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University of Missouri
Research, Innovation & Impact

Opening doors of opportunities

Headshots of Rene Cortese, Jessica Rodrigues and Li Zhao.

 

As the University of Missouri’s research and creative works enterprise reaches new heights, the university is investing in future endeavors in these areas by providing faculty additional professional development resources, support and training through initiatives such as the Research Development Fellows programs.

Created by the Division of Research, Innovation & Impact, the initiative has expanded from its initial cohort of Early Career Research Development Fellows started in 2020. The programs now include a second cohort of early career fellows, a cohort of Mid-Career Research Development Fellows and a cohort of Arts and Humanities Research and Creative Works Fellows, a newly created program for early and mid-career faculty offered through a partnership with the Office of the Provost.

Fifty-four faculty members from several disciplines are members of the programs. All of the programs are overseen by Christine Terry, director of professional development in the Division of Research, with three of the programs managed in collaboration with the Office of the Provost.

As the 12 members of the inaugural Early Career Research Development Fellows 2020-2023 cohort enter their last few months in the program, three members talked about the initiative and what it has offered them.

Research Assistant Professor of Child Health, and Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women's Health
School of Medicine

What are your current research/scholarly activity interests?
My research focuses on epigenetics phenomena to detect and understand how complex diseases in children and women develop, progress, are inherited and can be treated. Specifically, I am interested in the epigenomics of sleep disorders and its associated morbidities, as well as epigenetic mechanisms involved in the developmental origin of diseases.

As you near the end of your Early Career Research Development Fellows program, what are some of the benefits you have received from being a cohort member?
The program provided continuous guidance and support in establishing my academic career, introduced me to the vast resources and support available at the university, and opened the possibility for networking and collaboration across the campus, the university and beyond. Interacting with my peers from other departments and colleges allowed me to share experiences and learn from them. In addition, the lectures and other interactive sessions with established academicians enabled me to hear from people who have taken the same path that I am on, and they generously shared their experiences and provided advice. Finally, personalized sessions were very instrumental in defining my vision for my academic career, setting my goals and objectives, and building my research plan.

How has the program prepared you for the next steps in your academic career?
The program provided many tools, resources and support to establish my academic career. Besides helping me to define my academic profile, it has provided tangible elements to achieve my goals, such as the building of a research plan, the connection with the available resources and networking possibilities with peers and more established investigators.

Has your involvement in the program led to any published papers, research awards or opened doors for interdisciplinary research or scholarly activity?
During my participation in the program, my academic productivity was high with several publications in high-impact peer-reviewed journals and presentations at international conferences. I have also obtained funding from philanthropic foundations and received a research award from the American Thoracic Society. In addition, I have trained several students and improved my mentoring qualifications. The support from my department chairs, the institute directors and colleagues played a very important role in these achievements, along with the support from the program. In addition, the program has enabled interaction with other departments and colleagues.

What advice would you give to other faculty members who might be interested in joining a cohort of the Early Career Research Development Fellows program?
I would advise faculty to join and participate in the program in the most active fashion — to use every resource available and to interact with peers and mentors as much as possible. The time invested is worth it when the possible benefits are taken into consideration. Overall, I had a very successful and productive time in the program.

Assistant Professor of Special Education
College of Education & Human Development

What are your current research/scholarly activity interests?
Themes of my research program are the identification and support of students with or at risk for mathematics learning difficulties and/or disabilities, driven by the belief that each child deserves access to high-quality, research-based mathematics support to amplify their mathematics success. In particular, my research focuses on supporting students’ fractions understanding, a topic that is not only challenging for many students, especially those with learning difficulties, but also critical for more advanced mathematics and for daily life functioning skills such as managing personal finances. I am the director of the Mathematics Potential Lab, a research team of faculty, graduate students and undergraduate students seeking to support students with disabilities in the area of mathematics and STEM more broadly.

As you near the end of your Early Career Research Development Fellows program, what are some of the benefits you have received from being a cohort member?
It has been such a beneficial learning experience. I appreciated the opportunity to meet other early-career scholars in the same stage of their careers but from various departments and colleges across the university. Another key takeaway from the program — one that will continue to benefit me as I progress in my career — is knowing about valuable resources on campus for supporting my research program, resources that I otherwise may not have learned about or engaged with if not for the program.

How has the program prepared you for the next steps in your academic career?
The program helped me develop a five-year research plan. Thinking about where my research program is currently and where I hope it will be five years from now allowed me to set appropriate goals for achieving that vision.

Has your involvement in the program led to any published papers, research awards or opened doors for interdisciplinary research or scholarly activity?
I achieved a personal career goal in the summer of 2022: I submitted my first two large external grant submissions as principal investigator. The program meetings on topics such as time management and grant writing tips supported me in reaching this milestone.

What advice would you give to other faculty members who might be interested in joining a cohort of the Early Career Research Development Fellows program?
Join the program with enthusiasm and an eagerness to learn, because you will find great learning opportunities not only from the program events but also from your cohort members from across the university. 

Assistant Professor and Director of Graduate Studies of Textile and Apparel Management
College of Arts and Science

What are your current research/scholarly activity interests? 
My research interest is to understand the impact of digital transformation in the global fashion supply chain through digital innovation and big data analytics.

As you near the end of your Early Career Research Development Fellows program, what are some of the benefits you have received from being a cohort member?
It offers various topics that are extremely important for junior faculty members, such as time management, promotion and tenure, grant writing tips, etc. This is a great networking opportunity. I was able to meet with many scholars who are in the same career stage as me. We share our experiences, accomplishments or even frustrations. It feels good to have someone to talk with. It is a very supportive environment. The program offers great resources and personalized consultation. Through this program, I received great information about funding opportunities, research data and great tools for my research and professional development. When I have questions, Christine always puts me in contact with experts (grant writers) who could assist with my proposal writing.

How has the program prepared you for the next steps in your academic career?
Lots of topics will benefit me in the long term — like how to mentor students, how to pursue administrative roles and plan for awards.

Has your involvement in the program led to any published papers, research awards or opened doors for interdisciplinary research or scholarly activity?
Yes! Although I haven’t worked with any other member of this group directly for publications or grants, I do see potential opportunities for collaboration. This program provides me with confidence. The opportunities for grants and contracts are limited in my field, so I was hesitant to lead federal-level grant proposals. With the support from my department and colleagues, as well as the great resources I gained from this program, I received my first federal grant this year as a principal investigator. 

What advice would you give to other faculty members who might be interested in joining a cohort of the Early Career Research Development Fellows program?
I highly recommend junior faculty to participate in this program. The involvement and resources you learn from this program can better prepare you for the everyday challenge in academia. Take the opportunity for learning and networking and never hesitate to ask for help.