NORDP 2023 Leadership Award: Edel Minogue

by Kirsten Abel

Who: Edel Minogue, Senior Director of Research Strategy and Development

Where: Brown University

Number of years in research development: 8

Length of NORDP membership: 8

What does leadership mean to you?

Leadership is a dynamic skill; you have to adapt and evolve based on the needs of your team and the environment at the time. I don’t see leadership as a single skill you have in your toolbox but a collection of skills that you mold and shape based on the circumstances.

How did you learn or develop your style of leadership?

It is not ‘developed’ but developing. Those around me have influenced me, and continue to influence me. I have always had very strong female leads- from my Ph.D. advisor, postdoc advisor, my current supervisor, Dr. Jill Pipher, Vice President for Research, and the person who hired me here at Brown, Dr. Amy Carroll. She could see that even though I had no prior experience in research development per se, I had those translatable skills to be successful both in the field and as a leader. With all these role models, I could choose from a buffet of leadership styles to find what would work for me personally.

How does your membership in NORDP develop your leadership style?

I have always tried to have my own personal advisory board, and some of these folks were on there in the early years. It is important to have sounding boards outside of your immediate environment, but at the same time, those who understand your work area and your needs and challenges. NORDP has been instrumental in creating that network. It’s been invaluable to know that I had those people in my corner and that I could call them if I needed their expertise. I really like to inspire and motivate others to grow in their professional career, and I have learned from my mentors.

What relationships have you built as a result of NORDP, and how have these relationships influenced your work?

Anne Windham (now the Associate Dean of Faculty at Brown) introduced me to NORDP and introduced me to many of those who started and created this organization and really pioneered the idea that this was a unique career field that has previously been overlooked. They pushed me to be more active in NORDP and I was. I just rotated off the NORDP NE Advisory Committee, I am the NORDP liaison to the European Commission and serve on various committees, which has really enhanced my knowledge and scope. The network of folks I see on a regular basis now spans the globe, and that is because of NORDP.

What do you wish you would have known when you began your leadership journey within NORDP?

Between working at Los Alamos National Lab and leading a startup with a critical need to be protective over intellectual property and patents, I came from a world that was very secretive and confidential. Then I came over to NORDP! A place where everybody shared everything, and I remember saying, “Don’t they realize they are giving away all their secrets?”. But I realized we all have a common goal – to enable the best research in the nation, irrespective of where it comes from. This open exchange of ideas and information was definitely something it took me time to learn and become comfortable with. It took me a while to put my thumb on it.

What have you found most rewarding, and most challenging, about leading within NORDP? In your CAREER?

The Northeast is a tremendous region, really engaged and active in NORDP. We have done a lot of listening, especially during COVID, to identify and respond to people’s needs, and I do that within my own team. NORDP is a ‘community of leaders’ – for everyone. Even if you don’t have that title today, you probably will one day, and it is cultivating those skills and relationships and elevating others that is especially rewarding.

What advice do you have for others within NORDP who are looking to develop as leaders?

Push yourself out of your comfort zone, join committees, and become involved. Even if you don’t have much expertise in a certain area, but you have an interest, there will be others who will support you along the way; that’s what is so great about NORDP. Use the NORDP community to create your own personal advisory boards and make those connections.

NORDP 2023 Mentoring Award: Carolynn Julien

First awarded in 2022, the NORDP Mentoring Award recognizes an individual NORDP member’s unique ability to provide an engaging, supportive, and inclusive environment for professional and/or personal growth through mentorship in the research development community. This award is bestowed with the acknowledgment that effective mentoring occurs through formal and informal channels and may vary in style and substance.

Who: Carolynn Julien

Where: Fairleigh Dickinson University

Number of years in research development: 34 years

Length of NORDP membership: 10 years

What does this mentoring award mean to you?

Let me just start by saying, I was surprised to get the award. I was totally thrown off. I was fidgeting with something and I heard my name being called. If there was anything that I would want to be recognized for, it would be mentoring. It is just the best honor ever! It solidifies who I am and my efforts. It was just perfect!

What has your mentoring journey within NORDP looked like?

I believe it was 2013 when I found out about the NORDP mentoring program, and I was matched with a wonderful mentor, Linda Mason from the University of Oklahoma. It was a wonderful experience. I even got a NORDP travel award to meet her in Austin. She was my introduction to NORDP, and it was just the most amazing connection that I had with her. She came up to where I live in New York once and we got to spend time together while she was on vacation. I recently found out that she passed away and I was just so heartbroken. Linda was amazing and really helped me to grow as a professional.

