Trainee & Early Stage Investigator Resources

Part of CAIRIBU’s mission is to support and train the next generation of urologic researchers. See below for various resources catered specifically for trainees and early stage investigators including the quarterly Trainee Newsletter, the CAIRIBU ARCTICS webinars, courses, and to learn about opportunities to catalyze connections within the CAIRIBU Community. From a presentation delivered by CAIRIBU Interactions Core director, Kristina Penniston, PhD, for the American Urological Association Early-Career Investigators Workshop: Pre-Workshop Webinar.

Trainee Community


This series is aimed at enhancing the skills and knowledge of early-stage investigators. ARCTICS is a virtual community of CAIRIBU trainees and early-stage investigators: Advancing the Research Capacity of Trainees and Investigators at early-Career Stages. ARCTICS forums are free to attend and are open to all investigators.

Events          Youtube

See below for the current and previous event schedules for CAIRIBU ARCTICS.

Materials from Prior CAIRIBU ARCTICS Community Forums:

Trainee Newsletter


The CAIRIBU Trainee Newsletter is a new initiative designed to provide trainees with a quarterly update featuring valuable resources and articles contributed by CAIRIBU investigators. In each issue of the newsletter, trainees have the opportunity to submit questions to be answered by CAIRIBU investigators from across the network. Along with expert advice, each issue also includes an overview of various NIH funding programs to help guide trainees through the research funding landscape. See below for the articles for the first issue of the Trainee Newsletter.

Free AUA Course


The AUA’s new online course, titled “Establishing Your Independent Urologic Research Lab,” is a practical course for anyone who is just starting their career as an independent researcher. The course includes four modules with over two hours of content that provide guidance for negotiating a start-up package, mentorship, planning for tenure, lab management, and technology transfer.

​​​​​​Course Director: Dolores J. Lamb, Ph.D., HCLD (ABB)
Course Faculty: Li Xin, PhD and Margot S. Damaser, PhD

Additional Resources

Find the mentor toolkit developed by UW-Madison Institute for Clinical and Translational Research HERE.

Get the most out of your mentor relationship. Craft an Individual Development Plan (IDP) together with your mentor to help you identify the skills, competencies, and relevant projects necessary for you to further your career goals. Find IDPs gathered by UW-Madison ICTR below:

Paper-based guides & templates:

IDP Templates for Junior Faculty in Clinical and Translational Research:

Advancing Health Equity and Diversity (AHEAD) is a mentored professional development program for UW-Madison postdoctoral scholars working in the health sciences conducting research related to health disparities or health equity. Hosted by the Collaborative Center for Health Equity (CCHE), the AHEAD program seeks to address the gaps in professional support and training that postdoctoral scholars often experience by providing a cohort experience with supplemental mentoring. AHEAD participants can be from any department or unit across the UW campus.

GENERAL GRANT WRITING RESOURCES

INSTITUTIONAL GRANT WRITING RESOURCES

Many institutions have grant writing resources to help investigators and students through the grant application process. Check out this list of institution-specific grant writing resources at CAIRIBU-affiliated institutions.

Pre-Award Resources:

Form Help:

  • PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information Form Walk-through – This video walks you through the FORMS-F version of the PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information Form used for NIH grant application due dates on or after May 25, 2020. This form is used to collect detailed study-level information for the protocols included in NIH grant applications.

Post-Award Resources:

  • Ever Wondered What Happens During the Scientific Review of an NIH Grant Application? – Understanding how peer review works is key to writing a good grant application. In this 44-minute video, NIH Peer Review: “Live” Mock Study Section, scientists have gathered virtually to review three fictional applications in response to a fictional Request For Applications. Watch their discussion to learn how applications are scored, what questions are commonly asked, and what mistakes to avoid in your application.
  • Already funded? Find tips to stay funded.

GRANTS.GOV

  • Learn the basics of grants including the grant lifecycle, grant policies, grant terminology, and more

OTHER PROPOSAL WRITING RESOURCES

Source: Office of Research and Sponsored Program, University of Northern Colorado

 Connect to online resources

Tips and tricks for giving “flash talk” poster presentations at scientific meetings