The Support of Early-Career Researchers in Health Professions Education -an Expert Position Statement

Doreen Herinek^1*Franziska Matthes¹Mohamed Al-Eraky²Elizabeth Anderson³Julie Browne⁴Maria Cassar⁵Ingrid Darmann-Finck⁶Götz Fabry⁷Marion Huber⁸Fiona Kent⁹Mirjam Körner¹⁰Sylvia Langlois¹¹Kristina Mikkonen¹²Elise Paradis¹³Lisa Quinn¹⁴Ara Tekian¹⁵Daniëlle Verstegen¹⁶Robyn Woodward-Kron¹⁷Michael Ewers¹

• ¹Charité – Universitätsmedizin, Berlin corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institute of Health and Nursing Science, Berlin, Germany
• ²Gulf Medical University, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
• ³The University of Leicester, Leicester Medical School, College of Life Sciences, Leicester, United Kingdom
• ⁴Cardiff University, School of Medicine, Wales, United Kingdom
• ⁵University of Malta, Faculty of Health Sciences, Malta, Malta
• ⁶University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
• ⁷University of Freiburg, Institute for Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, Freiburg, Germany
• ⁸Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), School of Health Sciences, Institute of Public Health IPH, Center for Interprofessional Learning and Practice IPLP, Winterthur, Switzerland
• ⁹Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland
• ¹⁰University of Applied Sciences Bern, Institute for Collaborative Practice and Leadership in Healthcare, Bern, Switzerland
• ¹¹University Health Network and University of Toronto, Centre for Advancing Collaborative Healthcare and Education, Toronto, Canada
• ¹²University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
• ¹³not applicable, San Francisco, United States
• ¹⁴The University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
• ¹⁵University of Illinois, College of Medicine, Chicago, United States
• ¹⁶Maastricht University, School of Health Professions Education/Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht, Netherlands
• ¹⁷University of Melbourne, Department of Medical Education, Melbourne Medical School, Melbourne, Australia

Introduction: The development of health professions education (HPE) as an academic discipline requires well-qualified educational researchers, equipped with the competence to advance the field. There is, therefore, a need to establish and support pathways in which early-career researchers (ECRs) can develop the necessary competence to pursue a career in this field.Approach: A group of 19 international experts in HPE from various professions, conducted a 2.5-day Scoping Workshop in Hannover, Germany, in November 2024. The main output of the workshop is a joint position statement on the support of ECRs in HPE, using appreciative inquiry and collaborative writing.Position: The Scoping Workshop led to a dynamic and productive exchange of ideas and experiences resulting in a common vision and five position: (1) Identify, establish, and recognize distinct career paths, (2) Develop and implement a robust funding strategy, (3) Create a nurturing and diverse intellectual culture, (4) Connect research to practice and address real-world problems, (5) Invest in leadership, advocacy, and coaching. There was strong agreement that these areas were not well developed and required urgent attention.Outlook: There is a need to foster interprofessional and interdisciplinary collaboration and provision of sustainable support structures so that ECRs can advance HPE. Only when these areas are addressed can these educational researchers contribute to the development of effective learning which prepares the healthcare workforce to meet today’s challenges. Researchers, educators, decision-makers and stakeholders in academia, education, and health and social care contexts share a responsibility for shaping the way forward.