Collaborative research: understanding career entry into biomedical faculty roles

The National Science Foundation Division of Undergraduate Education awarded the Board of Trustees of Southern Illinois University $189,075 on December 1, 2026, under the STEM Education program (CFDA 47.076) to conduct collaborative research examining career entry into biomedical faculty roles.

The research will generate knowledge about career pathways to tenure-track faculty positions in biomedical sciences by investigating which educational, professional, and institutional factors predict faculty hiring outcomes; how applicants navigate the hiring process and make career decisions; and how faculty search committees define and implement evaluation practices. The project integrates national surveys of STEM faculty job applicants, longitudinal interviews, surveys of faculty search committee members, and analyses of national faculty posting data. Quantitative and qualitative analyses will identify factors associated with hiring outcomes and explain applicant decision-making, committee practices, and institutional hiring practices. Findings will inform an open-access data infrastructure including publicly available dashboards, reports, and research products to support career decision-making.

Performance of the award runs through November 30, 2031, at Southern Illinois University's Carbondale, Illinois campus. The award is classified as a Project Grant and receives support under the NSF Education and Human Resources (ECR) program, which emphasizes fundamental STEM education research generating foundational knowledge in critical, broad, and enduring areas.

Abstract

This project will generate new knowledge about career pathways to tenure-track faculty positions in the biomedical sciences by examining how scientists navigate the faculty job market and how faculty hiring decisions are made. The research will investigate (1) which educational, professional, and institutional factors predict faculty hiring outcomes; (2) how applicants navigate the hiring process and make career decisions; and (3) how faculty search committees define and implement evaluation practices. The project will integrate national surveys of stem faculty job applicants, longitudinal interviews, surveys of faculty search committee members, and analyses of national faculty posting data. Quantitative and qualitative analyses will identify factors associated with hiring outcomes and explain applicant decision-making, committee practices, and institutional hiring practices. Findings will contribute to broader understanding of faculty hiring, career pathways, and stem workforce development across scientific disciplines. The resulting knowledge has the potential to strengthen workforce development in the U.S. Biomedical workforce and improve the preparation and recruitment of future faculty who train the next generation of scientists. Project findings will be synthesized through and open-access data infrastructure that includes publicly available dashboards, reports, and research products to support more informed career decision making. This project is supported by NSF?s EDU core research (ECR) program. The ECR program emphasizes fundamental stem education research that generates foundational knowledge in the field. Investments are made in critical areas that are essential, broad and enduring. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.- subawards are not planned for this award.