RUSH Research Mentoring Program

Becoming a researcher takes more than just curiosity. You need to know how to share what you discover, and even how to fund your work. To help you solve those issues, we offer the RUSH Research Mentoring Program.

The program was established in 2006 to help junior faculty members at RUSH University and John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County establish independently funded research careers. Mentees are paired with experienced, dedicated mentors and directed to a range of resources.

The program has three translational tracks:

  • Clinical (outcomes, behavioral interventions, decision-making, communication, and patient safety)
  • Laboratory/basic science (epidemiology and community-based participatory research)

What you will do?

In workshops, seminars, and meetings you will delve into statistical analysis, data management, grant writing, manuscript editing, and other skill sets. Mentees will be in the program for five years. When mentees graduate, they will officially become junior mentors.

Residents, fellows, and trainees may be admitted to the program if they have accepted an imminent RUSH/Stroger faculty appointment. Mentees are nominated and supported by their department chairperson or section head. You can expect a minimum commitment of 20% protected research time and an additional 25% of your personal time for research.

Interested in joining?

If you are interested in joining the program, send an email to mentoringprograms@rush.edu letting us know you would like to join. You will receive an email from us to schedule an appointment to meet with the program director.

After meeting with the program director, you will need to have both the Chair/Section Chief Application Approval Form and Mentee Application Form completed. Then, you will be scheduled to present to the RUSH Research Steering Committee about your research proposal. Below are some guidelines to help you prepare for your presentation. Plan to present for about 5 minutes and have 5 minutes for questions afterward.

  • Briefly introduce yourself, your academic background, your research interest prior to RUSH, and who your mentors/advisors were.
  • Your current research interests and who is your mentor if you have one already. If you do not have a mentor, ask the committee for advice on who will be a good mentor for you.
  • Your short- and long-term research goals. Will you pursue extramural funding? What agencies will you be applying to?
  • Why do you think it is important to join the RUSH Research Mentoring Program?
  • How much protected time do you currently have? Will you anticipate this time to increase or decrease in the future?

To learn more about our mentoring programs, contact us at mentoringprograms@rush.edu.

Faculty in the RUSH Research Mentoring Program