Mentoring international research ethics trainees: identifying best practices.

Mentoring is an important component of training in the basic and clinical sciences due to the increasing complexities associated with establishing a career. Data relating to 466 long-term trainees in research ethics training programs were obtained from the Fogarty International Center's database. Data were supplemented with survey data (n = 17) and telephone interviews (n = 10) of the 21 principal investigators whose programs offered long-term training. The programs most successful with mentoring involved (1) the provision of an orientation for the trainees at the commencement of training; (2) a highly structured process of mentoring that required regular meetings and task achievement timelines; (3) intensive, frequent contact with the PI; and (4) support with personal issues that were troublesome to trainees. This paper is part of a collection of papers analyzing the Fogarty International Center's International Research Ethics Education and Curriculum Development program.