Peer-Mentored Research Development Meeting: A Model for Successful Peer Mentoring Among Junior Level Researchers

ObjectiveThis report describes a model for the development, process, and tracking methods of a Peer-mentored Research Development Meeting (PRDM), an interdisciplinary peer mentoring program. The program was initiated in 2004 by a group of post-doctoral scholars and junior faculty from the Schools of the Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh.MethodFrom February 2004 through February 2006, PRDM’s first five members tracked and documented their research activity (e.g., manuscripts, grants) every 4 months. The defining features of PRDM are adherence to a structured frequency and format for meetings, systematic tracking and evaluation of research development activities, and maintenance of ongoing relationships with senior mentors.ResultsDuring the 24-month data collection period, members were involved in 91 research development projects including grant applications, journal article manuscripts, book chapters, and conference abstracts. Members’ productivity increased during the 24-month period, as did the efficiency and focus of the completed projects.ConclusionMembers increased the efficiency and focus of their research development activities during the study period. Structured peer-mentoring groups have the potential to enhance research productivity among junior investigators in research intensive environments.