MyNRMN: A national mentoring and networking platform to enhance connectivity and diversity in the biomedical sciences

Abstract

Aims Increasing the diversity of the biomedical sciences workforce is a national priority. Having a mentor, and more crucially, a personal network of mentors, improves the likelihood that an individual will pursue an advanced degree and career in the biomedical sciences. The chief mission of the National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN) is to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in the biosciences workforce through the mentoring of historically underrepresented individuals. Methods To address this need, we created MyNRMN, an online mentoring platform that connects mentors and mentees nationwide. The platform enables multiple forms of mentoring and recommends connections to mentees that will help them build their personal networks. Results The MyNRMN online platform has registered more than 13,500 active mentors and mentees across all 50 states and from more than 2100 institutions. Black and Hispanic mentees are highly represented. Discussion MyNRMN has expanded opportunities for mentorship in the biomedical sciences, particularly among those not from a culture or institution that historically supports mentorship. The platform's robust search and recommendation capabilities and graph database technology enable members to grow their personal network of mentors. Conclusion The MyNRMN online platform has proven successful in connecting mentees and mentors nationwide, expanding the pipeline in biomedical science careers to attract a more diverse workforce.

Development & Evaluation of an Unconscious Bias Course for the National Research Mentoring Network

“…The NRMN, funded by the National Institutes of Health, is a national program that provides individuals across all career stages in the biomedical, behavioral, clinical, and social sciences with evidence-based culturally responsive mentoring, networking, and professional development. [19][20][21] The NRMN program, currently with over 20,000 participants, reaches mentors and mentees across the U.S. and provides an ideal platform for engaging with, and providing resources to, a large group of mentees and mentors who are yearning for the space to re ect on important concepts such as privilege and allyship.…”

“…University of North Texas Health Science Center's Division of Academic Innovation provided fundamental support in course development and transitioning the content to NRMN's virtual community, MyNRMN. 19 During the development of the course, the team noted the importance of making the modules available to individuals across the healthcare continuum, from medical students through attending physicians, from students of the basic sciences to researchers with their own labs, and all healthcare providers and research scientists.…”

“…The NRMN, funded by the National Institutes of Health, is a national program that provides individuals across all career stages in the biomedical, behavioral, clinical, and social sciences with evidence-based culturally responsive mentoring, networking, and professional development. [19][20][21] The NRMN program, currently with over 20,000 participants, reaches mentors and mentees across the U.S. and provides an ideal platform for engaging with, and providing resources to, a large group of mentees and mentors who are yearning for the space to re ect on important concepts such as privilege and allyship.The purpose of this study was to describe the development and evaluation of an asynchronous course on unconscious bias geared toward biomedical and healthcare practitioners and students. To evaluate the program, we reviewed the reach of the program nationwide and participant qualitative responses post-…”

Practical advice for mentoring and supporting faculty colleagues in STEM fields: Views from mentor and mentee perspectives

“…There are a number of valuable resources to build mentoring skills and connect to other individuals with a focus on mentoring. For example, the National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN) and other extensions of this network offer trainings and facilitate mentoring connections J o u r n a l P r e -p r o o f (19)(20)(21). Valuable formal training is available from the Entering Mentoring team (22)(23)(24).…”

Implementation of an unconscious bias course for the National Research Mentoring Network

“…In 2020, the National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN) built the NRMN Unconscious Bias Course, freely available to members in STEMM. The NRMN, funded by the National Institutes of Health, is a national program that provides individuals across all career stages in the biomedical, behavioral, clinical, and social sciences with evidence-based culturally responsive mentoring, networking, and professional development [ 25 – 27 ]. The NRMN program, currently with over 20,000 participants, reaches mentors and mentees across the U.S. and provides an ideal platform for engaging with, and providing resources to, a large group of mentees and mentors who are are participating in the mission to diversify the STEMM research workforce.…”