Understanding how to build effective mentor networks for underrepresented researchers
Official title: Understanding the Science of Effective Mentorship Networks for Underrepresented Researchers
Funded at Suny Downstate Medical Center · NIH-11398570 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A project to learn what kinds of mentoring networks help researchers from underrepresented groups succeed and stay in academia.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Suny Downstate Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Brooklyn, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $364,748 |
| NIH project number | 5R35GM151017-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11398570 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Not applicable (research focused on faculty mentoring networks in academia)
✕Less likely to help
No direct patient participants are involved in this project.
What this research studies
This research aims to map and validate mentoring networks that support underrepresented researchers, exploring why traditional one-on-one mentoring may fall short. It introduces a Mentorship Network Analysis tool to visualize who mentors whom and what roles they play. The team will retrospectively study successful UR researchers who received development grants and then test a feasible way to help UR researchers build stronger, more diverse mentoring networks. The work focuses on improving retention and research success for UR faculty in academia.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the project could lead to practical ways to design mentoring networks that improve careers and grant success for underrepresented researchers.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies suggest mentoring networks can improve career outcomes, but this project tests a new network-analytic tool and intervention specifically for UR researchers.
Where this research is happening
-
Suny Downstate Medical Center
Brooklyn, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lambert, William Marcus — Suny Downstate Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Lambert, William Marcus
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.