Accelerating Research Translation at UMass Ambassadors Network will be convened early in the first year of the ART to create the foundation for its efforts as a group and as individual ambassadors to various communities on campus. This group will serve as a referral and recruitment network, a problem-solving network for overcoming barriers to research translation, and a peer mentor network to inspire and support graduate student, postdoctoral and faculty researchers.
Accelerating Research Translation at UMass Ambassadors will include campus senior leadership, DEI leaders, technology transfer, venture development, STRP teams of faculty, graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, and others from the campus ecosystem whose efforts intersect with these programs. Within the scope of Ambassadors’ activities will be to:
- Act as change agents to expand interest in, respect for, and policies supporting research translation as a vehicle for creating impact and benefiting society.
- Participate in the national network of ART Ambassadors to exchange best practices and bring ideas back to the campus for adaptation and potential implementation. Representatives will attend the national ART Ambassador meetings and actively participate in virtual opportunities throughout the project.
- Provide input into the Accelerating Research Translation at UMass Training program and Career Pathways Workshops to help with design and iterative improvement of the program, identify barriers to participation, and development of effective recruitment methods beyond year one.
- Represent and champion Accelerating Research Translation at UMass and research translation at every level of the campus research enterprise.