Office of Academic Affairs and Career Development

The OAACD works in collaboration with the Office of Diversity and Inclusion to ensure the provision of resources, training and opportunities to enhance the recruitment and career development of a diverse faculty, to increase the diversity of faculty members in leadership positions, and to provide the support necessary to help them succeed in those positions. Diversity is defined broadly and includes gender, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability and country of origin. Resource materials, networking opportunities, and leadership development opportunities have been developed as a part of this ongoing, comprehensive effort.

Faculty Development Liaisons are faculty members from divisions across the institution who are interested in working with others to enhance faculty development opportunities within their divisions. Liaisons serve as an advisory group for the Office of Academic Affairs and Career Development and meet quarterly to:

• Learn about faculty development resources available at Cincinnati Children’s and elsewhere and share with their division
• Bring divisional faculty development needs to the group for discussion and idea generation
• Share ideas for faculty development initiatives or programs with the group to promote collaboration or dissemination

Charlotte R. Schmidlapp Women Scholars Program

The Schmidlapp program provides grants of $70,000 a year for up to two years to women faculty who have shown promise as leaders within the institution and are at a critical stage of their career. The intention of the award is to provide career support so that more women reach the rank of Associate and Full Professor. Scholars are selected each year by the Schmidlapp committee, consisting of senior women faculty.

Learn more about the Schmidlapp Women Scholars Program

Diversity and Health Disparities Award

The Diversity and Health Disparities Research Award provides research funds for highly skilled junior faculty members from all Cincinnati Children's Departments who are underrepresented minorities and/or have a strong commitment to health disparities research. The maximum budget is $75,000 in direct costs per year for two years. The objective of this funding opportunity is to promote the career development of underrepresented faculty and to enhance the health disparities research effort at Cincinnati Children's. Up to one grant is awarded each year.

The OAACD collaborates with internal and external consultants to develop and implement leadership programs that will create a cadre of outstanding faculty leaders at all career stages, and encourage faculty leaders to create a culture of service, appreciation, inclusion, teamwork and collaboration.

The overarching goals of all OAACD faculty leadership development programs are to enhance and develop participants’ leadership abilities and effectiveness, through:

1. Gaining a deeper understanding of one’s “leadership foundation,” including values, leadership styles, strengths and limitations
2. Developing a broader perspective and increasing one’s ability to utilize strategic, operational, and relational skills needed for research, clinical or educational leadership roles at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.

Emerging Leadership and Core Leadership Programs

The Emerging Leadership Program was developed to meet the needs of faculty members at an early stage of their careers, and the Core Leadership Program was developed for mid-level leaders, such as fellowship, medical, or research directors. The goal of these programs is to support the achievement of the Cincinnati Children’s vision and mission by assisting faculty leaders in identifying and leveraging their leadership talents. Some of the topics covered during these 10-month programs include:

• Achieving personal and career success
• Living (and leading others to live) Cincinnati Children's values
• Delivering difficult messages
• Values-based leadership
• Leading with passion and purpose
• Financial leadership and program-building skills
• Empowering others to lead and optimizing leadership effectiveness
• Leading across differences: recruiting, retaining, and promoting a diverse faculty
• Work/life integration and building a personal support team
• Charting a course for your next leadership opportunity

During each program, participants obtain 360° feedback and create personal development plans to accomplish during the program. As a culminating project, each participant completes an individual "Leadership Profile" that includes her/his own definition of leadership; chosen leadership styles; characteristics, values, and principles; and a plan as to how individual leadership strengths will be used to help Cincinnati Children's meet its mission and vision.

From time to time, the OAACD will offer Booster Sessions for former participants of its leadership development programs. These sessions are designed to support participants as they continue to apply knowledge acquired to situations in their unique work areas. They also provide a forum where participants can receive peer guidance and support relative to specific leadership challenges they may be facing.

Advanced Leadership Program

The Advanced Leadership Program is designed for senior leaders such as Division Directors and has historically been facilitated in collaboration with faculty from the Harvard School of Public Health.

The OAACD has developed and launched a mentorship initiative that supports the career development of all faculty through formal and informal mentoring. The objectives of this initiative are to ensure that all junior faculty members identify a primary mentor and a career development committee, ensure that every junior faculty member has the information, tools, skills, and support necessary for them to achieve their career objectives and to improve the provision of high quality mentoring throughout the institution.

Components of the mentorship program include:

• Career Development Committees for junior faculty
• Faculty Mentorship Handbook, including the following inserts:
  
  • Career Development Committee Guidance
  • Mentorship Agreement template
  • Questions Mentees Might Ask
  • Questions Mentors Might Ask
  • Tips for Mentees
  • Tips for Mentors
  • Mentorship Articles
  • Individual Development Plan template
  • Developmental Network Plan template
• Mentorship seminars and symposia
• Faculty mentoring webpage
• New faculty orientation
• Annual RPT workshop
• 1:1 mentoring
• Junior faculty bootcamp
• Mentorship training workshops (in collaboration with UCCOM)

The OAACD facilitates the development and implementation of networking groups and events that foster collaboration, psychosocial support, recruitment, retention, and career success. This effort has resulted in a number of networking opportunities for faculty with different interests and backgrounds, including , Field Service Track, Medical Education Scholarship Team , Black faculty, writing accountability groups (WAGs) and the Women in Medicine and Science (formerly Women’s Faculty Association) networking groups. Words of Wisdom is an informal networking event that occurs 2 or 3 times a year in which a successful senior faculty member shares insights about his or her career. Networking time is also built into monthly career development seminars.

