Networks & Communities of Practice

Overview of Networks & Communities of Practice

The Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER) strives to be a convener, collaborator and connector – we want to support individuals and organizations as they move their efforts forward to engage in conversations with others across the country about improving mentorship relationships and organizational support for those relationships. On this page, we share some of those opportunities of which we are aware.

Know other online spaces, professional societies, conferences or efforts?

We would love to know! Please email us at cimer@wcer.wisc.edu with the subject line, “Networks & Communities of Practice”.

Mentorship Educators & Advocates – Sharing Models, Opportunities and Challenges

CIMER strives to empower individuals to connect with others about challenges and opportunities that they encounter in their mentoring relationships and leadership efforts to build cultures of mentorship in the research workforce.

My NRMN online groups

Originally developed during the National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN) Phase I grant (2014-2019), these online communities are for individuals interested in implementing our mentorship training curricula. We invite you tojoin these groups to learn more about the curricula, seek implementation advice, and share best practices.

Research Mentor Training

Research Mentee Training

MyNRMN Facilitators of Entering Research (research mentee training)

Communities of Practice

In the coming years, CIMER and its collaborators will host a number of communities of practice (CoPs) that provide members with access to information and people committed to advancing the science and practice of mentorship.

CTSA+ Community of Practice

A community including clinical and translational scientists, mentorship experts, practitioners, scholars and institutional leaders from across career stages who are interested in advancing the science and practice of mentorship in the clinical and translational research sciences and beyond.
Link: https://sites.google.com/wisc.edu/ctsacop/home

Federally-Funded Research Centers (National Labs) Community of Practice

A community of national laboratory staff interested in supporting the dissemination of evidence-based mentorship education in national laboratories as well as policies that incentivize high quality and inclusive mentorship. This community was started with support of the NSF-supported Inclusive Graduate Education Network

of which CIMER was a co-investigator.

Interested in starting a Community of Practice?

Please email us at cimer@wicer.wisc.edu with the subject line, “Networks & Communities of Practice”.

CIMER Newsletter

Our team curates a newsletter to support the advancement of mentoring research and practice. The audience is faculty, staff and administrators who are facilitators of our research mentor and mentee training curricula and leaders who are engaged in culture change efforts at their institutions. We share news, research, and learning opportunities to support the development of robust cultures of research mentorship across the country.

Sign up for the Newsletter

If you are interested in getting on the CIMER Newsletter mailing list, sign up here for the CIMER newsletter

Finding Mentors and Mentees

There are a number of organizations and online platforms that have been established specifically to help connect interested mentors and mentees. The list below is not an exhaustive one. Please email us at cimer@wicer.wisc.edu with the subject line, “Networks & Communities of Practice”.

MentorNet

MentorNet is a platform for mentoring that combines the technology of social networks with the social science of mentoring. The platform strategically matches STEM students and professionals in compatible mentoring relationships, delivers evidence-based programs that address the issues impacting retention and success in STEM fields, and conducts controlled studies and evaluation to identify and verify factors that impact student success.
Link: https://greatmindsinstem.org/mentornet/

National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN)

NRMN connects mentor and mentee scientists at all career stages of research from across the country.
Link: https://nrmnet.net/mynrmn/

American Public Health Association (APHA) Disability Section Mentoring Program

This program aims to strengthen the public health workforce and improve representation of people with disabilities and allies in leadership.
Link: https://www.disabilitysectionmentoring.org/

American Psychological Association (APA) Disability Mentoring Program

This program supports graduate psychology students, psychologists entering the field and practicing psychologists with disabilities.
Link: https://www.apa.org/pi/disability/resources/mentoring

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Entry Point!

This program engages STEM employers across industries to place individuals with disabilities into 10-week long internships.
Link: https://www.aaas.org/programs/entry-point