Application

Program Overview:

Ten mentees will be recruited for a 1-year program of training and mentorship that includes a  Summer Institute, Intensive Mentoring, and Group Mentorship events. The program will be offered for 4 years, enrolling a total of 40 mentees. Certificates of completion are provided for all mentees who fulfill the expected commitments.

Expected Commitment of Accepted Mentees:

  • Participation in person in 1-week-long gmhCONNECT Summer Institute (June 2023, exact dates and location to be determined)
  • Participation in intensive individual and group mentorship (approximately 2 mentorship virtual meetings per month) for 1 year
  • Participation in other gmhCONNECT networking events
  • Development or revision of a grant application for GMH-related research (e.g., F31, F32, K, or first R-award)
  • Completion of collaborative mini-project to advance GMH research, policy, or practice

Eligibility:

Demonstrated interest in GMH or social-drivers-related research (e.g., structural determinants of health; humanitarian health; impacts of stress, adversity, and trauma), social drivers-related field. Applicants must be currently in training for a graduate degree or comparable level or have completed a graduate degree (e.g., MD, PhD, DrPH). Given the multidisciplinary scope of the research training program, we will recruit trainees from diverse disciplines in mental health, public health, medicine, psychology, and social sciences (e.g., anthropology). Members of underrepresented racial or ethnic groups will be actively recruited to participate.

Criteria include:

  1. Predoctoral students who have completed their doctoral coursework and qualifying exams; and postdoctoral and early-career professionals within 6 years of completing terminal degrees;
  2. US citizen, non-citizen US national, or permanent US resident;
  3. Research experience in GMH or social drivers research (e.g., related to poverty, discrimination, violence, or other adversity);
  4. Institutional support as demonstrated by 2 letters of recommendation (e.g., from primary research mentor, current department head, LMIC supervisor, community-based collaborator).
  5. Priority will be given to participants from Populations Underrepresented in the Extramural Scientific Workforce as defined by NIH (see Notice of NIH’s Interest in Diversity, NOT-OD-20-031), as well as persons who belong to an underrepresented ethnic, racial, and/or regional group; have disabilities; have direct experience living or working within LMICs; and/or identify as cis-female or LGBTQIA+

Application Information:

Please email Chloe Polutnik at cpolut2@uic.edu with the required application documents (outlined below).

Deadlines:

  • Application deadline (February 15, 2023) – applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis; early applications are encouraged
  • Notification of decision (March 1, 2023)

Documents to submit:

  • Letter of intent.  Please use the following structure for your letter of intent:
        > Your training and career background (250 words)
        > Your current and prior research experiences (250 words)
        > Your long-term research and career goals in relation to the field of GMH (150 words)
        > How the gmhCONNECT program will contribute to your long-term goals (150 words)
        > Proposed project you want to start or further develop with mentorship: summary of goals, aims, sites (300 words)
  • Two letters of recommendation, and
  • Your NIH biosketch (maximum 5 pages)

Costs:

  • There are no costs for participation for accepted mentees in the network
  • Funds are provide to defer travel and accommodation costs
  • No funds are provided for research activities