• FIRST Home Page Conference Image
    Faculty Institutional Recruitment for Sustainable Transformation Program
    Annual Grantees Conference
    May 6-8, 2024
  • FIRST Home Page Conference Image
    Faculty Institutional Recruitment for Sustainable Transformation Program
    Annual Grantees Conference
    May 6-8, 2024

Register to Attend

Conference registration is now open! Register now, there is no fee, but registration is required.


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Book Lodging

The Bethesda Marriott Hotel is the host hotel for lodging and all activities related to the conference.


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Submit Abstracts

Selected abstracts will be presented during the May 6th Poster Reception.


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Our Aims. Our Goals.

FIRST Program
Grantees Conference


The Faculty Institutional Recruitment for Sustainable Transformation (FIRST) Program Grantees Conference will bring together FIRST Cohort PIs/MPIs, faculty development and evaluation core directors, cohort faculty from each institution, and NIH leaders and staff to exchange information to:


Share FIRST grantees goals, milestones, and progress;
Advance FIRST Program Community of Practice by sharing best practices and lessons learned in cohort recruitment, faculty development, data and evaluation;
Foster peer-to-peer collaboration among FIRST Cohort faculty;
Conduct team integration workshop; and,
Engage NIH Leaders and the FIRST Program Awardees on Inclusive Metrics of Success.
Annual Grantees Conference Planning Committee

Meet the Team

Elizabeth Ofili, MD, MPH

Contact Principal Investigator, Coordination and Evaluation Center
Morehouse School of Medicine

Brian M. Rivers, PhD, MPH

Multiple Principal Investigator, Coordination and Evaluation Center
Co-Chair, Annual Grantees Conference
Morehouse School of Medicine

María Luisa "Mari" Zúñiga, PhD

Contact Principal Investigator, San Diego State University
Co-Chair, Annual Grantees Conference

Emma K.T. Benn, DrPH, MPH

Contact Principal Investigator, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Co-Chair, Annual Grantees Conference

Pamela K. Keel, PhD

Multiple Principal Investigator, Florida State University
Co-Chair, Annual Grantees Conference


The FIRST Cohort Institutions are funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Common Fund to build a self-reinforcing community of scientists commiteed to diversity and inclusive excellence through recruitment, advancement, and promotion of a diverse group of early-career faculty who are competitive for tenure-track or equivalent faculty position and who have demonstrated strong commitment to promoting diversity and inclusive excellence.

FIRST Coordination and Evaluation Center is supported by the National Institutes of Health Common Fund under Award Number 5U24MD017138-03 the content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.