Collaborative research: understanding career entry into biomedical faculty roles

The National Science Foundation Division of Undergraduate Education awarded Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University $123,882 on December 1, 2026, for collaborative research examining career entry into biomedical faculty positions under the STEM Education program (CFDA 47.076).

The project investigates educational, professional, and institutional factors predicting faculty hiring outcomes; how job applicants navigate the hiring process and make career decisions; and how faculty search committees define and implement evaluation practices. Research methods include 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. Project findings will be synthesized through an open-access data infrastructure including publicly available dashboards, reports, and research products to support informed career decision-making.

Virginia Tech will perform the work at Blacksburg, Virginia, with a period of performance from December 1, 2026, through November 30, 2031. The award is classified as a Project Grant, which emphasizes fundamental STEM education research generating foundational knowledge in the field.

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.