Welcome to the FOBGAPT2 event web site!

In 2015 a national meeting was held to discuss various models that have been proposed for the Future of Bioscience Graduate and Postdoctoral Training (FOBGAPT) and generate new ideas with broad input from the academic community. On June 8-10, 2017, the University of Colorado Denver-Anschutz Medical Campus and the University of Michigan Rackham Graduate School are co-hosting the follow-up meeting, FOBGAPT2, in Denver to work through practical aspects of implementing new models. Up to 500 stakeholders are expected to participate from academia, the private sector, foundations, and federal funding agencies, with promising practices and consensus recommendations to be summarized in a “white paper”. Participants are encouraged to submit Abstracts (due April 15) related to the Workshop topics, to be available to attendees and on this site.

FOBGAPT2 Preliminary Schedule

The aims of the conference focus on deriving consensus on institutional and national policies that promote optimal training for students and fellows in the biosciences. The schedule is therefore designed to allow all attendees to participate in iterative convening of five concurrent workshops, with a sixth repetition of each workshop at the end to allow participants to return to their favorite Session to help the Chairs shape the consensus recommendations.
Workshop 1 How to better increase the diversity of scientists in senior and leadership roles? Chairs: Jabbar Bennett, Christine Chow, Ambika Mathur, Nancy Schwartz, Nancy Street
 Agenda
Workshop 2 How to increase engagement and skills of faculty in mentorship? Chairs: Rick McGee, Christine Pfund, Jonathan Wiest
 Agenda
Workshop 3 How to modernize (and keep updating) curricula and training while maintaining research and scholarship tenets? Chairs: Patricia Cameron, Mary O'Riordan, Robert Duvoisin
 Agenda
Workshop 4 How to increase the engagement of the private sector and other potential employers in training paradigms and opportunities? Chairs: Philip Clifford, Andrew Feig, Diane Klotz
 Agenda
Workshop 5 What data on Master’s, PhDs, and postdocs can be collected nationally, and how can they be used to inform trainees and training? Chairs: Kevin Finneran, Chris Pickett, Elizabeth Watkins
 Agenda

Itinerary

Thursday, June 8, 2017
5:00 – 9:00 p.m. Registration open in Lobby of Hyatt Regency Hotel, Aurora, CO
7:00 – 9:00 p.m. Reception at the Hyatt Regency Hotel ballroom
Friday, June 9, 2017
8:00 a.m. – noon Registration open on main floor of “Education 2 South” building, Anschutz Medical Campus of the University of Colorado, Denver
8:00 a.m. Continental breakfast, 2nd floor Education 2 North/South bridge
9:00 a.m. Plenary panel discussion titled Defining the Issues and the Goals, Education 2 South main auditorium
Speakers:
  • Alison Gammie – National Institute of General Medical Sciences
  • Julia Kent – Council of Graduate Schools
  • Paula Stephan – Georgia State University
10:30 a.m. Break, Ed2 N/S bridge
11:00 a.m. Concurrent Workshops 1–5, session 1; Ed2 N/S rooms, 2nd floor
12:30 p.m. Lunch, Ed2 N/S bridge
2:00 p.m. Concurrent Workshops 1–5, session 2, Ed2 N/S rooms, 2nd floor
3:30 p.m. Break, Ed2 N/S bridge
3:45 p.m. Concurrent Workshops 1–5, session 3, Ed2 N/S rooms, 2nd floor
5:15 p.m. End Day 1
6:30 p.m. Dinner, Hyatt Regency Hotel
Saturday, June 10, 2017
8:00 a.m. Continental breakfast, Ed2 N/S bridge
9:00 a.m. Concurrent Workshops 1–5, session 4, Ed2 N/S rooms, 2nd floor
10:30 a.m. Break, Ed2 N/S bridge
10:45 a.m. Concurrent Workshops 1–5 session 5, Ed 2 N/S rooms, 2nd floor
12:15 p.m. Lunch, Ed2 N/S bridge
2:00 p.m. Recap: return to preferred Workshop (1–5) to help Chairs summarize outcomes
3:30 p.m. Break, during which time Chairs confer to summarize consensus points and other ideas
3:45 - 6:00 p.m. Buses depart conference and hotels for downtown Denver Performing Arts Center
6:30 p.m. Reception, Seawell Ballroom, Denver Performing Arts Center
7:00 p.m. Dinner with summary presentations of Workshop outcomes by Chairs, Seawell Ballroom, Denver Performing Arts Center
10:00 p.m. Buses depart downtown Denver for Hyatt Regency Hotel (Aurora) and SpringHill Suites Hotel

Registration

Registration for the FOBGAPT2 conference is now closed to allow finalization of the program, but there is capacity for late registrations. If you would like to register late with no penalty charge, please contact David Engelke (david.engelke@ucdenver.edu). Registration fees are $300 per person, including the opening reception June 8, and all meals June 9 and 10. To secure a hotel room, please contact the Hyatt Regency hotel (https://aws.passkey.com/go/CUDenverGrad) to reserve a room at the special pricing for the FOBGAPT2 conference.

