Mining for Gold: Alternative Strategies for Successful Careers in Academic Medical Research

This webinar will touch upon why the older model of funding academic research and building your career as a professor through NIH’s RO1-type general grants, supplementing with pharmaceutical grants during brief hiatus periods, is no longer a viable option for most.

This model leads to frustration and to seeking new career options. It is particularly true when the focus is basic research. 

We have found success in an “entrepreneurial model” that takes advantage of changes that are part of our world globalization and the increased medical needs of our society. Along with a decrease in standard, basic research funding from NIH has come an increase in translational (i.e. bench to bedside) funding worldwide. 

This shift is seen both academic directed grants as well as government based (including NIH) small business innovative grants (SBIR) used to develop a technology. Successful adaption requires forming and advancing multiple collaborations with others in academics as well as industry where joint interests exist, and in sharing both the responsibilities as well as the rewards. 

Built-in is the potential of seeing your work advance to a new prevention or treatment option for patients. Further gains come from understanding how business integrates with medicine and in having an impact on how this new system evolves into the future.