Dear Colleague, The transition from postdoctoral student to independent investigator is an important one in the life of a researcher, and one in which the National Institutes of Health (NIH) usually plays a vital role. MedEdMentoring.org contains much material focusing on the NIH. This month, we are especially pleased to highlight two presentations by Barry D. Lebowitz, PhD, former chief of the Geriatrics Research Branch at the National Institute of Mental Health. Drawing from his 30 years of experience at the NIMH, Dr. Lebowitz outlines the NIH's structure and support system, including the planned changes to the application process, and details what NIH reviewers look for in successful grant applications. To view these presentations, please visit us at www.MedEdMentoring.org. Sincerely, Stephen J. Bartels, MD, MS; Martha L. Bruce, MD, MPH; Maureen Halpain, MS; Barry D. Lebowitz, PhD; Charles F. Reynolds III, MD; Gwenn Smith, PhD; Joel E. Streim, MD; Jürgen Unützer, MD, MPH, MA

MedicalUpdates
Mentorship in academic general internal medicine: Results of a survey of mentors.
Luckhaupt SE, Chin MH, Mangione CM, Phillips RS, Bell D, Leonard AC, Tsevat J.
J Gen Intern Med. 2005 Nov;20(11):1014-8.
We conducted a web-based survey of mentors, fellowship directors, and NIH K24 grant awardees to capture their experiences with mentoring, including compensation for mentorship, multiple mentees, comentorship, and long-distance mentorship.

Making the case for caregiver research in geriatric psychiatry.
Vitaliano PP, Katon W, Unützer J.
Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2005 Oct;13(10):834-43.
In this article, the authors argue that caregiver research is not only relevant to the geriatric mental health community, but it is especially important to geriatric psychiatry.

Geropsychology: integrated training at the interim level.
Hyer L, Leventhal G, Gartenberg M.
Gerontol Geriatr Educ. 2005;25(4):41-61.
This paper addresses issues related to geropsychology training at the internship level, using a generic model that outlines appropriate competency areas and activities.

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MostViewedPresentations
General
NIH and Your Research Career
Barry D. Lebowitz, PhD
Dr. Lebowitz briefly outlines the structure of the NIH and stresses its importance in planning a research career.

Geriatric
The Summer Research Institute in Geriatric Psychiatry
Maureen Halpain, MS
Ms. Halpain describes how the SRI program is helping increase the number of talented individuals in the pipeline by assisting junior investigators acquire research and academic research survival skills.


MostReadArticles  
General
The evolution of a mentoring relationship.
Moulton A.
CANNT J. 2005 Jul-Sep;15(3)28-30. This paper discusses how my mentor guided me through my fellowship and how our relationship typified the mentor-protege role as described in several articles.

Geriatric
Challenges to the transition to independent investigator in geriatric mental health.
Bruce ML.
Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2003 May-Jun;11(3):356-9.
The author reports on the extent to which junior investigators in geriatric mental health successfully make the transition to independent scientists.


InTheNews
When You Run Into Brick Walls: Coping With Frustrations In The Lab
ScienceCareers.org, December 2, 2005
Career success is often determined, in great part, by how well we cope with the curveballs that are thrown to us. One graduate student shares some of the frustrations she faced.

Speedier NIH Review of Research Applications Planned
NIH News, December 5, 2005
The NIH has announced a pilot effort to significantly shorten its peer reviews of research grant applications. The pilot will help new investigators applying for their first major NIH grant, an R01 grant.

Increasing Workforce Diversity Underscores the Need for Mentoring
MentorNet News, November 2005
According to Dr. Stacy Blake-Beard, Associate Professor of Management at Simmons College, mentoring has been posed as a catalyst to shift the dynamics of power that keep women and people of color from attaining higher-level positions.