Workshops

Workshop 1 How to better increase the diversity of scientists in senior and leadership roles? Chairs: Jabbar Bennett, Christine Chow, Ambika Mathur, Nancy Schwartz, Nancy Street
 Agenda
Workshop 2 How to increase engagement and skills of faculty in mentorship? Chairs: Rick McGee, Christine Pfund, Jonathan Wiest
 Agenda
Workshop 3 How to modernize (and keep updating) curricula and training while maintaining research and scholarship tenets? Chairs: Patricia Cameron, Mary O'Riordan, Robert Duvoisin
 Agenda
Workshop 4 How to increase the engagement of the private sector and other potential employers in training paradigms and opportunities? Chairs: Philip Clifford, Andrew Feig, Diane Klotz
 Agenda
Workshop 5 What data on Master’s, PhDs, and postdocs can be collected nationally, and how can they be used to inform trainees and training? Chairs: Kevin Finneran, Chris Pickett, Elizabeth Watkins
 Agenda

Review workshop resources

Submit an abstract

Submission of “What Works” (and doesn’t work) Abstracts

FOBGAPT2 Attendees have the option of submitting “What Works” Abstracts of up to two pages to describe initiatives at their institutions, whether externally or internally funded, that positively address one or more of the five concurrent discussion topics. These will be posted on the web site, linked to the appropriate discussion session, and can be used by the Chairs to catalyze discussion and, at their discretion, be incorporated as ideas into the “white paper” summarizing consensus outcomes of the meeting. Abstracts can be uploaded at the link below. They should be in PDF format, no more than 2 pages, and the file entitled “Concurrent Workshop #(#), [Author last name]”, to indicate which session is most applicable. Abstracts should have their title in CAPS, with the next line giving the authors, and the next line showing the institutional affiliation. Text should begin after a line space. Use 1" margins at top, bottom and sides. Please use Arial 11 or 12 font, and if you include graphics limit their kilobyte size. If more than one session is applicable, please so indicate. It is suggested that if you submit an abstract pertinent to a particular concurrent discussion session that you attend that session FIRST to help the Chairs discuss the ideas presented in your abstract.
Abstracts are due April 15, 2017.

What Works? Abstracts


Workshop 1

How to better increase the diversity of scientists in senior and leadership roles?

Jabbar Bennett, Christine Chow, Ambika Mathur, Nancy Schwartz, Nancy Street

Workshop 2

How to increase engagement and skills of faculty in mentorship?

Rick McGee, Christine Pfund, Jonathan Wiest

Workshop 3

How to modernize (and keep updating) curricula and training while maintaining research and scholarship tenets?

Patricia Cameron, Robert Duvoisin, Mary O’Riordan

Workshop 4

How to increase the engagement of the private sector and other potential employers in training paradigms and opportunities?

Philip Clifford, Andrew Feig, Diane Klotz

Workshop 5

What data on Master’s, PhDs, and postdocs can be collected nationally, and how can it be used to inform trainees and training?

Kevin Finneran, Chris Pickett, Elizabeth Watkins

Hotels & accommodations

For our visitors from outside the Denver metro area, we have room blocks at three hotels, with attendees being responsible for making their own reservations and paying the hotels directly (not included in registration). Brief informational summaries about each hotel, with links, are given below. The Hyatt Regency is across the street from the Anschutz Medical Campus where the bulk of the meeting will take place, and we have reserved the entire hotel at special rates for the evenings of June 8, 9, and 10, 2017. The opening reception on June 8 and dinner on June 9 will also be located in this hotel. We strongly recommend the Hyatt Regency Aurora-Denver Conference Center as a first choice.

