Mission statement
The Office of Faculty Development’s logo reflects the four components of the Boston Children’s Hospital’s mission and the juggling of clinical, teaching, research, and work/life balance.
The Office of Faculty Development (OFD) is dedicated to facilitating the career advancement and satisfaction of Boston Children's Hospital faculty, fostering careers particularly of early-stage faculty, and increasing leadership opportunities for women and faculty underrepresented in medicine (UiM).
2024 leadership announcement
Dr. Nicole Ullrich, MD, PhD, MMSci, FAAN, is the Director of the Office of Faculty Development. In a memo to the BCH medical staff, Drs. Peter Laussen, Executive Vice President, Health Affairs and Wendy Chung, Chief, Department of Pediatrics, underscored Dr. Ullrich’s experience and commitment to faculty development goals:
“Dr. Ullrich will be Director of the OFD, leading our mission to support the career development, satisfaction and well-being of Boston Children’s faculty. She will work closely with Health Affairs, Medical Professional Services, the Department of Education, the Chief Scientific Officer, and all Chiefs of departments to empower our faculty, enhance programming and resources, strengthen our dedication to fostering careers of early-stage faculty, and increase leadership opportunities for women and faculty underrepresented in medicine.
For more than 20 years, Dr. Ullrich has served as Director of NeuroOncology at Boston Children's, and Director of Neurologic NeuroOncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. During this time, she’s demonstrated a tireless dedication to teaching and mentoring medical students, residents, clinical and research fellows as well as her own peers. Her service in leadership roles on the Harvard Medical School (HMS) Joint Committee on the Status of Women, representing a voice for change through advocacy, action, education, networking, and visibility, will serve her well in leading both the OFD and the Office for Women’s Careers.”
Panel discussion: Making History on 'The Exceptions: Nancy Hopkins, MIT, and the Fight for Women in Science'
One of the top priorities this past year at Boston Children's Hospital was to bring to the forefront the issue of professional equity. On September 12, 2023, the Office of the Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer, the Office of Faculty Development, the Office for Women's Careers, the Office of Health Equity and Inclusion, the Division of Emergency Medicine, the Boston Children's Book Club, and the Network Community of Care Program hosted a panel discussion of Kate Zernike’s book "Making History: The Exceptions: Nancy Hopkins, MIT, and the Fight for Women in Science". Panelists included: Kate Zernike, National Correspondent for New York Times; Marcia McNutt, President, National Academy of Sciences; Robert Birgeneau, Chancellor Emeritus, UC Berkeley; Nancy Andrews, Executive VP, Chief Scientific Officer at BCH and Home Secretary, National Academy of Sciences. The panel was moderated by Eman Ansari, Division of Emergency Medicine, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, HMS.
OFD resources
The Office of Faculty Development’s Mentoring Guidebooks, Guidelines for Junior Faculty, and Guidelines for Mentors have been updated for 2023-24 and are now available with other materials on our Community of Mentors webpage and below.
Office of Faculty Development recognition
The OFD is recognized nationally and internationally for contributions to faculty development, career resources, promotion, work life balance, and funded research fellowships.
Funded in 2001 by Boston Children’s Hospital, the OFD summarized the critical components of a hospital-based office in the February 2008 Pediatrics article (first author, S. Jean Emans, MD): Creating a Faculty Development Office in an Academic Pediatric Hospital: Challenges and Successes.
The Office of Faculty Development received the 2017 Program Award for a Culture of Excellence in Mentoring (PACEM) from the HMS Office for Diversity Inclusion and Community Partnership.
The PACEM was established to recognize efforts to foster innovation and sustainability in mentoring. The OFD was recognized for its Developmental Networks initiative, based on the work of Kathy Kram, PhD (Boston University Questrom School of Business). For more information on Developmental Networks, visit the Community of Mentors page.
Dr. Emans has been recognized by HMS with two awards: the 2009 William Silen Lifetime Achievement in Mentoring Award and the 2020 Diversity Lifetime Achievement Award.
