The IDSA journals are launching a pilot effort to connect junior infectious diseases faculty (instructors and assistant professors) with journal editors for mentorship and training in the day-to-day work involved in serving as an editor for a medical journal.
By the end of the program, mentees will:
- Have an understanding of the different editorial roles involved in the IDSA journals and similar medical journals;
- Have an understanding of the review and evaluation process followed for a typical journal paper, and what that process means for their own writing;
- Have an understanding of the work of journal editors, including how they review, evaluate and make decisions on papers;
- Participate in the review of several manuscripts;
- Participate in editorial board meetings at IDWeek and virtual editorial meetings.
Each trainee will be provided with a $2000 stipend, a free IDSA membership and travel support to attend IDWeek (including both registration and travel costs). If any trainee is not able to accept a stipend due to visa status, the stipend can instead be provided to their institution. Mentees will also be listed on the appropriate journal website.
Interested applicants should provide a CV, a 1-2 page letter of interest and contact information for two references. Applicants may note their preferred journal in their cover letter, but the journal editors will make the final decision on where to assign mentees. Each journal will select 1-2 mentees for this pilot program. Applications are due no later than July 17, 2023.
Responsibilities
September 2023: Mentees will participate in an introductory meeting and orientation.
October 2023: Mentees will attend IDWeek 2023 in Boston, including their journal’s editorial board meeting and the IDSA journals editors’ reception, and debrief with their mentor following IDWeek.
November-December 2023: Mentees will be assigned up to two papers per week for initial editorial decision and one paper per month to review alongside their mentor. Mentees will also participate in weekly calls with their mentor to discuss papers assigned to them, and attend virtual editorial board meetings as they take place.
January 2024: Mentees will work with their mentor on final adjudication of papers assigned to them as they return from external review. Mentees will also participate in an exit interview with the editor-in-chief to gather their input on the pilot program.
Ideal Qualifications
The editors welcome applications from junior faculty (instructors and assistant professors) to participate in this pilot. The editors are strongly interested in applications from members of underrepresented groups, including women; Black, Indigenous and people of color; Latinx people; and LGBTQ+ people.
Meeting Frequency
Mentees will attend introductory/onboarding meetings in September 2023 and attend IDWeek 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts, including a meeting of their journal’s editorial board at the conference. In November-December 2023, they will participate in weekly calls with their mentors and attend any editorial board meetings scheduled during that time. In January 2024, they will attend an exit interview with the editor-in-chief to provide feedback on the pilot program.
Method of Appointment
Mentees for the pilot program will be selected from the applicant pool by the editors-in-chief.
Term of Office
September 2023-January 2024.
Accountability
Mentees will be overseen by the journal editors-in-chief.
Staff Liaison
Senior director, publishing and content strategy.
Volunteers Needed
1-2 mentees will be selected by each journal for the pilot program.
Experience Required
Applicants must be junior faculty (instructors or assistant professors).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can residents or fellows apply for the pilot editorial mentoring program?
This pilot program is aimed at individuals who are out of training and working as instructors, assistant professors, or the equivalent at their institutions. Residents and fellows will not be considered as applicants for the pilot.
Can PharmDs who are working as instructors/assistant professors apply?
Yes, we welcome applications from PharmDs who are working as instructors, assistant professors, or the equivalent at their institutions. PharmDs would most likely be assigned to CID or OFID, as those journals have current editors who are also PharmDs.
Can adjunct faculty apply?
Yes, adjunct faculty members (who are out of training) may apply for this pilot program.
Can someone who is a clinician without any faculty appointment apply?
Yes, as long as this individual is out of training. However, we expect the pilot program to be of greatest value to individuals who have career goals that include academic publishing, editing, or writing, which in general would mean someone with a faculty appointment.
Can someone who is currently serving as an editor with another journal apply?
Yes, someone who is currently serving as an editor with another journal may apply. If selected, we would expect that person to notify us if a particular paper or activity were to pose a conflict of interest during their mentorship period.
Can individuals who reside outside of the United States apply?
For this initial, three-month pilot program, we are only accepting applicants from U.S. residents. Because this is a pilot with a small initial group of participants, we want to keep the participants’ experience as consistent as possible so that we can better evaluate outcomes and determine what changes might need to be made to expand beyond a pilot program. It is our intention to expand the editorial mentorship program beyond U.S. residents in the future.