IHSI's Emerging Research Leaders Academy kicks off its second year

On Sept. 18, the 2024-25 Emerging Research Leaders cohort attended a program kickoff meeting and orientation at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology. Designed to help mid-career faculty to achieve research success, the Emerging Research Leaders Academy (ERLA) provides vital leadership and team science training to help mid-career faculty pursue large, multi-PI grants, lead campus research initiatives, enhance their own research programs, and ultimately position Illinois for research excellence.

Gillian Snyder, Senior Director for Research & Core Development at the Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Institute, is a co-facilitator for ERLA.

“ERLA provides a unique opportunity for researchers to take time to focus on themselves and think about where they want to be in five years,” Snyder said. “It was wonderful to see people embracing this wholeheartedly, throwing themselves into group activities on day one!”

During the kick-off event, cohort members shared their research interests, revealing a diverse representation of disciplines and backgrounds. The 2024-25 cohort represents 15 units from eight colleges at Illinois who likely would not have connected outside the ERLA program, opening new possibilities for collaboration.

Simon A. Rogers, a professor of chemical & molecular bioengineering, investigates the fundamental physics behind time-dependent phenomena exhibited by soft matter under deformation for biomedical, energy, and environment applications. Rogers is part of the 2024-25 ERLA cohort and excited to participate in a program that acknowledges and celebrates diversity, viewing differences as a positive influence on others.

“I’m excited to learn how to be more effective and look forward to the growth opportunities the Emerging Research Leaders Academy will provide my fellow participants and myself over the course of the academic year,” Rogers said. “I’m eager to get acquainted with this group of amazing researchers and learn new, exciting, and productive ways to consider challenges we all face.”

ERLA participants are encouraged to engage with, support, and learn from one another, and tackle challenging questions and issues. The program incorporates the CliftonStrengths Assessment as a foundation for self-discovery and to help the cohort identify growth opportunities. Participants are encouraged to use their CliftonStrengths reports as a guide to focus on their intrapersonal development rather than interpersonal comparison and start thinking introspectively about their strengths and leadership qualities. Throughout the program, the cohort will learn to apply the top five themes from their CliftonStrengths reports and develop these natural talents into strengths. They are also encouraged to invite their Illinois research team members to complete the assessment so that they may lead more effectively and foster team collaboration.

During the Fall 2024 and Spring 2025 semesters, participants will attend at least four of five workshops designed to support the development of strategic leadership and management skills and inspire the application of those skills to research. Divergent Science Co-Founder Hannah Love will facilitate the next workshop, Leading and Managing Teams, presenting team science concepts with a focus on how to lead and manage teams, and strategies for communication and conflict resolution.

• Leading and Managing Teams | Oct. 23
• Building Diverse and Inclusive Teams | Nov. 20
• Strategic Leadership & Management | Jan. 15
• Mentoring | Feb. 19
• Effective Research Communication | Mar. 19

In addition to the workshops, participants are encouraged to attend monthly supplemental lunchtime discussion sessions, “critical conversations,” to further explore the ERLA concepts and potential applications to research. These discussions may begin with a question or two about how participants are applying the workshop concepts or related to topics that surface during a workshop for participants to explore in more detail.

IHSI Sr. Research Development Manager and ERLA Co-Facilitator Maggie Berg enjoyed getting acquainted with the cohort on a more personal level during a social coffee meetup at Bakelab & Coffee in Urbana.

“Even though this was a social meetup, there was some conversation about what it means to be a leader and how they might use the results of their CliftonStrengths assessments,” Berg said. “There has already been some great discussion and engagement among the cohort. I am looking forward to seeing their growth over the next year.”

The cohort will develop five-year action plans for their personal and research growth, applying concepts learned throughout the ERLA program. Action plans will highlight participants' background and experience, vision and goals for the next five years, strategies for achieving those goals, and the specific actions they will implement.

On April 16, 2025, the cohort will present their action plans to peers, department heads, and other campus leaders, receiving certificates of completion and recognition as Emerging Research Leadership Scholars during the celebration reception.

Following participation in the Emerging Research Leaders Academy, members of the cohort will be invited to become IHSI affiliates, which includes ongoing engagement with and support from IHSI as they continue their leadership journey.

ERLA is offered in partnership with the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science & Technology, Carle Illinois College of Medicine, Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, Center for Social & Behavioral Science, College of Applied Health Sciences, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, Grainger College of Engineering, and the Office of Proposal Development. For more information, visit https://healthinstitute.illinois.edu/education-training/emerging-research-leaders-academy.