This course is sponsored by the Mass General Brigham Office of Clinical Research and developed in collaboration with the Office for Research Careers in the Center for Academic Development and Enrichment (CADE).
Are you the PI of, or faculty on, a T32 Institutional Training Grant? If so, this course fulfills the new NIH requirements for T32 mentors (Updates to NIH Institutional Training Grant Applications for Due Dates on or after January 25, 2025: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-24-129.html), as follows:
Mentor Training
Effective mentorship is critical to the development and retention of scientists and the advancement of research. Studies have shown that effective mentorship has overall positive effects on mentees, mentors and the overall research environment (e.g., improved academic achievement, retention, and degree attainment, career satisfaction, career commitment). Formal training, and ongoing professional development in effective mentoring practices has been shown to improve the knowledge and skills of research mentors across career stages.
Funded training programs are expected to support effective mentorship by ensuring all program faculty complete formal mentor training and periodic refreshers. Programs should consider the following as potential mentor training components, and are encouraged to adapt to program and trainee needs:
- Aligning expectations.
- Maintaining effective communication.
- Fostering independence.
- Assessing understanding.
- Enhancing professional development.
- Articulating a mentoring philosophy and plan.
This short on-demand certificate course provides a practical, case-based approach to effective mentoring. Each of the three modules addresses two interrelated concepts outlined in the NIH requirements.
Modules open with a 10-minute video introducing the concepts through a case study, followed by clear definitions and practical strategies. To reinforce learning, each module concludes with a three-question multiple-choice quiz designed to check understanding; detailed explanations of correct answers are provided.
- Module 1: Assessing Understanding and Maintaining Effective Communication
- Module 2: Fostering Independence and Enhancing Professional Development
- Module 3: Aligning Expectations and Articulating a Mentoring Philosophy and Plan
The course also offers curated additional resources for extended learning, and practical templates to support your mentoring, including a mentoring agreement and an Individual Development Plan template for your use.
For NIH-mandated periodic refreshers, visit the Refresher Course Module to review the slides and complete the short post-test quiz.
This resource is offered for free to Harvard and Harvard affiliates only. After checkout a member of our team will need to approve your registration before you are enrolled in the resource. Please allow up to 3 business days for your approval to process.
