CIMER History & National Impact
History
The Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER) was created in 2015 to sustain and expand nationwide on the work by scholars at the University of Wisconsin who were deeply engaged in developing, testing, and disseminating grant-funded mentor and mentee interventions to improve research learning experiences and mentoring relationships.
We aim to support cultural change that values inclusive excellence through mentorship. Specifically, CIMER develops research-informed professional development workshops to help mentors and mentees advance their mentorship practices. The CIMER team then studies those interventions and disseminates them broadly. CIMER also offers central evaluation to collect data that aligns with our core research questions about what works in mentorship, for who and in what context.
National Impact
CIMER is a trusted leader in mentor-mentee relationships, higher education, and workforce development and the work of our practitioners and researchers brings measurable, evidence-based curriculum to improve mentoring relationships. Our researchers and practitioners are recognized experts in mentor-mentee relationships, organizational change and talent development who have served as advisors to federal agencies (e.g., National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, Department of Energy), research organizations (universities, NGOs, industry), and groups providing policy advice (e.g., National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine). Our breadth of expertise and our experience working with large organizations uniquely positions us to advance large scale transformations in the mentorship culture.
By the Numbers
(through June, 2024)
Curricula
Adapted 23 complete training curricula
Workshops
Conducted 305 workshops across 130 different institutions
Participants
Engaged with over 6,100 participants