We advise attendees to make hotel reservations as soon as possible, as room availability is finite.
Hyatt Regency Aurora-Denver Conference Center, 13200 East 14th Place, Aurora, CO 80011, 303.365.1234
Distance: 0.8 miles (12 min. walk)
$147/king – 195 rooms available
$147/double queen – 49 rooms available

To reserve a room at the special conference rate:

https://aws.passkey.com/go/CUDenverGrad

Transportation

The FOBGAPT2 conference will not provide dedicated transportation to the hotels and meeting venue. The conference venue is approximately 15 minutes from Denver International Airport by taxi. Alternatively DIA has all major rental car companies and there is light rail service from DIA to near the Hyatt Regency and SpringHill Suites preferred hotels.

The light rail station is located by the Westin Denver International Airport Hotel at the south end of the airport, with trains running every 15 minutes between 4:15 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., and every 30 minutes at other times. Fares to and from the airport are $9.00, though discount fares are available for certain groups. After boarding the A Line, you will need to transfer to the R Line at the Peoria Station. From there you can ride to the Colfax Station, which is near to both the Hyatt Regency Aurora-Denver Conference Center and SpringHill Suites Denver at Anschutz Medical Campus hotels. If you plan to take the train directly to the conference, please disembark at the Fitzsimons Station, where you will be able to take a shuttle to the Anschutz Medical Campus.

lightrail route to fitzsimons station



The CU Anschutz Medical Campus Rail Shuttle is free to ride, and connects with the R Line at the Fitzsimons Station on North Fitzsimons Parkway. The shuttle makes a total of five stops within campus, with the second stop being very near to the event locations.
The operating hours for the shuttle are:
  • Monday - Friday, 5:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. with 7-9 minute frequency to each stop
  • Saturday-Sunday/University Holidays 5:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. with 15 minute frequency to each stop
Outside of these hours there is not shuttle transportation from the Fitzsimons Station into campus.

Parking

For people who want to park on campus, there are a number of visitor parking lots on the Anschutz Medical Campus.
Daily parking rates:
  • Up to 1 hour - $1.00
  • Up to 2 hours - $2.00
  • Up to 3 hours - $3.00
  • Up to 4 hours - $4.00
  • Daily Maximum Rate - $5.00
  • Evenings after 4PM - $1.00 flat rate
  • Weekends and Campus Holidays - $1.00 flat rate
The visitor parking lots have automated pay stations that accept many forms of payment:
  • Cash/coin up to a $10 bill (change is given in dollar coins)
  • Credit card payments accepted (Visa, MasterCard, Discover)
  • Day Passes can be purchased from the Parking Office

Services

Accessibility

All meeting venues are wheelchair-accessible, and hotels have available accessible rooms. If you require one of these rooms, please note this when booking with the hotels. Also, shuttle transportation to and from hotels and meeting venues do not provide wheelchair access as a default, but the FOBGAPT meeting office can arrange for this as needed. Please contact Pat Goggans (patricia.goggans@ucdenver.edu ; 303-724-5878) if you will have special transportation needs.

Child Care

Attendees requiring child care during meeting event will arrange this directly with providers whose hours, costs, and contact information are listed below. One center is on the Anschutz Medical Campus, and all additional providers are licensed and recommended by either the conference hotels or the child care centers listed.
Fitzsimons Early Learning Center , 2255 North Wheeling Street, Aurora, CO 80045, 303-340-1700
Distance: 1.0 mile
Hours of Operation: M-F: 6:15 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Drop-in service based on availability
Age Range: 6 weeks – Preschool+
Rates: $74 – $93 per day
Enrichment Cottage Development Center , 2270 Humboldt Street, Denver, CO 80205, 303-322-3004
Distance: 8.6 miles
Hours of Operation: M-F: 6:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
*After hours/weekend drop-in or in-home service available
Age Range: 6 weeks – 5 years
Rates: $65 – $80 per day
Toni Booker (Licensed through State of Colorado), 1320 Troy Street Aurora, CO 80011, 303-340-8285
Distance: 0.6 miles
Hours of Operation: M-F: 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
*Weekend drop-in available
Age Range: 6 weeks – 10 years
Rates: $65 – $85 per day

Maps

visitor parking map pdf thumbnail
Anschutz Medical Campus visitor parking map

FOBGAPT2 Summary White Paper

A more concise summary of the FOBGAPT2 conference recommendations can be found published in eLife: https://elifesciences.org/articles/32715

