Nominations for the 2008 Distinguished Mentor Award are due Tuesday May 20 at 5:00 p.m.

The 2008 Distinguished Mentor Award is intended to recognize outstanding mentorship by any NIH scientist or individual.  Postbaccalaureate and Technical IRTAs, are asked to nominate mentor(s) who have contributed significantly to their academic and professional development. This is your chance to give recognition where recognition is due!
Nominations should be supported by a statement of not more than 750 words describing why the individual should be considered for this award.  A subcommittee will rank the nominees after applying appropriate selection criteria. Keep in mind however, that the reviewers want a sense of how your mentor has played a positive role in your Postbac IRTA experience.  If you want, you can include information about your mentor¹s constructive role in your development as a scientist, or what opportunities he/she has made available to you regarding your career, academies goals or scientific interests.
The award, consisting of a plaque, will be presented during the Summer Extravaganza social event on May 30, 2008.

Please send your nominations to:
<fellows@box-f.nih.gov> no later than Tuesday, May 20 at 5:00 pm.

Guidelines for Nomination for the Postbaccalaureate Distinguished Mentor Award
 
Below are questions to provide a framework for your essay.  All essays are limited to a maximum of 750 words. It is not necessary to answer all of them, nor are you restricted to writing an essay based only on these nine questions. Keep in mind however, that the reviewers want a sense of how your mentor has played a positive role in your Pre-IRTA experience. This is your chance to give recognition where recognition is due!
1.    How did your mentor help you become acclimated to the lab or research group when you first arrived?

2.    How approachable and available is your mentor? Please support your response with an example.

3.    How often do you meet (formally or informally) with your mentor to discuss your data and experiments?  Your career or academic goals?  Your scientific interests?

4.    How has your mentor provided you with opportunities to discuss and present your data. (i.e, lab meetings, journal club seminars, or scientific conferences).

5.    Has your mentor encouraged you to attend workshops or courses that would be conducive to your work, career, or preparation for graduate/professional school?

6.    Describe a  situation in which your mentor has been constructive in your development as a scientist.

7.    How much independence has your mentor granted you in developing your own project(s)?

8.    If applicable, was your mentor accommodating when you needed to study for entrance exams or attend interviews?

9.    If applicable, how has your mentor helped you in pursuing future positions either in a graduate/professional school program or other career paths (e.g., writing a letter of recommendation, critiquing essays, preparing for interviews, or just giving good advice)

For further information on mentor responsibilities and ethics, please see "A Guide to Training and Mentoring in the Intramural Research Program at NIH," available at:
http://www1.od.nih.gov/oir/sourcebook/ethic-conduct/mentor-guide.htm