The OAACD is committed to developing resources and implementing programs to help faculty balance work and life responsibilities and achieve holistic wellness. To this end, the OAACD and its partners at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and the College of Medicine developed a comprehensive faculty wellness initiative. The objective of this initiative is to promote vitality – a state of optimal well-being that is oriented toward maximizing an individual’s potential, health, morale, and job satisfaction – for all faculty members in the Department of Pediatrics and across the institution.

Examples of programming and initiatives include:

• In-depth assessments with individual divisions of the drivers of burnout and interventions to address these drivers
• Wellness seminars, grand rounds, sessions integrated into leadership programs and career development seminars
• Wellness resource corner added to quarterly newsletter
• Mindfulness meditation workshops for faculty
• EPIC Tips and Tricks workshops
• Wellness symposia with national speakers
• Wellness intranet page

Additionally, OAACD staff are members of the Cincinnati Children's Enhancing Workforce Vitality Steering Committee, led by institutional leadership, to enhance workforce vitality across the organization.

Middle School Programs

Middle School Science Symposium

The Middle School Science Symposium was created to provide urban youth with an opportunity to learn about careers in biomedical research and healthcare, and to strengthen the pipeline of racially/ethnically and/or socioeconomically underrepresented women and men for careers in those fields. The students participating in the program will have an opportunity to meet and learn first-hand about the work of doctors, scientists and allied health professionals, who work in clinical and research facilities at Cincinnati Children's.

High School Programs

High School Science Symposium

Each spring all area high schools are invited to send their top science students and a teacher or counselor to participate in the one-day science symposium. The students and their advisers attend workshops on careers in medicine, allied health and science, and participate in hands-on activities throughout the medical center ranging from basic science labs to clinical experiences. Learn more about the High School Science Symposium.

Summer High School Senior Internship Program

The Summer High School Internship Program is a competitive program for graduating high school seniors in Cincinnati. Students selected work with a mentor, shadow in clinical programs and participate in a weekly luncheon series. Students work 20 hours per week for eight weeks. Learn more about the Summer High School Senior Internship Program.

Biomedical Research Internship for Minority Students (BRIMS)

Biomedical Research Internship for Minority Students (BRIMS) is open to high-achieving graduating high school seniors and college freshmen from the Cincinnati area that belong to a minority group traditionally underrepresented in biomedical careers, including African-Americans, Hispanics, Pacific Islanders or American Indians. Students work full time for nine weeks on a mentored research project, participate in a weekly luncheon series with minority faculty, and shadow in clinical areas to explore biomedical career options. Learn more about the Biomedical Research Internship for Minority Students.

Undergraduate Programs

Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship

The SURF program is a biomedical research summer program designed for undergraduate students who are interested in careers in medicine or biomedical research. The program targets undergraduates in their freshman, sophomore, and junior years. Students participate in basic, translational and clinical research programs at Cincinnati Children’s. The SURF program includes an extensive scientific and social program. Learn more about the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship.

WISE (Women in Science and Engineering) Summer Program

The Women in Science and Engineering program is run through the University of Cincinnati and supports women students attending UC with an interest in pursuing careers in science or engineering. An extensive academic program is provided to these students throughout the summer. Learn more about the WISE Summer Program.

OAACD Conference Room

The OAACD conference room is available for use by faculty. It is on the seventh floor of the Kasota building, Room BN7.758. The room accommodates up to 16 people for a meeting. A computer, printer and copier are available. To reserve this room, please contact faculty-affairs@cchmc.org.

Library

The OAACD Library is housed inside the Office of Academic Affairs and Career Development conference room and contains books and other resource materials relevant to personal and professional development.

Listserv

The OAACD maintains an active listserv and sends emails regularly about faculty development events and resources. To be added to the OAACD listserv, please email faculty-affairs@cchmc.org.

Newsletter

The OAACD newsletter, OAACD Quarterly, is distributed on a quarterly basis and contains information about OAACD initiatives, events, resources, and recommended reading. To receive the OAACD Quarterly please email faculty-affairs@cchmc.org.

Weekly Grant and Award Opportunities Bulletin

The OAACD Grant and Award Opportunities bulletin is distributed to faculty weekly via email. The bulletin includes information about grants and awards (primarily non-NIH; but does include the weekly NIH funding notice) and provides information about the limited competitions process. This bulletin also contains information about upcoming programs and events for Cincinnati Children's faculty.

Intranet (Centerlink) Webpage

The OAACD intranet webpage contains numerous resources for Cincinnati Children's faculty and is updated on a regular basis. On the webpage, faculty have access to information about career development resources; grants and fellowships; leadership development opportunities; the reappointment, promotion and tenure process at Cincinnati Children's; diversity and inclusion initiatives; Cincinnati Children's policies, organization, and strategic initiatives; professional health resources; and work-life integration and resources.

Publications

• Considering a Faculty Position at Cincinnati Children's?
• Recruitment, Retention and Career Development
• Faculty Mentorship Handbook and Inserts
• Professional Development Resources for Faculty