Mentoring Resources
The federal government's Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has issued a clarification on the role of students and postdocs conducting research on all federal grants. As described by NIH Policy Notice NOT-OD-15--008, OMB clarifies that students and postdocs have a dual role as both trainees and employees. Therefore, all federally funded research positions for students and postdocs need to provide training and professional skill development to help these researchers advance into independent careers of their choosing. This extends earlier statements from the NIH in 2007 clarifying that mentoring is an intrinsic part of effort reporting on NIH grants where mentoring cannot be distinguished from the practice of research.
IDP Toolkit
The Individual Development Plan (IDP) is a career planning tool whereby a trainee writes down their short- and long-term career goals and an actionable plan for meeting those goals. The IDP can also serve as a useful mentoring tool, providing an opportunity to discuss career goals and professional development opportunities with your trainees. The NIH expects all NIH-supported students and postdocs to have an IDP in place and all NIH principal investigators (PIs) are expected to report on this in annual reports. It is the responsibility of the PI to track IDP compliance for his or her trainees.
Mentoring Plans
A mentoring plan is a more general tool than an IDP, whereby a mentor can describe not only their approach to mentoring a postdoc, but also the additional resources and networks that will be made available to a postdoc to aid the postdoc in advancing their scholarship and career. Mentoring plans are currently required as part of any grant proposal submitted to the National Science Foundation that includes funding for a postdoc. For specific information on Stony Brook training resources, contact the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs.
IDP Workshops
Graduate and Postdoctoral Professional Development offers a twice-yearly IDP workshop for graduate students and postdocs in developing an IDP and reaching their IDP goals. It walks participants through the steps of developing a draft of their IDP. The workshop is held once a semester and by request within interested programs and departments. Contact the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs for more information on how your students and postdocs can attend.
AAMC Postdoc Compact
The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) has developed the Compact Between Postdoctoral Appointees and Their Mentors, which can be used in several ways by postdocs and their mentors. As a communication tool, the compact facilitates an understanding of the joint responsibilities between a postdoc and their mentor during the postdoctoral appointment. Using the compact at the start of a postdoc's appointment can help clarify expectations and responsibilities as well as enhance the mentoring relationship.
Mentoring International Postdocs
A majority of postdocs engaged in research at Stony Brook and across the United States are international, and these postdocs can face unique challenges in adjusting to a U.S. research environment, from language to cultural biases to visa delays. To aid mentors in working with international postdocs, the Office of Research Integrity offers a video guidebook on mentoring international scholars.
Research Mentor Training
The SBU Graduate School offers workshops on research mentoring for faculty, postdocs, and graduate students. The curriculum is based in the national model developed by the Center for Improvement of Mentored Experiences In Research (CIMER).