Do you know the different types of academic faculty positions that are available in the U.S.? What skills do you need for each type? What type of faculty position is right for you?  Join Kathy Gould, Ph.D, Louise B. McGavock Professor, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology and Senior Associate Dean for Biomedical Research, Education and Training for a session in which we will explore the different types of faculty positions available to life scientists and the variable skills a competitive applicant needs to demonstrate for each type.  Participants will use the Academic Career Readiness Assessment (ACRA) Framework, developed by the UCSF Office of Career & Professional Development, to assess their level of preparedness for different positions and to set professional development and research goals that are aligned with the hiring criteria used to assess job candidates. This session will also provide an overview of the faculty job search process and other types of organizations that employ Principal Investigators.

Faculty panelists will discuss how to lay the groundwork for an independent research career and the faculty job search process. Topics will include defining your research niche, identifying mentors and collaborators, having conversations about independence with your mentor(s), and developing a research plan and research statement. Panelists are Dr. David Cortez, PhD, and Dr. Eric Skaar, PhD, MPH. 

Join our faculty panel as they share tips for preparing for a faculty job search. Panelists will discuss advance preparation for the job search, how search committees work and how applications are reviewed, and provide advice for creating a faculty application package that helps you stand out from the competition. Panelists include Dr. Walter Chazin, PhD, Dr. Yi Ren, PhD, and Dr. Elma Zaganjor, PhD, who will share their perspectives as a full professor who has served on multiple search committees and assistant professors who have successfully navigated the job search. 

Interviews for faculty jobs are often multi-day events with one-on-one and group interviews, research presentations, teaching demos, chalk talks, meetings with students, and meals with other faculty. In this panel discussion, faculty will discuss how to ace the interview and deliver dynamic and engaging talks. Panelists include Dr. Antentor Hinton, PhD,  Dr. Kim Rathmell, MD, PhD, and Dr. Chris Wright, DPhil,  who will share their perspectives as a full professor who has served on multiple search committees and an assistant professor who has successfully navigated the job search recently.  

If you apply for a faculty position that involves significant teaching, you may be asked to submit a “teaching philosophy” or “teaching statement” as part of the application process. What is expected in these documents? How should you approach them if never taught a full course before? In this session, you’ll learn how to reflect on your past teaching (and learning!) experiences to write a compelling teaching statement that gives search committees a sense of how you will approach classroom teaching and mentoring. Presented by Dr. Neil Osheroff, PhD, Professor of Biochemistry, John Coniglio Chair in Biochemistry, and Past-Director, Academy for Excellence in Education.

Universities and Colleges are increasingly requiring faculty job applicants to provide a statement addressing how they plan to contribute to inclusive excellence in their professional lives. The purpose of this statement is to ascertain if an applicant has a commitment to diversity in their scholarship, teaching, service, mentoring, and advising. In this interactive workshop, we will introduce several approaches to developing and writing a diversity statement and giving participants an opportunity to generate ideas on their own and in small groups. Please come prepared to engage with other scholars actively. Workshop Facilitator: Ransford Pinto, PhD, CFT Assistant Director for Graduate Programs and Senior Lecturer, Department of Leaderships, Policy, and Organizations

Join Kathy Gould, Ph.D., as she shares tips and strategies for negotiating your salary and start-up package for your faculty position. Topics will include a discussion of items that can be negotiated, resources for finding salary information, and strategies to navigate the negotiation process and set yourself up for success.

This session is for biomedical trainees who are on the academic job market this year. Bring 2-3 printed copies of your CV to this session; double-sided copies are fine. You will exchange CVs with other participants to give and receive peer feedback on your document. Having printed copies on hand will allow you to receive written comments.