Orientation for new faculty
The annual Office of Faculty Development Career Development Orientation for New Faculty was held on July 16, 2024 in Folkman Auditorium. Nicole Ullrich, MD, PhD, Director of the Office of Faculty Development and Office for Women’s Careers, welcomed the attendees and introduced Kevin Churchwell, MD, President and CEO, who highlighted key elements of the BCH mission and how faculty contribute to the hospital’s success. The following speakers from Boston Children’s support programs in academic medicine described their services:
- Research Resources: August Cervini, MBA, Senior Vice-President of Research Administration; Tatiana Koretskaia, MBA, Vice-President, Clinical Research Operations
- Center for Educational Excellence and Innovation: Alan Leichtner, MD, MSHPEd, Chief Education Officer and Associate Chief Medical Officer for Education, Co-Director, Center for Educational Excellence and Innovation
- Office of Health Equity and Inclusion: Amanda Grice, MS, Program Director
- Ombuds Office: Jennifer Mahony, JD, FAMINZ (Arb), Director
Event zoom recording
Passcode: A8@B8zPK
Resources from the HMS Office for Faculty Affairs
Read the new guidance from the HMS Office of Faculty Affairs related to cancellations due to COVID-19.
Upcoming and current programs
Time Management Solutions
Tuesday, Sept. 17, 12-1 PM, 3rd Floor ORL Conference Room in 333 Longwood
Speakers: Lydia Shrier, MD, MPH; Judy Zola, MBA
Looking for more efficient ways to manage time in your personal and professional life? This workshop will help you identify your peak energy times and provide practical suggestions on how to deal with distractions, prioritize and sort tasks and organize technology.
Limited capacity for in-person attendance; if you would like to attend via zoom, please email OFD@childrens.harvard.edu for the zoom link.
Co-sponsored by the Office of Faculty Development and the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs.
Dr. M. Judah Folkman Research Day
Thursday, Sept. 26
Click here to view/download the Folkman Research Day schedule.
Sponsored by the Medical Staff Organization and the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs.
How to Write a Specific Aims Page
Thursday, Oct. 10, 12-1 PM, Karp 11 Conference Room. Lunch provided.
Speaker: Peter A. Nigrovic, MD, Chief, Division of Immunology, Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine, HMS
The specific aims page is the single most important page in any grant, conveying not just the urgency and rigor of the proposed science but also the suitability of the investigator and the availability of key resources. Here we will discuss how to write a compelling aims page and how to use this document as a tool to optimize the grant as a whole, including for review by others.
To create an interactive session, we invite participants to submit an aims page for discussion at the event – please send directly to peter.nigrovic@childrens.harvard.edu. This is optional and not necessary for participation. These may be distributed in advance to participants who pre-register via linked form.
Co-sponsored by the Office of Faculty Development and the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs.
Digital Imaging Essentials
Thursday, Oct. 17, 12-1 PM via zoom
Speaker: Beth Beighlie, HMS Research Computing, Senior Client Services Representative
Learn the basics of digital image preparation. Understand how to prepare images in one application for use in other applications. Learn the proper resolution and file format for images to be inserted in presentations, publications, and grant submissions.
Meeting ID: 930 6327 3531
Password: 470344
Co-sponsored by the Office of Faculty Development and the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs.
Laboratory Leadership Course (LLC) for Lab-based Research Faculty
Boston Children’s Hospital, Research Administration and Office of Faculty Development (OFD)
Request for Applications: RFA download
To: Faculty who have started their own research lab in the last five years
The objective is to form a close-knit, inclusive community of early-career BCH lab-based faculty aligned around the purpose of enhancing skills related to running a lab such as leadership skills, personnel management, and preparing for career advancement. 15-20 faculty members will be selected. The course is led by Carla Kim, PhD, Director of Basic Science Career Development.
- One-day, in-person kick-off retreat November 1, 2024
- Flash presentations on participants’ lab research program
- Lunch and social hour
- Discussions on topics related to career development, mentor-mentee relationships, recruiting and retaining lab members
- Monthly in-person sessions December 2024 – June 2025
Boston Children’s Hospital joins New England HERC (Higher Education Recruitment Consortium)
HERC provides a free job-seeking database for faculty, staff, and medical positions from a consortium of New England educational and medical institutions. It is a family-friendly tool as dual-career couples may enter their profiles to find matching positions, conduct searches on relocation resources, and explore schools for children. For further information, visit HERC’s website.