Research Mentor News, February 2017
Welcome back! The Spring Semester is underway and students have returned to campus. There is a lot going on this month as we recruit new trainees for the coming school year and tie up loose ends for this one. Please read on for information you need to be a BUILD Research Mentor in good standing.
Recruiting for 2017-18 School Year Now in Progress
BUILD is now actively recruiting for next year’s cohort of Associates and Scholars. Applications are due in March, so you may be approached by new potential mentees. You can help with this process in the following ways:
Promote Informational Sessions: Several info sessions are being held this month to inform students about research training opportunities with BUILD, MARC U*STAR and RISE. If you know students who might be a good match for these programs, let them know about the sessions. Here the upcoming schedule:
- Feb. 8 and Feb. 16, 2017, held in SSPA-006, will have additional information of particular interest to undergraduate students in the Colleges of Health and Human Services and Liberal Arts.
- Feb. 9 and Feb. 15, 2017, held in PH1-117, will have additional information of particular interest to undergraduate students in the Colleges of Engineering and Natural Sciences and Math.
Update your BUILD Research Mentor Profile: We sent you an email recently explaining how you can update your keywords and profile in the new searchable mentor database. If your keywords are not up-to-date, prospective students might not be able to find you. If you have not already updated your profile, please do so ASAP.
BUILD Mentoring Community and Multicultural Workshops Are Required for All BUILD Research Mentors
BUILD Research Mentors are required to participate in the semester-long BUILD Mentoring Community (BMC) and attend at least one multicultural workshop. If you have not satisfied these requirements, you must sign up for these or you will not be eligible to take on new students in the 2017-2018 school year. If you still need to participate in the BMC, please contact Kelly Young to get on the schedule for a future semester. If you have yet to attend a multicultural workshop, here are the dates for those scheduled this semester.
- Effective Mentoring in a Multicultural Setting. You have two times from which to choose: Tuesday, March 14, 10 am to noon, or Friday, March 17, 1 pm to 3 pm.
- Empowering Underrepresented Students in a Diverse Classroom. You have two times from which to choose: Tuesday, April 18, 10 am to noon, or Friday, April 21, 1 pm to 3 pm.
For more information, visit the Multicultural Workshops webpage. Be sure to put this on your calendar now so you can make sure you are in good standing as a BUILD Research Mentor and can accept new students in the new school year.
Year 2 Scholars Are Graduating Soon
This is an exciting time for our Year 2 Scholars, who will be graduating from the BUILD program at the end of this semester. Many have already heard back from universities about acceptance into PhD and Masters programs. As we learn about these we’ll be posting it to our social media accounts, as well as providing an update in forthcoming issues of this newsletter. Thank you for helping preparing them for this achievement.
Year 2 Scholars will be asking for your assistance in a couple of projects this semester, including the CSULB Research Competition and the BUILD final research report. Please make yourself available so they can be as successful as possible.
Also, we will be holding a special Commencement event for Year 2 Scholars in May, complete with video montage, keynote speaker and dancing! Keep your eyes open for your invitation.
Scholars Will Need Your Help
Year 1 and 2 Scholars are now applying for their summer internship programs. They may need your assistance with completing the applications or with letters of recommendation. Also, they are preparing research presentations and may need your feedback and support. Please do your best to assist them.
Associates Will Need Your Help
Many Associates will now be applying to continue as Scholars either to continue with you or to switch to a new research group. They will need a letter of recommendation from you to continue in the program. Please speak with your mentee about their interest in staying in the program and staying in your research group.
BUILD Students Present at CSUPERB
25 CSULB students presented at the CSU Program for Education & Research in Biotechnology (CSUPERB) annual Biotechnology Symposium this year, nine of which from the BUILD program – one Associate, six Year 1 Scholars and two Year 2 Scholars.
The annual CSU Biotechnology Symposium program is designed to broaden exposure to cutting-edge biotechnologies, product-focused innovation and the spectrum of career paths available in the life sciences. A total of 290 posters were presented and the selection committee accepted 73% of the abstracts they received.
Remember: Deadline to Spend 50% of Funds Is this Month
As a Research Mentor, you have funds available to purchase supplies. You need to spend 50% of those funds by Feb. 28, 2017, and the remainder by May 31, 2017. These funds cannot be carried over. Therefore, as soon as you are ready to order materials and supplies, contact Marie Reed.
Acknowledge BUILD in Your Papers and Submit the PMCID
Before you know it, the BUILD Annual report to NIH will be due. Keeping track of the output from the trainees’ research is an important part of this reporting. Remember, as you submit papers, and other results of research supported by BUILD, to acknowledge the program. In addition, we need the PMCID numbers for papers. You can find instructions here.
Grant Writing Support Available from NRMN
Are you preparing a proposal to submit to NIH in the upcoming months? Would you like to be coached by experienced grant writers so you can more effectively write your grants? The National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN) is offering three programs that will pair you with highly skilled grant writing coaches.
Resubmission Coaching and Consultation
If you submitted an R01 or equivalent proposal and are planning for resubmission this July, apply here for online mentoring sessions. Priority applications are due Feb. 15, 2017, and final applications are due March 1, 2017.
Proposal Preparation Program
If you are preparing a new, or resubmitting a revised, NIH K- or R-series proposal with an NIH deadline of January-March 2018, apply for mentoring here. Sessions will be held at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities in Minneapolis and supplemented by online sessions, June 26 through Nov. 17, 2017. Applications are due April 10, 2017.
This program will also be offered at Northwestern University in Chicago, supplemented with online sessions. You can apply for this location here. Applications are due April 10, 2017.
Steps Towards Academic Research
Are you a postdoctoral fellow or junior faculty member with minimal or no grant writing experience? Do you have a sincere interest in establishing a research career and can commit to a year-long training program? Then apply for this program here. Sessions will be held at the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth, supplemented with online sessions, July 5, 2017, through June 8, 2018. Applications are due May 8, 2017.
Coming Next Month …
- 2017 Annual Research Symposium Highlights
- Year One Scholars Accepted into Graduate Programs
- Introducing BUILD Trainee Representatives
Communicating with BUILD
We invite your news about your BUILD Trainee and any questions, comments, concerns, or suggestions about BUILD. If you have any of these, in relation to being a BUILD Research Mentor, or concerns about your BUILD Student, please contact us at BUILD.mentors@csulb.edu. Be sure to keep an eye out for the March newsletter.
