FASEB Considers Workforce Challenges and Opportunities

By: Yvette Seger
Wednesday, November 20, 2024
In October, over 60 representatives from FASEB’s Board of Directors and Science Policy Committee convened for its 25th annual Science Policy Symposium to discuss challenges and opportunities for ensuring a sustainable biomedical workforce. Spearheaded by Michael Lehman, PhD, FASEB’s Vice President for Science Policy, the agenda featured a keynote presentation by Michael Lauer, MD, Deputy Director for Extramural Research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), followed by a panel discussion featuring Alison Gammie, PhD, Director of the Division of Training, Workforce Development and Diversity at the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, NIH; D. Ryan King, PhD, Innovation Manager, Carilion Clinic and Assistant Professor of Medicine, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine; Daquina Nicholas, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California Irvine; and Melissa Wynn, PhD, Program Officer, Board on Higher Education and Workforce, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

In his presentation, Lauer highlighted historical factors that have resulted in an environment in which young scientists are choosing to pursue research careers beyond academia, including a hypercompetitive job market, unpredictability of federal research budgets, and persistent funding inequities among institutions and career stages. Panel members build upon these themes, with both Gammie and King noting the importance of focusing on the trainee perspective in which the current training structure requires extended time and lost wages and for which advancement is dependent upon a single individual. Nicholas highlighted the importance of focusing on trainee needs beyond research training to foster belonging, particularly for individuals of marginalized identities. The importance of inclusion and who constitutes the biomedical workforce was reiterated by Wynn, who added that the challenges are not just at the PhD to postdoc to faculty transition, but systemic throughout education.

Following the presentations, attendees transitioned to breakout groups to determine potential actions that FASEB could take to address barriers to pursuing biomedical careers; ensure training reflects career opportunities and research needs; support and retain international scholars; and determine data necessary to define training needs. Ideas generated from these breakout sessions will be used to inform FASEB’s initiatives in policy, advocacy, and workforce development.