Yinlin Chen
Associate Director
Virginia Tech University
Academic libraries increasingly expect research from personnel in service roles, often without changing the structures that govern advancement. Over four years, Virginia Tech, the University of Colorado Boulder, and the University of North Texas built a three-tier pathway to close that gap: an open access research methods curriculum, nearly fifty collaborative projects, and six competitively selected research fellowships. The most consequential outcome went beyond individual participants: the work contributed to revised career-advancement guidelines that formally recognize peer-reviewed publication, grant leadership, and scholarly research. This talk highlights the practical levers behind those changes, including seed grants, cross-departmental mentorship, and protected research time, and how each institution adapted the model to fit its own policies and advancement structures.
https://jointpdi.github.io/
https://www.imls.gov/grants/awarded/re-254915-ols-23
