Professional Development Core

The primary goal of the Professional Development Core (PDC) is to ensure an enriching and comprehensive training experience for mentees across all programs that will provide them with critical tools to transition to careers as research scientists. To promote the acquisition of skills and knowledge needed to navigate a KUH-focused research career pathway, the PDC will implement structured and customized initiatives to address the needs of trainees at each participating institution.

A secondary of goal will be facilitaing faculty mentors participation in existing research mentor training programs at Penn and Jefferson that are based on the nationally recognized model and proven-effective curriculum developed at the Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER). CIMER-based research mentor training is offered by ITMAT (Penn) and Jefferson University. The goal of these seminars is to accelerate the process of becoming an effective research mentor. The approach will provide mentors with an intellectual framework, an opportunity to experiment with various methods, and a forum in which to solve mentoring dilemmas with the help of their peers.

The PDC will conduct monthly seminars:

• Career Development Series (CDS) is a bimonthly workshop that will address the professional needs of trainees
• Research In Progress (RIP) Series is a bimonthly seminar for trainees to share their ongoing research with interdisciplinary peers and faculty, including their mentor

Along with other career-focused events:

• KUH-GPS Grant Writing Workshop
• Site-specific career development events in entrepreneurship and translational science
• Guest speakers