Establishing a Research Line Presentation Outline Brief Overview

Establishing a Research Line

Presentation Outline • Brief Overview of D 16 ECP Workgroup • Presenter Introduction • Dr. Jacqueline Brown: Research Tips for Early Career Faculty • Dr. Bryn Harris: Developing a Program of Research: Insights for Early Career Faculty Members • Dr. Nicole Skaar: Special Considerations at a Comprehensive University • Dr. Robert Volpe: Developing Your Research Agenda • Questions and Discussion

Introduction to the Presenters Jacqueline Brown, Ph. D • Assistant Professor at the University of Montana (started in 2014) • Research Interests: • Building resilience in youth • School-based bereavement support • International school psychology

Introduction to the Presenters Bryn Harris, Ph. D • Associate Professor at the University of Colorado Denver (started in 2008) • Research Interests: • Psychological assessment of English Language Learners • Improving mental health access and opportunity within underserved school populations

Introduction to the Presenters Nicole Skaar, Ph. D • Assistant Professor at the University of Northern Iowa (started in 2011) • Research Interests: • Assessment of adolescent behavior • School based mental health systems • Post-secondary transition

Introduction to the Presenters Robert Volpe, Ph. D • Associate Professor at Northeastern University (started in 2005) • Research Interests: • Designing and evaluating behavioral assessment measures and systems for emotional and behavior problems • Interventions to support the school functioning of students with ADHD • Interventions to support early literacy development

Research Tips for Early Career Faculty Dr. Jacqueline Brown University of Montana

Research Tips • Carve out time for research • Be creative in seeking out research opportunities • Communicate with your university’s Institutional Review Board (ask questions!)

Research Tips • Make your research visible on a website such as Research. Gate and follow other researchers with similar interests • Be open to collaborating with various individuals, but be mindful when to say “yes” and “no” • Seek out mentors and apply for research training programs (SPRCC, CHIPS)

Research Tips • Apply for early career grants and awards, both within and outside of your university • Be familiar with the research expectations of your department and university • Research, write, and publish with students. Make joint presentations with them at conferences.

Research Tips • Collaborate and Cooperate • With colleagues (department, university, national/international) • With students • With schools • With other organizations

Tips for Establishing and Maintaining Collaboration • Have a plan of action • Network at conferences • Reach out to more experienced researchers in your department, university, and at a national level with similar interests • Establish initial goals and roles • Be open and honest

Tips for Establishing an Effective Research Lab • Recruit undergraduate students as research assistants • Consider your mentorship approach • Have goals and a structure in mind for your lab meetings • Focus on specific research projects and other training experiences • Involve your students in publications and presentations

Developing a Program of Research: Insights for Early Career Faculty Members Dr. Bryn Harris University of Colorado Denver

What Is a Program of Research? • A coordinated set of related research projects • A cohesive sequencing of a series of studies building new knowledge in an area of science How Do You Identify a Program of Research? • Interests • Expertise

What Is a Research Agenda? • What have you done? • What are you doing now? Strand 2 Study 1 Strand 1 Study 2 Dissertation • Where are you going in the future? • What is the context of your work? • What contribution does it make?

What Makes a Productive Agenda? Good Agenda • Bad Agenda

Value of a Cohesive Program Focused expertise and depth of knowledge Increased likelihood of funding and honors Substantive, systematic contribution to a body of knowledge National/ international recognition

Why Does It Matter? • It is central to your identity as a scholar. • You will need to articulate it during: • Job searches • Promotion/tenure process • Funding applications • Award applications • Networking • Recruiting Detailed written statement Brief summary Elevator Speech

Identify Supports • At your institution • Internal mentors • External mentors • Professional Associations • Various Resources • • National Center for Faculty Diversity and Development Chronicle Books (The Slow Professor, How to Write a Lot etc. ) Early Career Forum

Conceptualizing Your Agenda • Sub-topic/ construct 1 • Sub-topic/ construct 2 Stran d 1 Stran d 2 Theme Stran d 3 Stran d 4

Questions to Consider Step 1 What is the overarching theme of all of your research or scholarly activity? Step 2 What are the major topics that you will pursue over the next 3 -5 years? What are the particular topic(s) within your theme to which you plan to devote significant effort now or in the near future? Step 3 What resources will you need to conduct this research? What additional knowledge will you need? What collaborators should you seek? Step 4 What are the products that you want to produce within each topic? How are these products related? Do they naturally fall into a sequence that builds upon itself, or do they form a cluster around the central topic? How will each of these be evaluated towards future promotion?

Plan to Manage Multiple Projects In Press Under In Review Progress In / Develop Revision ment

Know What Products Are Valued Top-tier peer reviewed research studies Chapters First- or sole author publications Books • Peer-reviewed publications • Book chapters • Conference presentations • Abstracts • White papers • Technical reports • Manuals • Newsletters • Book reviews

Keep Track Theme Strand Study Collaborators Product Status

Plan for Success Plan ahead by mapping out short- and long-term goals. What do I want to accomplish this semester? What do I want to accomplish this year? What do I want to accomplish in the next five years? Know your goals and revisit them regularly. Monthly and semester check-in Self-reflection • What has been working for me? • What obstacles have I encountered? • How can I be more productive?