Generally, I think I remained on the outskirts of NORDP. I was kind of a lurker. I wasn’t fully engaged until I decided to join the mentoring committee. Serving on the committee solidified my commitment to NORDP and it was an opportunity for me to not only engage but to give back.

What initially drew you to mentoring?

I always say, “Mentoring is who I am and what I do.” I have mentored in so many capacities, professionally and personally. I am in an organization where I mentor high school girls. I have mentored people in a group that I created across the City University of New York, where I mentored many individuals across the RD spectrum. Mentoring was the focus of my dissertation. So, yes, it’s my “walk.”

How did you take the first step in the “walk” of mentoring?

My parents always taught me that I’m on this earth to give back. And that has always been a part of me. My upbringing taught me to give back and to figure out how I can give back. Mentoring allows me to have those personal relationships to give back.

What does being a good mentor mean to you?

It means that I show up fully and I provide a space where I will help a mentee grow both personally and professionally. It means that I will be a good listener and that I am looking to understand not only what is spoken but what is also unspoken. It means that I am going to be a cheerleader, and that I am going to be a friend; It means that I am going to be an educator; It means that I am going to be a student; It means that I’m going to be whatever the role is that my mentee needs. The mentee decides and I provide.

You have lived in the spirit of mentoring your entire life. Is there a lesson you have learned along the way that has helped you become a better mentor?

The lesson I have learned is that mentoring relationships have no finite timeline. I think that’s something I struggle with a little bit when it comes to the NORDP program because it’s a one-year commitment. I don’t believe that mentoring relationships have a timeline. The mentoring relationships that I have are ongoing. There are people who I worked with 20 years ago and if they need me, I will be there. They know how to find me and if it’s a year from now, 10 years from now, 20 years from now — I will be there.

What have you found most challenging about being a mentor?

I think one of the challenges in a mentoring relationship is creating intimacy. The best relationship investments are where both the mentor and the mentee can fully show up. That’s a challenge, but it’s a challenge that I love. Because I like taking the time to get to know the mentee, and it takes time. It takes care, patience, and a willingness to accept who this person is.

What advice do you have for others within NORDP who wish to follow in your footsteps?

I’m going to borrow from Nike…Just do it! It’s scary at first. I can remember when the camera came on for the first time and there was a person in another Zoom box. In my mind, I am saying to myself, “I had this mentor training and I should have the right thing to say.” But I have found the best success through listening to my heart. Your heart will guide you. You’ll know what to say and what to do. And it really starts with intention. If your intentions are to help an individual with the agreed upon goals, and you fully show up and listen, your intentions will guide you.

Photograph of president Anne Maglia presenting the 2023 Mentoring Award to recipient Carolynn Julien.

NORDP president Anne Maglia (left) presenting the 2023 Mentoring Award to recipient Carolynn Julien (right).

ReCON brings the Program Officers to you

Registration is now open for the inaugural NORDP ReCON fall virtual conference, to be held November 1-3, 2023, on the Whova platform.

The afternoon of Wednesday, November 1 (“PreCON”), will be dedicated to representatives of funding agencies and organizations–offering attendees the opportunity to hear about new programs and funding priorities, and ask questions about how best to support your researchers. Two presentations will run concurrently, and most will be recorded for viewing post-event.

Speakers include:

2-3 pm ET/11 am-noon PT

Erwin Gianchandani, PhD, Assistant Director, NSF Directorate for Technology, Innovation & Partnerships (TIP)

Melissa Menzer, PhD, Senior Program Analyst, Office of Research & Analysis, National Endowment for the Arts

3-4 pm ET/noon-1 pm PT • NIH Panel

Deborah Hodge, PhD, Program Officer, NIAID

Mercy Prabhudas, PhD, Program Officer, NIAID

Brittany Haynes, PhD, Program Director of Workforce Diversity & Equity, NIMH

Keren Witkin, PhD, Program Director, NCI

3-4 pm ET/noon-1 pm PT • Social Sciences & Humanities Panel

Aixa Cintrón-Vélez, PhD, Program Director, Russell Sage Foundation

John Paul Christy, PhD, Senior Director of U.S. Programs, American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS)

4-5 pm ET/1-2 pm PT • NSF GRANTED

Kimberly Littlefield, PhD, Program Director

Dina Stroud, PhD, Program Director

2023 Rising Star Award: Katherine Duggan

The NORDP Rising Star Award recognizes individuals for their outstanding, early volunteer contributions to NORDP and strong potential for future contributions to the organization and the profession or the field.

