The Chair Curriculum was developed to support current and future family medicine chairs in building a strong culture of research and scholarship within their departments. Research in family medicine is essential to answering the questions that matter most to patients, care teams, and communities, while also strengthening clinical care, advancing education, and improving faculty satisfaction.

This curriculum builds on the 2023 National Family Medicine Research Summit and aligns with the National Family Medicine Strategic Plan for Research (Objective B5), “Identify and promote promising practices for chairs to support and fund research participation within their departments and institutions.”

It was created collaboratively by ADFM with the ADFM Research Development Committee and the Research Directors and Chairs group, to provide practical guidance for chairs on how to support, fund, and grow research within their institutions.

The curriculum can serve as a roadmap for new chairs negotiating their roles, a tool for experienced leaders scaling their research enterprise, and a resource for leadership development programs. Most importantly, it is intended as a living guide that departments can adapt to their own needs and update over time as opportunities evolve. Ultimately, the curriculum provides a foundation for building a sustainable culture of curiosity, scholarship, and innovation in family medicine.

Advancing Research in Family Medicine: A Chairs' Learning Series

As an extension of the curriculum, ADFM has created a four-part learning series to help department chairs strengthen research capacity and leadership. Each session offers practical strategies, peer perspectives, and real-world examples tailored to chairs at all levels of experience. Moderated by Peter Seidenberg, MD, MSOL, Chair of the ADFM Research Development Committee, the series features department chairs from institutions at different stages of research growth.

Each session is available as a pre-recorded webinar, audio-only file, slide deck, or document, so you can engage at the depth and pace that works best for you. Together, these sessions provide a stepwise guide: from assessing your department’s research vision, to building infrastructure, navigating regulation, and sustaining funding.