I am pleased to announce that registration is open for the Fostering Cohort Recruitment (FCR) Virtual Forum on the afternoons of February 23 and 24, 2022. I look forward to hosting this event, which will introduce attendees to faculty cohort recruitment programs at the NIH and within the broader scientific endeavor and delve into the science behind their effectiveness.
As we will discuss in the forum, cohort recruitment or cluster hiring can take different forms. Still, the terms generally refer to enlisting faculty into multiple departments to enhance diversity and promote institutional culture change. Evidence from academic settings suggests that such programs can make science and medicine more inclusive by improving the recruitment and retention of members of underrepresented groups and fostering collaborative, supportive workplace environments.
Over the two half-days, the FCR Virtual Forum will explore faculty cohort recruitment adoption and dissemination. Discussions will include the impact of cohort recruitment on diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA); practices that make cohort recruitment successful; potential barriers to success; and how to evaluate both implementation and outcomes.
A dozen invited scholars with a range of expertise in cohort recruitment will participate in four main panel discussions on the following topics:
- Leadership Viewpoints on Creating Culture Change Through Cohort Recruitment
- Successes & Challenges of Cohort Recruitment as Part of the Larger DEIA Mission
- Identifying Resource Needs for Cohort Recruitment and Professional Development
- Tracking Cohort Outcomes: Collecting Data on the Experiences of Faculty Members
The FCR Virtual Forum is for implementers and potential implementers of faculty cohort recruitment programs, but all are welcome to attend. The forum is free, and registration is required. Once registered, you will receive a link via email to join the event. The forum recordings and other related materials will later be available on the COSWD website.
I encourage all readers interested in cohort recruitment and workforce diversity to attend this pioneering event and share it with your networks. In addition, you may wish to listen to the recent COSWD Office seminar on this topic, “Achieving Equity in Faculty – Pros and Cons of Cohort Recruitment,” and become familiar with NIH cohort recruitment initiatives, such as the Distinguished Scholars Program (DSP), the Faculty Institutional Recruitment for Sustainable Transformation (FIRST) program, the Institutional Research and Academic Career Development (IRACDA) program, and the Maximizing Opportunities for Scientific and Academic Independent Careers (MOSAIC) program.