MENTOR
Mentoring for Trainees at the ICRE
About the Entering Mentoring Curriculum
The Institute for Clinical Research Education (ICRE) provides evidence-based mentor training through the Entering Mentoring curriculum, developed by the Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER).
The ICRE has been involved in this work since 2010, when we participated in a randomized controlled trial to test the effectiveness of the Entering Mentoring curriculum in one of the landmark studies establishing its evidence base. The trial demonstrated significant improvements in mentoring skills: Mentors adopted at least one new behavior following training, and mentees reported noticeable enhancements in their mentors' abilities.1,2
In 2018, the ICRE partnered with the Provost's Office to bring CIMER trainers to Pitt for a Train the Trainer workshop, certifying 29 facilitators across the university to deliver the curriculum. In September 2025, the ICRE and Provost Office held a second workshop and trained an additional 32 facilitators, yielding a robust cohort to offer the training to new and returning mentors.
Who Is Required to Complete Mentor Training?
All mentors serving on T32 predoctoral student or T32 postdoctoral fellow mentoring teams are required to complete the Entering Mentoring curriculum. Returning mentors or new mentors are welcome to participate.
Find a Mentor
The ICRE maintains a searchable database of over 350 clinical and translational science research mentors from across Pitt’s Schools of the Health Sciences. Trainees can use the database to identify and build a mentoring team suited to their research. Search the mentor database.
Training Options
There are three options for training program mentors to receive Entering Mentoring training:
- Pitt's Mentoring Academy. Sessions are free for all Pitt faculty members and are offered each fall and spring semester. Learn more and register.
- School of Medicine Mentor Training Sessions. Free sessions for Pitt School of Medicine faculty members are offered multiple times per year. Announcements are sent directly to the School of Medicine faculty via email.
- Custom Sessions for Your Training Program (all SHS schools). The ICRE can coordinate dedicated Entering Mentoring sessions for your training program, facilitated by CIMER-trained facilitators. These sessions are available to programs across all six Schools of the Health Sciences.
- Cost: $1,000 per 2-hour session
- Custom sessions for programs outside the School of Medicine should be coordinated through Heather Saylor.
Making the Most of Mentoring
The ICRE offers Making the Most of Mentoring (1.0 credit), a graduate course offered every spring. The course provides a foundation for understanding the mentor-mentee relationship and practical strategies for making it a success — covering communication and negotiation, mentoring contracts, giving and receiving feedback, and navigating challenges. The course is open to fellows, postdocs, the ICRE trainees, and early-career faculty. View course details.
Mentoring Compact
The ICRE’s Mentoring Compact is designed to ensure that mentors and mentees establish a mutual understanding of expectations at the outset of their relationship. Signing the compact reflects a shared commitment to trust, respect, and professional confidentiality. Complete the Mentoring Compact here.
Contact Us
We are happy to support your mentoring training needs and assist with related grant and program materials. For more information about training options or scheduling, contact Heather Saylor.
References
- Pfund C, Branchaw JL, Handelsman J. Entering Mentoring. Rev. ed. New York: W.H. Freeman; 2015.
- Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research. Mentor curricula: Entering Mentoring. (2024). Available from: https://cimerproject.org/curricula-overview/
