Motivations to pursue careers in health research: A qualitative study of underrepresented faculty in the health sciences

Abstract Introduction: To successfully recruit and retain faculty members from underrepresented backgrounds (URBs), we need to understand the factors that attract them to research careers in the first place. However, scholarship in this area has focused largely on students who are contemplating research careers rather than faculty members who are currently in such careers. Methods: This study explores the career motivations of early-career health researchers (faculty members and postdoctoral fellows) from URBs. It was conducted as part of a cluster randomized trial across 25 academic institutions investigating a support intervention. We conducted 1-hour semi-structured qualitative interviews with scholars from URBs in both the intervention and control arms of the trial. To our knowledge, this is the largest qualitative study of early-career faculty members from URBs to date. Results: Seventy-eight individuals were interviewed. Our analysis revealed six key themes pertinent to participants’ motivations to pursue research careers: (1) love of science; (2) making a larger impact; (3) happenstance and economic considerations; (4) family, community, and a path out of poverty; (5) the role of mentors and role models; and (6) support programs for scholars from URBs. Conclusions: Our results align with prior studies while offering new insights into the motivations of URB faculty members in research careers. These insights can and should inform the design of programs to both recruit and retain URM faculty members in research careers.