Medicine)
• Pathophysiology Tutorials
• Patient-Doctor I & II tutor
• Mentorship
• Principal Clinical Experience (PCE)
• Clerkships
• Longitudinal Case conference
• Clinical mentor
• Subinternship (extern)
• Simulation/Learning Lab

• Mentoring resources at HMS and affiliates
• HMS Faculty Development and Diversity mentoring resources

Mass General Brigham Human Research Committee (PHRC): The Mass General Brigham Human Research Committee (PHRC) is the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of Mass General Brigham Research Management. The PHRC must approve all human-subject research conducted by a Mass General Brigham-affiliated investigator. Human-subject research is a systematic investigation designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge where an investigator obtains data on individuals either through direct intervention/interaction or through the use of identifiable private information (medical records) or specimens. Research limited to the use of non-identifiable patient information may qualify for exemption from full IRB review, however all exemptions must be determined or granted by the Human Research Office.

Mass General Brigham Institutional Biosafety Committee (PIBC): The Mass General Brigham Institutional Biosafety Committee (PIBC) is the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) for the Mass General Brigham Healthcare System (PHS) member institutions engaged in Biological Research activities, including Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and McLean Hospital. The PIBC is established to conduct specific review and oversight of Biological Research activities and maintain compliance with relevant guidelines and regulations.

Mass General Brigham Responsible Conduct of Research 4-hour course: This course is part of the NIH-mandated program for trainees, fellows and career awardees supported by NIH training funds. It is organized by the Mass General Brigham Research Compliance Office. Eligibility: Senior faculty member with lab PI experience, NIH training experience as mentor or T-32 PI, and leadership role in research community.

Mass General Brigham or Hospital-based Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Courses: These courses are part of the NIH-mandated program for trainees, fellows, and career awardees supported by NIH training funds. Seminars at MGH are organized by the Clinical Research Program and the Office for Research Career Development in conjunction with the Mass General Brigham Research Compliance Office. NIH topics include research misconduct, mentoring, authorship, peer review, industry relations/COI, and collaborative research. Eligibility: K-24 PIs, T-32 PIs, or mid-career PIs are eligible to teach a hospital-based course on a NIH-mandated topic.

Clinical Research Council: Venue for presentations with open and dynamic discussions about topics that matter to all of us clinical investigators.

• Mass General Physician’s Organization (MGPO) Committees
• Executive Committee on Teaching and Education (ECOTE)

Clinical Research Day review committee: Clinical Research Day occurs each fall and is an event that highlights the clinical research being conducted at MGH.

Clinical Research Program educational seminars: Faculty who are interested in teaching a DCR course or seminar should contact dcr@partners.org.

Center for Diversity and Inclusion (CDI) Summer Research Trainee Program (SRTP): This program's goal is to build a pipeline of URM (Underrepresented minorities) college and medical school students interested in academic biomedical research careers. Preceptors/mentors are needed who will work closely with the student matched to their lab, providing guidance and instruction in techniques necessary to address current problems in science and medicine. The student will participate in a new or ongoing project and assume increasing independence during the 8-week course of the program.

MGH/James P. Timilty Middle School Partnership: The MGH/Timilty Partnership is a business/education partnership formed in 1989 between the Massachusetts General Hospital and the James P. Timilty Middle School. Its mission is to enrich the educational opportunities, improve the health, and expand the horizons of students at the Timilty school. MGH mentors guide students on their science fair projects.
For more information, please contact mghcchi@partners.org.

MGH Youth Scholars Program: The MGH Youth Scholars Program is a four-year program for students interested in STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and math). The program focuses on career exploration, research and college readiness.
For more information, please contact mghcchi@partners.org.