Application Mentoring

Examples of Specific Sponsor Requirements for Mentoring Plans

National Resources

• NIH: Since July 1990, the National Institutes of Health has required all applications for Institutional National Research Service Award (NRSA) Research Training Grants to include a description of a program to provide instruction in responsible conduct of research. All NRSA supported trainees must be provided an opportunity for training in the responsible conduct of research.
• NSF: TheNational Science Foundation's NSF Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide includes a requirement for a mentoring plan for postdocs. 

One significant change is that NSF has added a new requirement to the Proposal Preparation Instructions regarding mentoring for postdoctoral fellows. Proposals that request funding to support postdoctoral researchers that do not include a separate section on mentoring activities will be returned without review.
The revised NSF instructions state that: Each proposal²⁸  that requests funding to support postdoctoral researchers must include, as a supplementary document, a description of the mentoring activities that will be provided for such individuals. In no more than one page, the mentoring plan must describe the mentoring that will be provided to all postdoctoral researchers supported by the project, irrespective of whether they reside at the submitting organization, any sub-awardee organization, or at any organization participating in a simultaneously submitted collaborative project. Proposers are advised that the mentoring plan may not be used to circumvent the 15-page project description limitation. 

Examples of mentoring activities include, but are not limited to: career counseling; training in preparation of grant proposals, publications and presentations; guidance on ways to improve teaching and mentoring skills; guidance on how to effectively collaborate with researchers from diverse backgrounds and disciplinary areas; and training in responsible professional practices. The proposed mentoring activities will be evaluated as part of the merit review process under the Foundation's broader impacts merit review criterion. Proposals that include funding to support postdoctoral researchers, and, do not include the requisite mentoring plan will be returned without review (see GPG Chapter IV.B.)
Office of Research Integrity RCR Resources: The federal Office of Research Integrity (ORI) website contains numerous education resources and products. Visit this site periodically as more universities contribute to the inventory.
National Institutes of Health's Bioethics Resources: This site provides links for those interested in bioethics education, research involving human participants and animals, medical and health care ethics, and the implication of applied genetics and biotechnology. a link to Responsible Conduct of Research is included.
Scientific Management for Postdocs and New Faculty: Making the Right Moves: A Practical Guide to Scientific management for Postdocs and New Faculty is an instruction manual for investigators preparing to establish their own laboratories. It is a comprehensive document with 13 chapters including how to secure a faculty position, staffing and operating a laboratory, mentoring, time and project management, funding opportunities, publications and intellectual property. The Guide was developed by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute an Burroughs Wellcome Fund for an intensive training course. UCI has been given approval to provide this to our faculty and postdocs for non-commercial use.
A Guide to Training and Mentoring from NIH follow this link to access.
AAS Science Careers: >Science Careers is dedicated to being the world leader in matching qualified scientists with jobs in industry, academia, and government. We are committed to providing all the necessary career resources for scientists as well as effective recruiting solutions for employers. Our mission supports the American Association for the Advancement of Science's (AAAS's) commitment to furthering careers in science and technology, with an emphasis on fostering greater diversity among the scientific community.
National Post Doc Association follow this link to access NPDA.
Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative: The CITI public access course in the Responsible Conduct of Research is available without charge to the research community. Discipline specific (Biomedical, Social & Behavioral Research, Physical Sciences, Humanities) courses are available.
Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB):  Provides a selection of Teaching/Advocacy Material, including sample mentoring plans.

Dartmouth Resources

NSF Career Support

• Subject Area: Broader Impact Statement (NSF)
• Guidance regarding the Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER), which offers the National Science Foundation's most prestigious awards in support of early-career faculty who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the mission of their department or organization.

Op Ed media training program at the Office of Communications

• Subject Area: Communicating Research Statement (NSF)
• Whether you're preparing for a press interview, addressing difficult public questions, establishing relationships with reporters and editors, or crafting and pitching an op-ed, our media relations team can help. We provide training, support, and coaching to groups and individuals to help you make the most of your interview opportunities.

Dartmouth Postdoc Association

• Subject Area: Professional Development
• The purpose of the DCPDA is to give each and every postdoc an opportunity to succeed according to their individual wants and needs, whether it is to increase their network, participate in social activities, or benefit from the training/career enhancement seminars the association will plan and/or sponsor. Equipping postdocs with the tools needed to find and obtain satisfying and fulfilling careers within or outside of academia is one of the goals of the DCPDA.
• By fostering institutional recognition of 1) postdocs as a group associated with the College and 2) of our individual training and professional development needs, we hope to create a centralized resource for postdocs to find job information and career resources needed to succeed within and outside of academia.

Graduate Office Mentoring Program

• Subject Area: Professional Development
• In collaboration with the Dartmouth College Graduate Office, Professors Roger Sloboda and Jon Kull run a seminar on mentoring every other year for faculty and postdocs.

Women in Science Project

• Subject Area: Professional Development
• WISP's mission is to collaborate in creating a learning environment where women can thrive in science, engineering and mathematics. This broad goal is achieved by enhancing the experiences of Dartmouth women, particularly in their first year, through a comprehensive set of proven intervention strategies, including: Mentoring, Early hands-on research experience, Role models, Access to information Building a community in the sciences. WISP invites women post docs and graduate women to participate in some of its programs and has developed some programs specifically for these groups.

Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Fellowship Program

• Subject Area: Professional Development
• The HHMI grant also provides an opportunity for graduate and undergraduate students to gain teaching experience as Science Mentors, through an afternoon Science Camp offered in local schools for six weeks in Winter term. This HHMI-sponsored outreach is a collaboration between the Outreach Office and the Montshire Museum of Science. The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) is the largest private supporter of science education. Dartmouth College is one of 50 institutions in the United States selected for the prestigious Undergraduate Science Education Program Grant. The purpose of the grant is to strengthen and enrich undergraduate science teaching at research universities. One component of Dartmouth's program is the establishment of HHMI Fellows, undergraduates who are given the opportunity to work on a research project in close collaboration with a Dartmouth faculty mentor.

Dartmouth Center for the Advancement of Learning (DCAL)

• Subject Area: Professional Development
• The Dartmouth Center for the Advancement of Learning (DCAL), offers workshops and services to support graduate students and postdocs with current and future teaching and career goals. DCAL workshops include a teacher training series focusing on principles of learning, lesson design, collaborative learning, critical moments and diversity, and practice teaching with peer feedback; a series on syllabus design; and workshops on topics such as teaching statements, teaching with technology, teaching students research, status and stereotypes, community based teaching, grading and assessments, and critical thinking. DCAL’s associate director for professional development programs is available to for one-on-one or small group consultations.