Meeting Abstract
The Fellowship in Research and Science Teaching (FIRST) at Emory University is a three-year postdoctoral training program designed to provide a quality foundation for successful careers in academia. Supported for 16 years by an Institutional Research and Career Development Award (IRACDA) from the NIH, FIRST combines interdisciplinary research training with instruction in teaching pedagogies, classroom technology, course development, and undergraduate mentoring. As with traditional postdoctoral positions, fellows work under the direction of research mentors at Emory University, a nationally recognized research institute. As a crucial addition, however, fellows also receive training in innovative pedagogical methods like active learning and technology-based teaching. Fellows apply these skills by teaching and mentoring students at one of three Historically Black Colleges or Universities in Atlanta: Morehouse College, Spelman College, and Clark-Atlanta University. FIRST also aims to increase the overall representation of minority scientists within the biological/biomedical sciences, and thus inspire minority undergraduates to pursue the same path. In 16 years, FIRST has trained ~170 fellows. In comparison to their peers in traditional postdoctoral fellows, FIRST fellows publish at the same rate, receive comparable external funding, and importantly, are more successful at obtaining academic positions after completion of postdoctoral training. Of 145 alumni, 64% are faculty at research intensive, liberal arts, or minority serving institutions. By combining teaching and research training, FIRST produces scholars who are successful, independent researchers and effective educators that will inspire the next generation of scientists.
