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Understand research is an investment that cannot be expected to be revenue neutral or to generate revenue.
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Eliminate norms/prejudice that discourage hiring basic scientists in clinical divisions on the tenure track.
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Establish formal partnerships with basic science units to offer clinical department Ph.D. teaching expertise in exchange for tuition-funded salary support or to formalize clinical trainees working in basic science labs.
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Build philanthropy to support the research mission and unfunded salaries in the clinical units (e.g., consider using endowed professorships for research-focused faculty).
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Promote basic and translational scientist participation in partnership with industry and entrepreneurs through the technology transfer offices.
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Division chiefs, department chairs, and center directors should lobby AMC administration (dean/EVPMA) for salary coverage models for basic scientists that are more consistent between clinical and basic science departments (e.g., clinical units should not expect >50% salary coverage for Ph.D.s from external grants and should anticipate covering the remaining salary in exchange for teaching, mentoring, core facility management, or other service duties; lobby for the same mechanisms to cover unfunded effort for Ph.D.s in clinical units as exist in basic science units at the same AMC).
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AMC administration should consider taxation models (which often support basic science units) that reward clinical units that support their own basic scientists, thus making some funds available specifically for support of Ph.D. faculty in those units.
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Financial models should account for the likelihood that most NIH-funded investigators will hold a single grant at one time; thus, salary coverage of more than 30–50% on that grant is unlikely feasible.
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Start-up packages should provide reasonable support sufficient to garner external funding in ∼3 yr (space, salary, equipment, supplies).
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Consider lobbying for chancellor or provost-level programs to support basic scientists in clinical divisions to promote excellence in research and training.
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For example, some universities offer prestigious postdoctoral fellowships funded at least in part by central campus that carry tenure track job offers and start-up packages upon successful completion of the fellowship; these could be targeted to clinical units.
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Another possibility would be to lobby for central campus support for cluster hires of basic scientists in clinical units; hiring a collaborative basic scientist could have a large return on investment in securing collaborative grants and T32s.
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Create a culture of inclusion to value the research and education missions and be sure this is conveyed at all levels, including upper-level and unit-level leadership (e.g., state-of-the-department addresses or newsletters should highlight research accomplishments together with clinical and educational milestones).
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Consider dedicated financial support to basic scientists in clinical departments for covering important service missions (e.g., T32 director or fellowship mentoring or education programs).
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Develop interdepartmental graduate training programs to allow faculty in clinical units to mentor Ph.D.- and M.S.-level students.
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Facilitate and promote collaborative co-PI grants submission between basic and clinical scientists to build additional funding portfolio and research community.
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Take advantage of institutional pilot/seed grant applications to cover unfunded salary and new directions.
