Through the formal and didactic education described above, Scholars will develop an essential core of research competencies, including a fund of knowledge methodology and design, data management, analytic approach, and ethics of human subject research, upon which to build their research careers. The final and essential component of the Scholar’s development is their mentored research project experience. To foster interdisciplinary interactions, each Scholar will have a primary research mentor based on their research interests. Mentor selection will be made in consultation with the Research Director, Recruitment Director, and the Program Director, but often will be intuitively linked to projects already underway as a senior fellow or through identification of a logical mentor during the recruitment of junior faculty. Once selected as a Scholar, research will be carried out under the primary mentor’s supervision with input and supplemental resources provided by a Scholar Advisory Team (described below). The primary mentor will follow the work of the trainee closely, and ensure that the Scholar addresses relevant research questions in a scientifically sound manner through regular team research meetings. In order to ensure that mentors devote sufficient time to the career development needs of the individual Scholar, primary research mentors will only be allowed to mentor one BIRCWH Scholar at a time. The expectation of productivity for Scholar research projects is high, and we will require the submission of an NIH grant in the second year of participation. For most of our Scholars, we expect that this will be a mentored award (K-series or similar VA or other DHHS funding) or similar career development foundation award.
The primary mentor will convene a Scholar Advisory Team that will be established for each Scholar to meet every six months to review the Scholar’s educational program, goals, and scientific progress. This committee will consist of the Scholar’s primary research mentor, other experts involved in research related to the Scholar's area of interest, and a member of the Emory BIRCWH Executive Committee.
A written progress report will be prepared by the Scholar for review by the committee in time for the Team meeting. At the conclusion of the Team meeting, the chair of the Scholar Advisory Team will prepare a written summary and evaluation that will be provided to the BIRCWH Executive Committee. Any issues of performance will be addressed early and frankly by the Program Director and other members of the Executive Committee in cooperation with the primary mentor. Scholar Advisory Team members may also serve as resources to the Scholar outside of these meetings for assistance in their individual areas of expertise.