The AGEP PROMISE Academy Alliance (APAA) is developing a state system model that aims to increase diverse faculty in the biomedical sciences through enhanced hiring practices, collaborative postdoctoral development opportunities that leverage distinct strengths of alliance institutions, and conversion processes to transition postdocs into tenure track positions. Alliance partners within the University System of Maryland include teaching-focused institutions, comprehensive universities, research institutions and professional schools. Priorities for APAA include developing and solidifying pathways, procedures, and policies across the system to facilitate the hire of URM scholars in a way that is scalable and reproducible for other state-wide systems. Our session supports the themes of the NPA conference and aligns with the NPA mission. We will provide tools for postdoctoral offices in assessing skills and growth of their postdocs, and encouraging institutional/departmental adoption of enhanced hiring practices. We will share problems we faced in developing a model and what has helped us overcome many of those challenges. Our interactive session will encourage PDO staff to identify allies with which they can build enhanced recruitment, support and career placement efforts for their postdocs, expanding their network both in session and post session.
