Our current trainer pool is exceptionally strong with both basic scientists (29 of our trainers are PhDs, one is D.Sc., and two are M.Ds.s). There is a strong group of experienced senior faculty with well-established research  programs and records as trainers (18 Full Professors, 12 Associate Professors) to balance a cadre of junior (Assistant Professor-level) faculty (currently 4) of great potential and promise who are well supported by generous start-up funding and own extramural support

The leadership team of this Iowa Biotech-TP and our 32 trainers have a firm commitment to increasing the diversity of our community, including faculty hires who can enter our trainer pool, as appropriate. While the Iowa Biotech-TP does not make faculty hires directly, our members, in their roles in their respective departments and programs do have influence as they chair or sit on faculty search committees. It is the commitment of the TP leadership to participate in all collegiate, departmental, and University processes and programs that help increase our diversity.

Gender Diversity

Our current trainer pool consists of 32 faculty. Among them, eight (25%) are women and 24 (75%) are men.

Due to increased focus and resources dedicated to hiring a more diverse and balanced faculty, and because the Iowa Biotech-TP places emphasis on having trainees with diverse mentors, we plan to actively recruit new trainers of all ranks who identify as women. We have not ever excluded a potential trainer because of their gender, but we understand that to increase the diversity of our trainers we need to increase our reach and actively recruit women faculty. As our trainer pool matures, and recruitment efforts focused on hiring a highly skilled and diverse faculty come to fruition, we anticipate a much more balanced trainer pool overall.

Rank Diversity

In our current pool of 32 trainers, we have 17 Full Professors (~53.1%), 11Associate Professors (~34.3%), and four Assistant Professors (12.5%).

Due to the COVID pandemic, many departments at the University of Iowa have halted hiring efforts, with only recently new searchers being announced. Meanwhile, many of our faculty have been recently promoted to Full or Associate Professor. With new searchers finally commencing, we are looking forward to replenishing our pool of Junior Faculty trainers.

Members of Underrepresented Groups

We have broad diversity of our faculty with regard to background, training, departmental and collegial affiliations, and research interests. However, much like the general faculty population at the University of Iowa, the diversity of our trainer pool in terms of the representation of women and members of underrepresented groups needs improvement. In some cases, our diversity has been diminished by faculty departures, and due to some recent recruitment of a number of our trainers (or potential trainers) by other institutions, we currently count two trainers (approx. 7%) who identify as members of an underrepresented minority group among our training faculty. While we lament the current situation, the issue of increasing diversity, particularly at the University of Iowa (in a State with a population that is approx. 90% white) is a priority for all units, including this Iowa Biotech-TP.