New Research Mentor Matching Program at CARTI

Research mentorship is much more than scientific supervision. Mentorship should include 360-degree guidance on building a scholarly career, including identifying appropriate learning opportunities, presentation opportunities, and publishing opportunities to build toward independence. The best mentors go beyond and help mentees identify skill gaps, refine personal statements, and practice for career milestone events like job talks or tenure reviews. They also elevate mentees by introducing them to potential collaborators, editorial boards, and professional societies, opportunities that increase visibility and open doors.

An effective mentor should have a strong track record of NIH funding, success in mentoring previous mentees to independence, and deep expertise in the mentee’s research area. This could mean guidance in molecular techniques or preclinical models for basic or translational researchers, or help in study design, statistics, and regulatory processes for clinical researchers. Good mentors help ensure that research plans align with NIH priorities and advise on how to best pivot or refine specific aims as needed. Great mentors act as coaches and sounding boards while the mentee learns to lead and innovate.

“A good mentor will help you define your research goals and then support you in your quest to achieve them. He or she will share knowledge, provide encouragement, and hopefully inspire you. In addition to promoting your research, your mentor should help you to develop your career goals and construct a scientific network. Above all, your mentor should be someone you trust to always keep your best interest in mind.” –from NIH Office of Intramural Training & Education

Consider a mentoring team

Impossible to find all these traits in one person, you say? This is why we at CARTI recommend you start by first identifying a research mentor. Once you’ve established a relationship with a research mentor, then assemble a multidisciplinary mentoring team comprising several engaged mentors whose expertise covers the whole scope of your training needs, for example co-mentors in biostatistics, implementation science, community health, depending on your project. Selecting the right mentoring team requires some strategic thinking and organization to ensure each mentor has strong qualifications, the team provides a supportive environment that accelerates your professional growth, and that you’re meeting with your mentorship team on a regular basis to maintain momentum and maximize benefits. Just make sure that you and your mentors have clarity in every team member’s role. If you're applying for career development grants, ensure that each letter accompanying your application reflects  clarity in roles and and an investment in your career growth. When built thoughtfully, a well-aligned mentoring team strengthens not only any career development award application, but the foundation for long-term success as an independent investigator.

If you’re struggling to find a research mentor, consider using the new Mentor Matching tool from CARTI. Mentor Matching aims to match you with a potential mentor based on your research interest and technical expertise. Recently launched, the Mentor Matching Program seeks both interested mentees and mentors to help pilot the program as it grows. To register for the program, email umsomcarti@som.umaryland.edu with the subject title “Request to Participate in Mentor Match Program,” indicate if you wish to participate as a mentee or mentor, and attach your CV.

If you're applying for an NIH K award

Strong mentorship is essential for success in securing NIH K career development awards. These awards are designed to launch independent research careers, but success requires more than just a solid research question. Applicants must demonstrate that they are embedded in a structured, supportive mentorship environment with a clear plan for scientific growth, skill development, and protected research time. You must spend the time and effort to identify a research mentor or mentorship team with the right mix of scientific alignment, availability, and commitment to career development.

The most important role a research mentor plays is that of your advocate. The NIH requires K awardees to have protected time for research and training and your mentor(s) help negotiate this time with clinical leadership to balance expectations. The best mentor letters clearly describe how protected time is honored and how the institution will support your progression to independence.

Mentors: We need you too!

If you’re a full-time Associate Professor or Professor with active research funding, at least one year of mentoring experience, and you're passionate about advancing science, supporting junior investigators, and strengthening the academic community, this is your chance to lead by example. You can play a vital role in shaping research careers by guiding mentees through grant submissions, protocol development, and manuscript preparation. In return, you gain opportunities for scholarly collaboration, enhanced professional recognition, and valuable contributions toward promotion and leadership advancement.

CARTI's new Mentor Matching Program can help streamline the process of building lasting, productive mentoring relationships, that help strengthen the overall research community here at UMSOM.