APS Seeks New Representative to the PSDP Steering Committee

The APS is seeking to appoint a new APS representative for the Physician Scientist Development Program (PSDP) Steering Committee. The Steering Committee is composed of pediatric department chairs, the President of the Association of Medical School Pediatric Department Chairs (AMSPDC), representatives from the funding agencies, pediatric scientists, and the NICHD program officer.

The Steering Committee is one overarching committee with two sub-committees (Program Evaluation and Selection).

The Steering Committee meets once a year at the AMSPDC/PSDP meeting and acts as external mentors for the PSDP.

Program Evaluation Committee duties:

• Evaluates program effectiveness.
• Evaluation of career development activities that facilitate Scholars’ success.
• Review Scholars’ progress reports in the Fall.
• Reviews Scholars’ progress through their Individual Development Plans.
• Teleconference conference call every Fall to review progress reports, recommend fellows for the 3rd year.
• Extensive formal mentoring interviews annually at the AMSPDC meeting.
• Committee meets every year in conjunction with the AMSPDC annual meeting.
• Presents its evaluation annually to the Steering Committee at the AMSPDC annual meeting.

Selection Committee duties:

• Review program applications.
• Conducts face-to-face interviews with candidates held at the PAS meeting.
• Ranks candidates for funding.
• Write formal critiques for applicant feedback.
• Meets every year in conjunction with the PAS annual meeting.
• Scientific expertise on the Selection Committee encompasses the fields within pediatric research, including basic, clinical, translational, and health services research. Other pediatric investigators are invited as necessary to complement the expertise of the committee.

In addition to representing the APS to the PSDP Steering Committee, the APS representative will provide an annual written report to the APS Council.

Preferred qualifications include research experience as a NIH-funded investigator, organizational or departmental leadership experience, and mentoring experience. The PSDP Steering Committee is working to advance diversity and inclusion, and APS Members from underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply.

APS members who are interested in serving a three-year term, beginning July 2023, as the Society’s representative should submit their CV and a statement of interest (one-page limit) by April 7, 2023.