Neely National Physician-Scientist Mentorship Network

NIH RePORTER · NIH · R25 · $206,730 · view on reporter.nih.gov ↗

Abstract

The Neely National Clinician-Scientist Mentorship Network of the Triological Society was created to provide career mentorship to young otolaryngologists interested in clinician-scientist careers with mentorship from established, NIH-funded otolaryngologist-scientists. The goals of the program are to support the development of otolaryngologists to become successful NIH-funded investigators, to strengthen the research training pipeline, and to support diversity among otolaryngologist-scientists. The current proposal details the activities of the Mentorship Network that will help mentees reach their goals. These activities include three in-person and eight virtual meetings annually, one-on-one mentoring opportunities, maintenance of a listserv, and mock grant reviews. In addition, the Network offers online, “just-in-time” educational materials for clinical research. The Neely National Clinician-Scientist Mentorship Network targets two pools of otolaryngology mentees. Mentees in the first pool have some research training experience but have yet to submit their first PI NIH grants. These mentees may be otolaryngology residents, fellows, or new faculty members. The second pool of mentees are those who have NIH funding in the form of an introductory grant (typically a K08 or K23 grant) and are looking to convert that grant to an R01 or similar independent award. Mentorship in the network is provided by a large cadre of successfully funded otolaryngologist-scientists many of whom are members of the Triological Society. The Network includes mentors whose research spans the breadth of NIDCD mission areas, including research in hearing, balance, speech, olfaction, and health disparities, as well as other research areas related to otolaryngology, such as cancer and immunology. The research techniques and foci employed by the mentors are diverse and include basic discovery in animals, clinical research, health services, disparities, and population-based research. The mentors come from varied backgrounds and institutions across the country, and a significant strength of the proposal is the depth and breadth of the mentorship group. The Network is led by two experienced clinician-scientists with help from an experienced executive committee. Mentees from diverse backgrounds will be recruited through a website developed for the Network, through direct outreach to otolaryngology departments, and through personal outreach by members of the Network. Continuous evaluation of the program by mentors and mentees will be used to improve the program. Outcome measures include the number of mentees participating, the retention of mentees throughout the program, and the success of mentees in securing NIH grants. This network is unique in otolaryngology and innovative in that there is no other national mentorship network for otolaryngologist-scientists.

Key facts

NIH application ID
10933646
Project number
1R25DC021131-01A1
Recipient
UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER
Principal Investigator
Shawn D. Newlands
Activity code
R25
Funding institute
NIH
Fiscal year
2024
Award amount
$206,730
Award type
1
Project period
2024-08-15 → 2029-07-31