improving research mentoring relationships
Research & Graduate Education has partnered with the School of Medicine Office of Faculty Affairs and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center Office of Education and Training (OET) in offering a formal research mentor education program. This program meets the National Institutes of Health (NIH) mentor training requirements for institutional training grants effective January 2025.
The RME program is built on the Center for Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER) Entering Mentoring curricula, which is theoretically-grounded, evidence-based, and culturally-responsive. If you have any questions, please reach out to mentoreducation@uw.edu.
Registration
Registration is free and open first to all UW School of Medicine and Fred Hutch Cancer Center clinical and biomedical research faculty. If you have any questions, please reach out to mentoreducation@uw.edu.
VIRTUAL
October 29, 9 am – 12 pm & October 30, 9 am – 12 pm
December 8, 1 pm – 4 pm & December 9, 1 pm – 4pm
IN-PERSON
October 21, 9 am – 4:30 pm, Fred Hutch
December 11, 9 am – 4:30 pm, UW Medicine SLU
VIRTUAL
January 22, 1 pm – 4 pm & January 23, 1 pm – 4 pm
February 18, 9 am – 12 pm & February 19, 9 am – 12 pm
IN-PERSON
February 3, 9 am – 4:30 pm, UW Medicine SLU
February 23, 9 am – 4:30 pm, South Campus Center
March 10, 9 am – 4:30 pm, Fred Hutch Cancer Center
Objective
Designed to help mentors develop skills engaging in productive, culturally responsive, research mentoring relationships to optimize the success of both mentors and mentees. – CIMER Mentor Training
This program implements Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER) curricula Entering Mentoring for mentors of research trainees.
The objective of this program offered by the UW and Fred Hutch is to provide a flexible, interactive training program for research mentors in both clinical research and biomedical research environments in the School of Medicine.
Peer Learning Model
Effective mentoring can be learned, but not taught. – W.H. Freeman, 2014
The CIMER Entering Mentoring curricula provides an evidenced-based, interactive training modules led by School of Medicine peer faculty who have completed the research mentor facilitator training for this program.
Themes & Concepts
The following themes are included in the CIMER Entering Mentoring mentor training curricula:
- Maintaining Effective Communication
- Aligning Expectations
- Assessing Understanding
- Addressing Equity and Inclusion
- Fostering Independence
- Promoting Professional Development
- Articulating Your Mentoring Philosophy and Plan
Community of Practice
The Research Mentor Education program will develop a growing community of practice among trained faculty in the UW School of Medicine, Fred Hutch, Seattle Children’s, and other partners.
The goal of this community is to provide a safe and supportive space for continued development of one’s personal style and philosophy of mentoring.
CIMER also provides a list to online networks and communities of practice for mentors and mentees.
Steering Committee
The Research Mentor Education Steering Committee provides valuable support and advises the Research Mentor Education team on the structure of the program. Steering Committee members have extensive expertise in faculty development and training, research mentorship, and well-being. These members champion the Research Mentor Education program across the UW School of Medicine and Fred Hutch Cancer Center.
- Zachary Amador, Graduate Student – Genome Sciences, UW School of Medicine
- Andrés Barría, Assistant Dean for Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion for RGE, UW School of Medicine
- Anne Browning, Associate Dean for Well-Being, UW School of Medicine
- Beth Buffalo, Chair of the Department of Neurobiology & Biophysics, UW School of Medicine
- Jaime Chao, Postdoc, UW School of Medicine
- Nancy Davidson, Executive Vice President of Clinical Affairs, Fred Hutch Cancer Center
- Chris Goss, Associate Dean of Clinical Trials, UW School of Medicine
- Cindy Hamra, Associate Dean of Administration & Finance, UW School of Medicine
- Ashlee Harty, Associate Dean for Academic & Staff, Human Resources, UW School of Medicine
- Dara Lehman, Research Associate Professor, Fred Hutch Cancer Center
- Jennifer Lund, Professor, Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutch Cancer Center
- Bill Mahoney, Associate Dean for Research, Education and Training, Program Director of Molecular Medicine & Mechanisms of Disease, UW School of Medicine
- Katherine Meinhold, Graduate Student – Bioengineering, UW School of Medicine
- David Morgenroth, Vice Chair for Research, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, UW School of Medicine
- Karen Peterson, Director of the Office of Scientific Career Development, Fred Hutch Cancer Center
- Jane Sullivan, RME Facilitator and Associate Professor, Neurobiology & Biophysics, UW School of Medicine
- Jakob von Moltke, Associate Professor, Immunology, UW School of Medicine
Additional Resources
Student and Postdoc Mentees:
- UW Graduate School: Student Success and Mentoring
- Council of Graduate Schools: For Mentees
- NRMN: Graduate students
- NRMN: Postdocs
- CIMER: Mentoring Up Training
- AAMC: Compact between biomedical graduate students and their research advisors (PDF)
- AAMC: Compact between postdoctoral appointees and their mentors (PDF)
Faculty Mentors:
Elia Tait Wojno, PhD serves as the Director of Mentor Education in the Office of Research and Graduate Education (RGE) and an Associate Professor of Immunology.
As a researcher and educator, Elia is passionate about training the next generation of scientists.