Organizing committee

Brenda J. Allen, University of Colorado

Patricia Cameron, Augusta University

Roger Chalkley, Vanderbilt University

David Engelke, University of Colorado

Kearney Gunsalus, Tufts University

Peter Hitchcock, University of Michigan

Judith Kimble, University of Wisconsin

Ambika Mathur, Wayne State University

Christopher Pickett, Princeton University

Nancy Schwartz, University of Chicago

Shirley Tilghman, Princeton University

Elizabeth Watkins, University of California, San Francisco

Inge Wefes, University of Colorado

CU Denver/Anschutz Graduate School Banner
university of michigan rackham graduate school logo
university of michigan rackham graduate school logo

Sponsorships

Initial funding to allow organization of the FOBGAPT2 conference has been provided by the following organizations:

University of Colorado Denver | Anschutz Medical Campus Graduate School

University of Michigan Rackham Graduate School

University of California San Francisco Graduate Division

University of Colorado School of Medicine

Presentations

Available at time of conference.

Travel awards

Awards for Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Fellows not funded to attend as representatives of institutions and organizations.

The student and postdoc travel awards application deadline has passed.

Plenary Speakers

Alison Gammie, Ph.D.

Alison Gammie, Ph.D.
Alison Gammie, Ph.D., is the Director of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) Division of Training, Workforce Development, and Diversity (TWD). TWD is the focal point for NIGMS programs aimed at developing a strong and diverse biomedical research workforce. Dr. Gammie received a B.A. from Reed College in Biology and a Ph.D. from the Oregon Health & Sciences University. She was initially a Jane Coffin Childs Postdoctoral Fellow and eventually a Senior Lecturer at Princeton University. While at Princeton, in addition to teaching, mentoring and running a research laboratory, she served as an academic advisor, an Associate Member at the Cancer Institute of New Jersey, and the Director of Diversity Programs & Graduate Recruiting. Honors include Princeton’s President’s Award for Distinguished Teaching, the Graduate Mentoring Award and the American Society for Microbiology Hinton Award for advancing the research careers of under-represented minorities.


Julia Kent, Ph.D.

Julia Kent, Ph.D.
Julia Kent, Ph.D., is Assistant Vice President, Communications, Advancement and Best Practices at the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS). Since arriving at CGS in 2008, she has conducted research on a broad range of topics in graduate education, including PhD career pathways; diversity and inclusion; international collaborations in STEM fields; professional doctorates; research ethics and integrity; and the preparation of future faculty. Currently she serves as co-Principal Investigator for a multi-phase project supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Understanding PhD Career Pathways for Program Improvement, which will enable 15 universities to collect data on PhD students and alumni and to use resulting data to inform improvements of doctoral programs. Other current and recent research includes a project examining emerging frameworks for defining doctoral education, funded by the Lumina Foundation, and a project that explores “holistic” admissions processes, funded by Hobsons.

Dr. Kent draws from her research experience to lead the Council’s strategic communications and to develop relationships with companies that serve graduate institutions. She holds a PhD in British literature from Johns Hopkins University and a maîtrise de lettres modernes from the Université de Paris VII. Before coming to CGS, she was Assistant Professor of English at the American University of Beirut.


Paula Stephan, Ph.D.

Stephan Paula, Ph.D.
Paula Stephan, Ph.D., is professor of economics, Georgia State University and a research associate, National Bureau of Economic Research. She is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and a member of the Board of Reviewing Editors, Science. Science Careers named Stephan their first “Person of the Year” in December of 2012 “honoring an individual who, during the past 12 months, has made an especially significant and sustained contribution to the welfare of early-career scientists.” Stephan has published numerous articles in such journals as The American Economic Review, The Journal of Economic Literature, Management Science, Nature, Organization Science, and Science. Her book How Economics Shapes Science was published by Harvard University Press, 2012. Her research has been supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and the National Science Foundation. Stephan currently serves on the National Academies Committee on the Next Generation of Researchers Initiative. Recently she served on the National Research Council’s Board on Higher Education and Workforce and the Committee to Review the State of the Postdoctoral Experience for Scientists and Engineers. She served on the National Advisory General Medical Sciences Council, National Institutes of Health 2005-2009 and served on the Advisory Committee of the Social, Behavioral, and Economics Program, National Science Foundation, 2001-2008 (CEOSE, 2001-2003). She has held visiting positions at the Max Planck Institute, Munich, Germany, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium, Harvard University, International Center for Economic Research, Turin, Italy, and the Wizzenschaftszentrum für Social Forschung, Berlin, Germany.

Registered Attendees