UM FIRST Assistant Professor

The University of Maryland FIRST Program (UM FIRST) invites promising candidates to apply to Assistant Professor Faculty positions that have been created under a comprehensive model dedicated to ensuring a diverse, scholarly environment, which encourages aspiring faculty to enter the academic profession through a commitment to inclusive excellence. Ten early-stage investigators will be selected for UM FIRST tenure-track assistant professor positions across departments, institutes, and centers that have demonstrated organizational readiness to be inclusive and promote the advancement of early-career faculty.

Faculty will be hired in three broadly themed areas of significant strength at both institutions:

• Cancer Biology
  
• Neuroscience
  
• Microbiology/immunology/vaccinology/infectious diseases

UM FIRST was established through the partnership with the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) and University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) , and funded by a multi-year NIH Faculty Institutional Recruitment for Sustainable Transformation (FIRST) Cohort program grant, to create inclusive environments conducive to supporting highly effective biomedical researchers from a range of lived experiences. UM FIRST Faculty will receive targeted support for academic and social integration, mentoring and advising, knowledge and skill development, and support and motivation.

UMSOM and UMBC are united in their commitment to establishing a home for inclusive excellence. Eligible applicants will have a demonstrated interest in the advancement of underrepresented individuals in biomedical research, as based on applicant background and lived experiences. UM FIRST Faculty will be hired in cohorts of 2-3 until the ten positions are filled. Competitive salary, generous startup packages, and ample laboratory space will be provided. UM FIRST faculty will be integrated into a multi-campus supportive resource community of trainees and faculty designed to foster professional advancement and will be invited to collaborate with existing pipeline programs dedicated to supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion.

About our institutions:
UMSOM ranks highly in the fields of Oncology, Microbiology/Immunology and Neuroscience. The Dept. of Microbiology and Immunology is currently ranked # 3 among all medical school microbiology departments in the U.S. in NIH funding, according to 2022 Blue Ridge Institute rankings of medical school departments. In addition, the University of Maryland Stewart and Greenebaum Cancer Center is a National Cancer Institute (NCI)-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. Notably, there are only 53 NCI-Comprehensive Cancer Centers nationwide, which indicates that the institution has been recognized for their scientific leadership, training and educational programs, as well as service to the community. Neuroscience has long been a major strength on campus and accounts for over 35% of our NIH funded research. The recent creation of the University of Maryland – Medicine Institute for Neuroscience Discovery (UM-MIND) and the Kahlert Institute for Addiction Medicine will further energize neuroscience with new recruits and state-of-the-art research facilities.

Established in 1966, UMBC is now among the fastest-growing research universities in the Nation. UMBC was designated a Doctoral University with Very High Research Activity – also known as Carnegie R1 – in the 2021 Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, placing UMBC among the top 146 research universities in the Nation. UMBC’s Department of Biological Sciences is one of the university’s largest academic departments, and values having a broad range of research areas including Neuroscience, Cell Biology & Cancer, Microbiology, Molecular Biology & Genetics, Computational Biology, and Evolution & Ecology, which attract major federal, state, and private funding. Researchers have access to an array of state-of-the-art core equipment, and many opportunities for interdisciplinary collaborations on campus. UMBC has served as a national model for lived experience diversity and inclusive excellence in STEM education in part due to the significant successes of its Meyerhoff Scholars ( http://meyerhoff.umbc.edu/ ) and Meyerhoff Graduate Fellows programs ( https://grise.umbc.edu/ ). Additionally, UMBC recently ranked 6th nationally for both Undergraduate Teaching and Most Innovative University by the US News and World Report.

UM FIRST faculty will have access to sponsors, mentors, career coaches, institutional research navigators, targeted instruction for grant-writing, and professional development opportunities to help them mitigate the difficulties often experienced by early career faculty and accelerate the development of their research careers.

The UM FIRST Program aims to foster inclusive excellence and provide a supportive environment to establish and grow our community and promote individuals who:

• meet the criteria for NIH-defined Early Stage Investigators
  
• have a strong commitment to diversity
  
• successfully compete for federal research funding
  
• develop a vibrant and independent research program

Qualifications :

Qualifications:
All qualified individuals with a strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion are welcome to apply. Because evidence suggests that participation in the field of biomedical research by those with the historical and lived experience of being marginalized helps to alleviate existing healthcare disparities, we encourage applications from a broad range of applicants with backgrounds and life experiences that are underrepresented in biomedical research. This includes, but is not limited to, the following groups identified as underrepresented by the NIH FIRST solicitation: racial and ethnic minorities, those from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, individuals with disabilities, and women.

Please provide:

• cover letter
  
• current CV
  
• research statement related to one of the three focus areas
  
• contact information for at least three individuals willing to provide references
  
• statement describing how your background and experience, including lived experiences related to being from or supporting under-represented and marginalized groups in biomedical research, align with the required qualifications for the UM FIRST Program and the program aim (to create inclusive environments conducive to supporting highly effective biomedical researchers from a range of lived experiences).

For best consideration in this round of selection, please apply by October 30, 2023.

To learn more about this opportunity visit our website:
https://umfirst.umaryland.edu/
To apply: https://umb.taleo.net/careersection/umb_faculty+and+post+docs/jobdetail.ftl?job=230000DU&lang=en

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