Strive for Research Productivity Articulate an agenda/program of research Have a plan of potential studies. Maintain focus. Know when to say no to incongruent opportunities. Protect writing time. Accept rejection and tackle revisions promptly.

Strategies to Advance Research Agendas • Write often – every day if you can • Protect your research time • Have short- and long-term goals and self monitor those goals • Figure out your own barriers to success, modify as appropriate • Ask yourself, “will this align with my research agenda? ” before saying yes • Align research tasks (presentations should become publications, unfunded grant applications are not wasted etc. )

Pitfalls to Research Productivity • Don’t be afraid to seek feedback • Present your work at conferences, listen to others’ ideas, and solicit feedback on your research • Don’t stagnate - Attend talks and colloquia on campus/externally • These talks can help you generate research ideas and help you see your research in a new light • Be wary of • Switching research areas during junior faculty years - Requires large time investment up front • Controversial/risky research areas • Long-delays in publications (e. g. , journals with 1 year review turnarounds) • Initiating expensive projects for which funding is required, may be unattainable • Weigh the pros and cons of new opportunities carefully

Special Considerations at a Comprehensive University Dr. Nicole Skaar University of Northern Iowa

Protecting Your Time • Teaching overload – don’t do it. • Take the course release! • Limit number of preps • Say NO to service.

Maximize Your Limited Time: Research Design • Research that can be done with a convenience sample • Adolescents – same at freshman • Child development centers • Training research • Action research, case studies • New focus from School Psych Review on case studies • Partner with a teacher friend to put together an action research project

Maximize Limited Time: Collaboration • Collaboration with colleagues at R 1 institutions • Take advantage of small communities • Relationships with schools, community agencies • What do schools need? • Can you do an intervention study because the state decided to make MTSS for literacy law? • Connect with the Department of Education

Funding • Internal grants • Collaborate with R 1 colleagues • Connect with the Department of Education • Local granting agencies

Developing Your Research Agenda Dr. Robert Volpe Northeastern University

What does a Post-Tenure Research Agenda Look Like? • A roadmap or framework of inquiry in a specific content area • Identifies the gaps in knowledge in a specific body of literature • May be both global and specific • More flexibility and ability to build off your prior research agenda

A clear agenda will help you… 1. Communicate your area(s) of expertise • What are you contributing to the field? • What type of work are you known for adding to the literature? 2. Make decisions about what projects or specific research questions to pursue

Strategies: Mid Career • Continue to work on your evolving agenda, communicate your agenda to others, actively advance your agenda • Carefully consider the time required for various types of research • Existing data vs. collecting new data • Type of studies (e. g. Intervention vs. measurement) • General population vs. specific/narrow population of interest • Carefully consider research opportunities • Do not be afraid to decline an opportunity that may take you too far from the core of your agenda

Strategies: Mid Career • Creating a Research Lab • Determine what proposed student projects are related and valuable to your research and when it’s worth pursuing ideas that may not fit completely with your research • Internal and External Collaboration to Increase Productivity • How to foster and develop collaborative relationships • Technology issues to influence collaboration

Collaborators • Look for and strive to be • A good colleague (5 Bs) • • • Be thoughtful Be dependable Be responsive Be loyal Be fun to work with

Overview of Key Resources Time Mentors/ Colleagues/ Students Community Partners Motivation

How to Shift Your Research Agenda • It’s all about timing and opportunities • Be wary about shifting pre-tenure • A big part of getting tenure is efficiency and consistency

My History: Practice to Research • Undergraduate degree in Psychology (Stony Brook University) • • School-based medication evaluation • Early literacy interventions • Formative behavioral assessment • Logistic syllogisms • Development of disruptive behavior disorders • Graduate work in School Psychology (Lehigh University) • Assessment of ADHD and related disorders (George Du. Paul) • Early Intervention and academic interventions for students with ADHD (GJD) • Academic Enablers (Jim Di. Perna) • Behavioral Assessment (Ed Shapiro) Early independent work (Pre-tenure) • Post tenure • Formative behavioral assessment • Linking screening to intervention • Academic interventions

Final Thoughts • Be driven by the questions and solving problems • Take it out a level of generalization-appreciate the forest • Stick with it

Questions and Discussion Questions? What about your experiences? • What have you found helpful? • What do you wish you would have done differently?

Contact Information • Jacqueline Brown: jacqueline. brown@mso. umt. edu • Bryn Harris: Bryn. Harris@ucdenver. edu • Nicole Skaar: nicole. skaar@uni. edu • Robert Volpe: r. volpe@northeastern. edu