FASEB Disheartened by MOSAIC Program Termination

Friday, April 4, 2025
On April 2, FASEB was notified of the termination of the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) Maximizing Opportunities for Scientific and Academic Independent Careers (MOSAIC) program. Launched in 2019, the MOSAIC program provided an innovative model through which the professional development of early-career scholars was enhanced through cohort-based programming offered by independent organizations, such as scientific societies. In just four fiscal years, the program supported 193 Scholars and five organizational hubs, well exceeding the original goal of 60 Scholars and three organizational hubs.

FASEB was pleased to receive support from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) to serve as the fifth MOSAIC professional development hub in August 2024 and is disheartened by the program’s termination and deeply concerned about the immediate and longer-term effects of the loss of this and numerous other programs focused on fostering the next generation of biological and biomedical researchers. These terminations are short-sighted and will negatively impact both the research workforce and human health.
 
Scholars supported through the MOSAIC program represent emerging leaders in their respective scientific disciplines, each at critical junctures within their careers. Therefore, FASEB remains committed to supporting these MOSAIC Scholars with critical professional development resources and mentorship for the remainder of its award and beyond. The five organizational hubs supporting MOSAIC Scholars are working collectively to exchange program outcomes and identify critical components that can be sustained for individuals unable to benefit from the MOSAIC program in the absence of federal funding.

FASEB’s MOSAIC program team is working swiftly to adapt the planned curriculum to maximize opportunities for the 10 MOSAIC Scholars before the award ends on July 31, 2025. Please feel free to direct any questions to Frank J. Krause Jr., FASEB CEO and Executive Director, or the program’s Principal Investigator, Yvette Seger, PhD.