Dr. Stephanie Studenski Dr. Stephanie Studenski

If you follow our blog, you know that the John A. Hartford Foundation is now spending our time and money putting geriatrics research and knowledge into practice to change health care delivery for older adults. We are able to do this because for decades we’ve funded outstanding scientific investigators in the aging field through scholars and fellows programs, most of which continue today.

Scholars who attended the recent Dennis W. Jahnigen Career Development Award and T. Franklin Williams Scholars retreat or the Paul Beeson Scholars annual convening, had the privilege of hearing Dr. Stephanie Studenski, a renowned geriatrics researcher, deliver a powerful presentation about the need for senior academic leaders to make room for the next generation. Stephanie—a professor of medicine and director of research at the University of Pittsburgh’s Division of Geriatric Medicine and program director of the Pittsburgh Pepper Center—has an inspiring message and one that is not typically shared.

She graciously agreed to answer questions from senior program officer Rachael Watman. For those of you pursuing a career in academia who were not in the room , here is your chance to get some very practical advice on how to be successful as the research environment changes. And for readers who might be more senior leaders in academic settings, be prepared to be challenged to “step down and give someone else a chance!”

Stephanie, I have heard you deliver a thought-provoking and perhaps controversial presentation twice now about a “great opening” coming our way for more junior leaders in aging research. What is this opening?

Many senior leadership positions in academia are currently filled by boomers. Along with the rest of this generation, they can be expected to retire or step down from their current positions over the coming decade. As they vacate these positions, there will be a large void in the top of the academic hierarchy. This presents a unique opportunity for the generation of emerging leaders.

What has the response to this message been from the senior leaders? From the rising leaders?

To date, there has been little overt attention to this issue. However, since strong leadership is critical to the long-term success of academic medicine, it would be wise for institutions to begin planning in advance for this massive generational turnover. Some boomers are paying attention and developing innovative solutions that might be summarized as "succession planning". While most rising leaders are still overwhelmed by the challenges of sustaining support for their programs in the current funding climate, some have begun to work with senior leaders to prepare themselves to gradually take over responsibility for major operations at their institutions.

What can emerging leaders do to assume this mantle of leadership?

Many research studies are becoming larger and more complex because many important questions require large complex multisite studies. Therefore, the key is to gain experience and a national reputation to justify leadership roles in these large complex projects. Here are some steps emerging leaders can take to prepare themselves.

  1. Get inside large studies and networks as co-investigator or subproject leader.
  2. Develop expertise in needed areas: novel molecular techniques, translational technologies, IT, computer modeling.
  3. Prove yourself to your leaders with your responsibility, initiative, and creativity; earn advancing responsibility and position.
  4. In order to sustain your independent scholarship while working inside large studies, write ancillary studies and try for modest free add-ons and analyze and publish based on data from large studies.
  5. Build your local and national reputation by taking on roles in professional organizations, journal editorial boards and study sections, so you can be considered qualified for advanced responsibilities.

Anything they should avoid?

Don't wait. This turnover will be upon us shortly and you should be prepared.

What can the boomers do to accommodate or groom the next generation?

The boomers should be committed to a smooth transition of leadership and invest in preparing their successors.

Here are some things they can do.

  1. Commit to intentional and thoughtful succession planning.
  2. Facilitate evolving responsibility and visibility for high-potential emerging leaders.
  3. Plan for transitions of your current national positions that would be helpful for tenure and promotion among emerging leaders. Examples include editorial boards, professional societies, and study sections. If decision-makers are worried about taking on less-experienced individuals, offer to provide a period of coaching for your intended replacement.
  4. Appoint emerging leaders as unofficial co-Principle Investigators or other such "second in command" on major grants, so they can undergo leadership training without loss of potential "new PI" status on NIH grants.
  5. Serve as a co-investigator and coach for other's first PI applications.
  6. Prepare yourself to let go, step down and give someone else a chance!

Do you find most are doing this? Why or why not?

Some are, some aren't. There are barriers. For example, many senior people are still responsible for their own funding support, so they may have difficulty foregoing their own supported effort on behalf of others. Some enjoy their current positions and are not ready to leave them.

And finally, what is an institution’s role in this?

Institutions should recognize this impending transition and plan for it. Here are some things they can do. I am sure there are lots of other creative solutions out there as well.

  1. Create an organizational planning group to address succession planning—perhaps survey current leaders about their plans, develop strategies to prepare for turnover, and implement pilot projects to evaluate these strategies.
  2. Since it is essential to release funding of senior leaders to make room for emerging leaders, institutions could provide targeted support via endowment and other institutional resources on behalf of a modest set of highly experienced leaders who are interested in serving as guides and coaches for our next generation.
  3. Academic promotion and tenure committees should continue to evolve their understanding of scholarly independence, success, and productivity to include emerging leadership roles in complex multisite programs.

Anything I didn’t ask you that you would like to share?

As I experience my own aging, I find that it is rewarding to develop new personal goals and intellectual challenges, so that when I step down from hard-earned achievements, I am looking forward, not backward. Retirement for the boomers doesn't have to mean shuffleboard and boredom. Let's be the generation that redefines rewarding and productive aging!!

What do YOU think? Please share your thoughts in the Comment section below.