Advancing academic careers through formal professional mentorship: The Research Scholars Mentorship Program (RSMP)

Abstract

Mentorship is an essential component of professional development for young and emerging scholars. In partnership with the Kellogg Health Scholars Program, the American Academy of Health Behavior (AAHB) developed the 12-month Research Scholars Mentorship Program (RSMP) as a mechanism to facilitate high-quality mentorship interactions among junior and seasoned investigators within the Academy. This article provides a rationale, history, and description of the RSMP, as well as the collective scholarly achievements of the Cohorts and future directions. To date, 44 Pairs have initiated or completed the program. Products written and submitted by the Pairs during the 12-month mentorship period have included grants (n = 21), peer-reviewed manuscripts (n = 64), and book chapters (n = 2). Additionally, Pairs have collaborated to initiate new studies (n = 10) and develop new courses (n = 1). AAHB's commitment to mentorship and professional development fueled the development of the RSMP to foster inclusive scholarship, expand membership, and promote productivity. The 12-month RSMP is a model for formal mentorship within professional organizations in that it facilitates Mentee-Mentor Pairs to enhance their professional and research trajectories through the execution of processes and development of products.

Advancing Gerontology through Exceptional Scholarship (AGES): a Mentorship Initiative for Early Career Faculty

“…( 1 ) Consequently, mentorship is an essential component for educating new faculty about their roles in academia and enhancing time management skills. ( 6 , 3 )…”

“…(1) Consequently, mentorship is an essential component for educating new faculty about their roles in academia and enhancing time management skills. (6,3) There is a growing need for mentorship models to support early career scholars, especially with the unprecedented and ongoing challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. (5,7) The pandemic has contributed to delays in research, increased clinical responsibilities in health-related disciplines, disrupted traditional teaching formats, and heightened stress related to COVID-19.…”

“…(8)(9)(10) Although university officials, such as departmental chairs and deans, acknowledge the need for effective mentorship, they often do not have experience in developing mentorship programs to support faculty research. (6) Specifically, universities often do not have the ability to bring together and support faculty with similar research interests (in gerontology or otherwise), especially in diverse departments and schools. Moreover, many institutions lack formal mentorship programs to help early career faculty adjust to the competing demands and workload of academia.…”