Faculty Research Training Toolkit
The faculty training toolkit is intended to provide a repository of information that can be used by faculty engaged in research to advance their academic careers. The toolkit is tailored for training of junior faculty involved in basic, translational or clinical ophthalmic research. The following three training topics are included in this toolkit: 1) Establish a Mentoring Plan, 2) Develop a Research Program, 3) Develop Soft (management/career building) Skills.
Mentorship Models
- Six models of mentorship
- Mentoring models and best practices
- Comparison of old and new mentoring models
Mentorship Relationships
- Practical ideas for optimizing a mentoring relationship
- Five steps for building a successful mentoring relationship
- Guide to faculty-to-faculty mentoring (need a free account for access)
Best Practices Guide for Mentees
- Tips to find a mentor and identify what you want to achieve by mentorship
- Comprehensive guide for mentees and mentoring program
- Checklist for mentees on how to prepare for a meeting with mentor
- Mentoring plan sample (PDF)
Best Practices Guide for Mentors
- Comprehensive guide and tools for mentors and strategies for mentees
- Mentor categories (e.g., advisors, supporters, tutors, role models)
- Practical guides for “6 Things Every Mentor Should Do”
Mentoring Women
Mentoring of Students
- Outline of a comprehensive program for mentoring students
- Guide to mentoring graduate students
- Guide to work/life balance
Strategies for Mentoring Program Development
- Guide to building a successful mentoring program
- Tips to start and launch a pilot mentoring program
- Example of a strategy to advance academic careers of women in STEM
- Steps for chairs to promote inclusion (need a free account for access)
General Research Skills
- Project Development Checklist – “Flowchart”
- Select Project - brainstorm
- Evaluate Feasibility – novelty, resources, etc
- Set Milestones
- Obtain Regulatory Approvals – IRB, IACUC, Biosafety
- Form Collaborations
- Find Funding Sources
- Write Grants
- Develop Budget
- Team building
- Hiring postdocs
- Hiring technicians
- Setting expectations
- Communication Tools
- Lab Meetings
- One to one Meetings
- Communication Vehicles – email vs in person, virtual vs in person
- Individual Development Plans
- Manage Budget
- Negotiate a faculty position – startup, etc
Specific Research Modes
- Clinical/Epidemiology
- Basic/Translational
- Data Science/Artificial Intelligence
- Time management
- Personnel management
- Professionalism
- Publication ethics
- Networking
- Collaborations
- Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI)