# Impact of Culturally Aware Mentoring Interventions on Research Mentors and Graduate Training Programs

> **NIH NIH U01** · UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON · 2020 · $658,623

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
Isolated. Presumed incompetent. Invisible. These terms describe the experiences of many historically
underrepresented (HU) faculty and students at predominantly White research-intensive universities. Add to this
the too-frequent burden of being the “only” person of color in a department. The well-documented evidence of
bias, racial stereotypes and institutional barriers is often ignored. This dire situation partially results from learned
behaviors that can be unlearned. An effective research mentoring relationship prepares future scientists to
pursue research careers, and thus is a ripe target for intervention. The Culturally Aware Mentoring (CAM)
intervention equips research mentors with the understanding and skills required to effectively mentor emerging
HU scientists. The CAM curriculum consists of a preparatory online module followed by a full-day, face-to-face
training. Preliminary data demonstrate increases in mentors' knowledge of cultural diversity and willingness to
broach topics such as racism and stereotype threat, and results in changes in mentoring practices evident 12-
18 months later. Further research is needed to determine the mechanisms and mode by which CAM may be
most impactful. The proposed research responds to the pressing need for graduate faculty to employ inclusive,
evidence-based mentoring practices to improve the environment for HU students in NIH research areas and
create the cultural shift in academic departments called for by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering,
and Medicine. The proposed research addresses two Specific Aims:
Aim 1: Determine the impact of CAM mentor training interventions on research mentors by dosage and
format. We use the Theory of Planned Behavior, to focus on what formats/dosages effectively produce
individual change in mentoring practice and behavioral outcomes and why observed changes occur. The mixed
methods design uses quantitative methods to measure attitude and behavior change, along with qualitative data
to explain the underlying mechanisms for behavioral changes.
Aim 2: Identify the conditions for broader institutional impact of CAM interventions in departments with
graduate training programs. We use organizational learning theory to focus on how new knowledge introduced
into graduate programs via participation in full-day CAM training results in broader change in diversity outcomes
and department practices. Case studies and survey data will identify why CAM interventions catalyze program
change for diversity and inclusion in some contexts and not others.
The impact of the proposed study will be to advance the science of mentoring by gaining deep insights into how
full-day CAM training leads to strong positive responses observed to date, and whether shorter variations can
be equally effective, expanding its potential reach. For the first time, we will generate new insights into the
potential spread of CAM to affect graduate environments so critical to ...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9980440
- **Project number:** 5U01GM132372-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON
- **Principal Investigator:** Angela Byars-Winston
- **Activity code:** U01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $658,623
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-07-18 → 2024-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9980440

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9980440, Impact of Culturally Aware Mentoring Interventions on Research Mentors and Graduate Training Programs (5U01GM132372-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9980440. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*