Columbia University
PAE-9: Support Programs for Future Faculty

In 2010, the Provost established the Office for Academic Planning and appointed a Vice Provost for Academic Planning with responsibilities for faculty development, diversity and planning initiatives. The Office works in collaboration with the University's academic and administrative units to attract, advance, and retain a diverse faculty to more closely reflect the composition of the national pool of qualified candidates. The creation of this office was spurred by the Provost’s belief that these initiatives are most likely to succeed when they are tightly woven into the core functions and decision making of the institution. The Office of Academic Planning implements Columbia University's diversity mission statement and to recruit outstanding faculty and postdoctoral scholars from underrepresented groups to more closely reflect the composition of the national pool of qualified candidates.

As part of a University-wide initiative to enhance faculty and pipeline diversity, the Provost of the University and the Vice Provost for Academic Planning met with each School Dean and asked them to establish specific diversity goals, a three-year strategy to achieve its goals, and methods to assess and communicate progress. To assist the Deans with their planning, the Office for Academic Planning provided them with availability analyses from Affirmative Action Plans, their ten-year student and faculty diversity assessments, and guidance on formulating priorities in light of academic and financial considerations and pipeline realities. School goals and strategies, developed in collaboration with faculty members at each School, vary depending on hiring needs, pipeline variabilities, and similar considerations. The Schools’ plans address key points of the faculty career cycle, with specific strategies for achieving the diversity goal. Schools submitted their plans to the Provost and the implementation process is underway.

Columbia University has committed to investing $30 million to enhance the diversity of its faculty through the recruitment of outstanding female and underrepresented minority scholars. The plan, announced in April 2012 by President Lee C. Bollinger and Provost John H. Coatsworth, focuses on recruiting new faculty members and postdoctoral candidates to more closely reflect the composition of the national pool of qualified candidates. Employing this collaborative framework, half of the commitment will come from Columbia’s central budget, while the remainder will be matched by individual schools participating in the effort. http://news.columbia.edu/home/2722
Postdoctoral Programs

In 2012, the Provost’s Postdoctoral Research Scientist and Scholar Program to Enhance Diversity was launched. Following up on President Bollinger and Provost’s Coatsworth’s announcement of the next phase of the University’s commitment to enhancing faculty diversity, in June 2012 all Columbia Schools were invited to respond to a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the program. This program supports the recruitment of outstanding female and underrepresented minority scholars to more closely reflect the composition of the national pool of qualified candidates. The selection will be carried out in two stages. In the first stage, Schools submit proposals for a postdoctoral position in a specified unit of the School. A committee will review and recommend tot he Provost the units that should receive a postdoctoral position. In the second stage, after the committee’s work is complete, the selected units will conduct their own external search and recruit postdoctoral candidates. The Provost’s Office and Schools will share the costs of the recruitments for successful proposals. The first cohort is expected to start in the summer of 2013.

Programs for Transition to Graduate Study, Faculty Positions, and Research Independence
Columbia is home to many programs that serve as a bridge for underrepresented minority and female candidates to advance from undergraduate to graduate studies, graduate studies to faculty positions, and junior faculty positions to research independence

Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory (LDEO) Leadership Grant Initiative – The Leadership Grant Initiative offers post doctoral and junior research scientists up to $500 to attend a leadership conference or workshop specifically aimed at career development. The program began in 2009. In the past two years, five grants have given for attendance at such events as the Earth Science Women's Network, the Association of Women in Science, and the Ocean Leadership Symposium.
Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC), Office of Faculty Affairs (OFA) – The Office of Faculty Affairs offers a series of programs as part of professional development, including (i) CUMC Faculty Mentoring Training – This program, developed as part of an NIH funded trial on mentor training, follows a curriculum intended to assess the impact of mentor training on the mentoring experience; Topics include: communication, setting expectations, professional development, and mentoring across diversity.
CUMC Career Development – The career development programs aim to provide CUMC faculty with the tools and resources they need to further advance their careers in academic medicine through workshops and tutorials on topics such as: Leadership & Management; Strategies for Success in Academia; Mentoring; Balancing Work & Life; Time Management; and CV writing.

CUMC Course on Funding and Grantsmanship for Research and Careers Development Activities – Designed for graduate students, postdoctoral scientists, new investigator,s faculty and administrators, this course offers sessions on such topics as: support and review processes for research and training activities with Government Agencies, Voluntary Health Organizations, Foundations, Industry, Clinical Trials, and Development; planning & organizing a research proposal; experiences of a peer reviewer; and grant writing.

CUMC Faculty Development Series – OFA offers a seven part course on career development. Classes include: orienting your career at CUMC; academic tracks and academic advancement at CUMC; facilitating mentoring; developing a career focus; documents for docs: CVs and insight on what you need to tell your story; managing your time and work/life demands; and a strategy for career success-negotiating for what you need.

CUMC Negotiation Series – OFA offered two-part series on negotiation skills focusing on fundamental concepts of negotiation and negotiation styles and conflict handling profiles;
Mailman School of Public Health (MSPH) MSPH Initiative for Maximizing Student Diversity (IMSD) – The purpose of IMSD is to increase the number of underrepresented students who receive doctoral training in public health. The program is available to students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents who have been accepted into any of the MSPH public health doctoral programs. IMSD provides partial tuition coverage, a graduate research assistantship placement with a faculty mentor, and travel to one scientific conference per year.

The Office of Work/Life helps with the faculty recruitment process in terms of supporting planning with faculty and their families when relocating to NYC metro area, specifically child care, housing, K-12 schooling, Spouse/partner dual career service. This in particular supports the diversity goal of women and people of color in academia, as there may be extended and immediate family responsibilities that without supports could interfere with career development.

HIV Intervention Science Training Program for Underrepresented New Investigators – School of Social Work
Programs to Increase Diversity Among Individuals Engaged in Health-Related Research (PRIDE) – Mailman School of Public Health/College of Physicians and Surgeons

Additional Information:
http://academicplanning.columbia.edu/
http://academicplanning.columbia.edu/bridge-phd-program-natural-sciences-participants
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/gsas/sub/pstudents/oma/summer-research/
LDEO Diversity: http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/ldeo/dir/academic-affairs-diversity/Home.html
CUMC: http://www.cumc.columbia.edu/faculty/professional-development