This paper presents reflections on mentorship from scientists and mentors of the National Institute on Aging (NIA)-funded Carolina Center on Alzheimer’s Disease and Minority Research (CCADMR). Using a network approach to mentoring, this program aims to increase the pipeline of underrepresented minority (URM) scientists studying Alzheimer’s disease (AD) disparities. Six mentors and five scientists participated in interviews. Thematic analysis identified recurring themes; transcripts of mentors and scientists were compared. Most common thematic categories identified by mentors included experience interacting with scientists, goals as a mentor, recruitment of underrepresented minorities, scientists’ challenges, and programmatic qualities. The most mentioned categories by scientists were challenges, seminars, working with mentors, career development, and project experience. The CCADMR will use findings to enhance the experience and training methods for future grant years. Results can benefit other training programs focused on aging and AD.
AgarwalP.MorrisM. C.BarnesL. L. (2020). Racial differences in dietary relations to cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease risk: Do we know enough?Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 14, 359. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2020.00359.
2.
AlegríaM.FukudaM.Lapatin MarkleS.NeMoyerA. (2019). Mentoring future researchers: Advice and considerations. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 89(3), 329–336. https://doi.org/10.1037/ort0000416
3.
BabulalG. M.QuirozY. T.AlbensiB. C.Arenaza-UrquijoE.AstellA. J.BabiloniC.Bahar-FuchsA.BellJ.BowmanG. L.BrickmanA. M.ChetelatG.CiroC.CohenA. D.Dilworth AndersonP.DodgeH. H.DreuxS.EdlandS.EsbensenA.EveredL.O'BryantS. E. (2019). Perspectives on ethnic and racial disparities in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias: Update and areas of immediate need. Alzheimer’s & Dementia, 15(2), 292–312. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jalz.2018.09.009
4.
BarrettJ. L.MazerolleS. M.NottinghamS. L. (2017). Attributes of effective mentoring relationships for novice faculty members: Perspectives of mentors and mentees. Athletic Training Education Journal, 12(2), 152–162. https://doi.org/10.4085/1202152
5.
BeechB. M.Calles-EscandonJ.HairstonK. G.LangdonM. S. E.Latham-SadlerB. A.BellR. A. (2013). Mentoring programs for underrepresented minority faculty in academic medical centers: A systematic review of the literature. Academic Medicine, 88(4), 541–549. http://doi.org/10.1097/ACM.0b013e31828589e3
CarpenterS.MakhadmehN.ThorntonL.-J. (2015). Mentorship on the doctoral level: An examination of communication faculty mentors’ traits and functions. Communication Education, 64(3), 366–384. https://doi.org/10.1080/03634523.2015.1041997
9.
CarrR. M.Lane-FallM. B.SouthE.BradyD.MomplaisirF.GuerraC. E.Montoya-WilliamsD.DalembertG.Lavizzo-MoureyR.HamiltonR. (2021). Academic careers and the COVID-19 pandemic: Reversing the tide. Science Translational Medicine, 13(584), eabe7189. http://doi.org/10.1126/scitranslmed.abe7189
10.
CorbinJ.StraussA. (2008). Basics of qualitative research. In Techniques and procedures for developing grounded theory (3rd ed). Sage Publications.
11.
CroffR.TangW.FriedmanD. B.BalbimG. M.BelzaB. (2020). Training the next generation of aging and cognitive health researchers. Gerontology & Geriatrics Education, 43(2), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/02701960.2020.1824912
12.
DaleyS. P.BroylesS. L.RiveraL. M.BrennanJ. J.LuE. R.ReznikV. (2011). A conceptual model for faculty development in academic medicine: The underrepresented minority faculty experience. Journal of the National Medical Association, 103(9–10), 816–821. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0027-9684(15)30435-1
13.
DeCastroR.SambucoD.UbelP. A.StewartA.JagsiR. (2013). Mentor networks in academic medicine: Moving beyond a dyadic conception of mentoring for junior faculty researchers. Academic Medicine, 88(4), 488–496. http://doi.org/10.1097/ACM.0b013e318285d302
14.
