For Faculty Research Advisors at UMass Chan

Read about our NIH BEST-funded initiatives

• Defining characteristics and vision for our program
• What’s new this year? For students and postdocs

Are professional development activities allowed for trainees funded by federal research grants?

• Yes.OMB 2 CFR 200 indicates “Uniform Guidance 200.400(f) requires the recognition of the dual role of all pre and post-doctoral staff, who are appointed to research positions with the intent that the research experience will further their training and support the development of skills critical to pursue careers as independent investigators or other related careers. Neither Pre-Docs or Post-Docs need to be specifically appointed in ‘training’ positions to require recognition of this dual role.”

Resources for addressing professional development in grants

• Faculty Quick Guide to IDPs – describes Individual Development Plans (IDP) and UMass Chan institutional policies for IDPs, and provides template language for use in Section B.4. of the NIH annual progress reports (RPPR).
• Contact us for template language describing professional development resources at UMass Chan for students or postdocs, for use in predoctoral and postdoctoral fellowship applications.
• Contact us if you would like to partner for a training grant.

What can I do to promote my mentee’s professional development?

• Provide constructive feedback to each trainee to help her/him assess both their strengths and areas for growth, in their research-related skills as well as in professional skills such as writing, presentation, interacting with colleagues, giving and receiving feedback.  Be specific (examples are very informative).  You can download a skills assessment form from myIDP or the Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Student Thesis Research Advisory Committee Meeting Report to assist with this.
• Help your trainee assess whether the short-term goals they set in their Individual Development Plan for the coming year are attainable and realistic.  Goal-setting is a skill, and it can take years of practice to set appropriate goals.
• Be supportive and flexible about career-related discussions. Some trainees may feel comfortable discussing these personal goals with their research advisor, others may prefer to consider options on their own. Regardless, encourage them to seek out resources to assist them with this process.
• Encourage your trainee to have a back-up plan. All careers are highly competitive—within academia and beyond. Furthermore, trainees’ career interests and life circumstances can change. Early-career scientists should be preparing themselves for two career paths to keep their options open.
• Encourage your trainee to seek additional mentorship on their career-related goals. Additional conversations with scientists in their careers of interest will help your mentee learn about the career, set realistic and appropriate goals, and build his/her professional network.
• Encourage your trainee to attend conferences, workshops, and other professional development opportunities. The Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences expects research advisors to fund student and postdoctoral attendance to conferences in the field of their current research group. Starting in 2015, students and postdocs can apply for Professional Development Scholarships to fund travel and fees for uniquely valuable opportunities outside of their current field.  cBCD also hosts professional development opportunities on-campus.
• Introduce your trainee to others in your professional network. Having a LinkedIn profile may help you keep in touch with scientists within and outside of academia.
• Schedule a meeting at least every 6 months to discuss big-picture goals and progress with each mentee.