Advisory Group for Organizational Well-Being in Research
AGOWR
Advisory Group for Organizational Well-Being in Research
(AGOWR)
About the Advisory Group
To facilitate change specific to the needs of our basic science and clinical researchers and their teams, we need to better understand the daily stressors, research-focused systems and processes, and the challenges and barriers experienced in these spaces. We need more researcher perspectives at the table to guide learning, align efforts, and cultivate sustainable changes. Those interested in learning more about AGOWR, joining future advisory efforts, or participating in upcoming focus group discussions related to basic science researcher well-being are encouraged to contact our research and analytics manager: Molly.Taylor@uky.edu.
Mission and Vision
Formed through a college-wide call for self-nominations, AGOWR brings together faculty, scientists, and research professionals to identify opportunities to strengthen culture, systems, and team dynamics within research. The group's work emphasizes the structural and organizational solutions, informed by ongoing utilization of American Medical Association's (AMA) Organizational Biopsy data and shared dialogue around problem identification and solutioning.
Initiatives
Conference Presentations
While well-being initiatives in academic medicine have largely focused on clinicians, the experiences of basic science researchers have received far less attention. Our team at the UK College of Medicine Office for Organizational Well-Being is launching an initiative to better understand and strengthen the research environment.
At the AAMC 2026 Joint Spring Meeting this April, we shared how we adapted a clinician well-being framework to assess researcher well-being and identify opportunities for systems-level improvement. Our work seeks to identify systems-level opportunities to support engagement and foster a sustainable culture for researchers within academic medicine.
Co-Chairs
Office of Research Advisors
Trevor P. Creamer, PhD
Positions Held:
- Professor
- Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs - Basic Sciences
- Director of Graduate Studies
AGOWR Members
Kevin J. Pearson, PhD
Positions Held:
- Professor
- Assistant Dean for Research Engagement, Office of Research, College of Medicine
- Graduate Faculty in Nutritional Sciences