DossettL. A.WaljeeJ. F.DimickJ. B. (2020). Ensuring equal access to mentorship and sponsorship for surgeons through structured team-based mentoring. Annals of Surgery, 272(6), 939–940. https://doi.org/10.1097/SLA.0000000000004500
15.
FriedmanD. B.YeltonB.CorwinS. J.HardinJ. W.IngramL. A.Torres-McGeheeT. M.AlbergA. J. (2021). Value of peer mentorship for equity in higher education leadership: A school of public health focus with implications for all academic administrators. Mentoring & Tutoring: Partnership in Learning, 29(5), 500–521. https://doi.org/10.1080/13611267.2021.1986795
16.
HarawaN. T.MansonS. M.MangioneC. M.PennerL. A.NorrisK. C.DeCarliC.ScarinciI. C.ZissimopoulosJ.BuchwaldD. S.HintonL.Perez-StableE. J. (2017). Strategies for enhancing research in aging health disparities by mentoring diverse investigators. Journal of Clinical and Translational Science, 1(3), 167–175. https://doi.org/10.1017/cts.2016.23
17.
IngramL. A.FordM. E.JohnsonC. L.Ashford-CarrollB.McCollumQ.FriedmanD. B.LevkoffS. E. (2021). Responding to the call: Building a training program to diversify the academy in Alzheimer’s disease research. Frontiers in Public Health, 9, 787. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2021.671956
18.
IrwinV.ZhangJ.WangX.HeinS.WangK.RobertsA.YorkC.BarmerA.Bullock MannF.DiligR. (2021). Report on the condition of education 2021. NCES 2021-144. National Center for Education Statistics.
19.
KornhaberR.CrossM.BetihavasV.BridgmanH. (2016). The benefits and challenges of academic writing retreats: An integrative review. Higher Education Research & Development, 35(6), 1210–1227. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2016.1144572
20.
MooreS. (2003). Writers’ retreats for academics: Exploring and increasing the motivation to write. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 27(3), 333–342. https://doi.org/10.1080/0309877032000098734
21.
MurrayR.NewtonM. (2009). Writing retreat as structured intervention: Margin or mainstream?Higher Education Research & Development, 28(5), 541–553. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360903154126
22.
PetrovaP.CoughlinA. (2012). Using structured writing retreats to support novice researchers. International Journal for Researcher Development, 3(1), 77–88. https://doi.org/10.1108/17597511211278661
23.
PrestonD. C.JamesB. A.OwensL.NjokuN. (2021). This is how we do it: Promising practices for implementing an institutional transformation initiative at HBCUs. About Campus, 26(3), 6–11. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F10864822211030618
24.
RansdellL. B.LaneT. S.SchwartzA. L.WaymentH. A.BaldwinJ. A. (2021). Mentoring new and early-stage investigators and underrepresented minority faculty for research success in health-related fields: An integrative literature review (2010–2020). International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(2), 432. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18020432
SedlacekW. E.BenjaminE.SchlosserL. Z.SheuH.-B. (2007). Mentoring in academia: Considerations for diverse populations. In AllenT.EbyL. (Eds.), The Blackwell handbook of mentoring: A multiple perspectives approach (pp. 259–280). Blackwell Publishing.
27.
SorcinelliM. D.YunJ. (2007). From mentor to mentoring networks: Mentoring in the new academy. Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning, 39(6), 58–61. https://doi.org/10.3200/CHNG.39.6.58-C4
28.
StanleyI. H.HomM. A.ChuC.JoinerT. E. (2017). Increasing research productivity and professional development in psychology with a writing retreat. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology, 3(3), 249–256. https://doi.org/10.1037/stl0000089
29.
WhittakerJ. A.MontgomeryB. L.AcostaV. G. M. (2015). Retention of underrepresented minority faculty: Strategic initiatives for institutional value proposition based on perspectives from a range of academic institutions. Journal of Undergraduate Neuroscience Education, 13(3), A136–A145.
30.
ZambranaR. E.RayR.EspinoM. M.CastroC.Douthirt CohenB.EliasonJ. (2015). “Don’t leave us behind” the importance of mentoring for underrepresented minority faculty. American Educational Research Journal, 52(1), 40–72. https://doi.org/10.3102/0002831214563063
Supplementary Material
Please find the following supplemental material available below.
For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.
For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.