Who: Katherine Duggan

Where: Northeastern University

Number of years in research development: Since 2017 (6 years)

Length of NORDP membership: 2017 (6 years)

Kate Duggan, Associate Director of Research Development at Northeastern University, has been recognized as a Rising Star who brings an open, thoughtful and passionate approach to her work in NORDP. She has been recognized for her wealth of experience from a range of research development roles at two institutions, especially as applied to recruiting and harnessing the energy of other volunteers and encouraging and supporting social connections and engagement among members.

Kate is a member of the Member Services Committee, is a regional co-representative for Region 1, and she has served on the Executive Board for Region 1 as a Membership Coordinator in the past. Kate has consistently demonstrated her dedication to successful onboarding of new members including through the development of the New Member Orientation Guide and by co-hosting the inaugural New Member Meet-Up.

Kate is also a longstanding member of the Conference Planning Committee, including for 2023, and is now serving as co-chair of the 2024 conference. Within the Conference Planning Committee, she has served on numerous subgroups including Social and Networking, Evaluation, Speaker Support, and Abstracts.

Kate’s most proud of the planning and execution of the 2023 conference, the first in-person event since 2019. She notes that she had a great group to work with, including many new members and, working together, the Committee was able to accomplish its goals, working as a team with a range of backgrounds in terms of NORDP and research development experience.

Due to the growth of NORDP since 2019, the 2023 conference was the first in-person NORDP event for many members. Kate and her team worked up to and through the event to get answers to members on logistics and scheduling so that all attendees could be prepared and engaged.

Kate joined NORDP when she started a position in research development at Brown University, her previous institution, learning about NORDP from one of the founders, Anne Windham, and getting involved with the very-active Region 1 right away, including by participating in regional meetings.

In addition to meeting many new people, because many of her colleagues at Northeastern University are also members of NORDP, the organization has provided opportunities to get to know those colleagues better as well as stay connected with colleagues from her former institution.

Kate believes that, over the years, NORDP has developed more and better ways for those new to NORDP and/or research development to make connections and grow professionally, especially through the growth of working groups. She notes that roughly coinciding with NORDP’s growth to over 1,000 members, NORDP is now embracing an outward-facing role as the leader in and advocate for research development, with the establishment of the Research Development Review: The NORDP Journal, the NSF Growing Research Access for Nationally Transformative Equity and Diversity (GRANTED) program, and related initiatives.

One development that has played a major role in her career has been the advent of the Creative Arts Social Sciences and Humanities (CASSH) affinity group. As support for those in the creative fields and social sciences has often lagged behind that for other disciplines, Kate has been thrilled to see support for CASSH disciplines blossom, to include an active Basecamp group and monthly meetings.

Kate recommends that new members join a committee or working group related to their interest, and to be sure to check out new groups that have recently been established. She also encourages them to keep in mind how involvement in NORDP can help support a career in terms of the opportunities to grow into leadership roles.

Kate’s colleagues have described her as an exceptionally enthusiastic, creative, and dependable volunteer within NORDP – a true Rising Star.

Congratulations to the 2023 NORDP Awardees!

NORDP is powered by the excellence and impact of its members. Each year, NORDP Awards celebrate the outstanding accomplishments of members making exemplary contributions to the organization as well as the practice and/or study of research development. NORDP Awards honor the distinctive achievements and contributions of individuals, collaborative groups or work teams, programs or projects, and organizations.

Recipients of 2023 NORDP Awards were recognized during the annual NORDP Conference held May 7 to 10 in Crystal City, VA. In the coming months, you will have a chance to learn more about each awardee through in-depth interviews that will be shared through NORDP News. Congratulations to all of the fantastic awardees for your service to our organization and profession!

Rising Star Award

Jessica Brassard, Director of Research Development and Communication, Michigan Technological University
Katherine Duggan, Associate Director of Research Development, Northeastern University
Erica Pitre, Director of Research Development, Emory University

Leadership Award

Faye Farmer, Executive Director, Research Development, Knowledge Enterprise, Arizona State University
Edel Minogue, Senior Director, Research Strategy & Development, Brown University

Mentoring Award

Carolynn Julien, Executive Director of Grants and Sponsored Projects, Fairleigh Dickinson University
Hilda McMackin, Director, Research Administration Systems and Reporting, Vanderbilt University

NORDP Fellows

Karen Fletcher, Director of Grants Resources & Services, Appalachian State University
Jennifer Lyon Gardner, Deputy Vice President for Research, The University of Texas at Austin

Innovation Award

NSF CAREER Club, Office of Proposal Development (Amanda Bohlin, Matthew Dwyer, Tisha Gilreath Mullen, Katie Pelland, and Jaclyn Tan), University of Nebraska-Lincoln

President’s Commendation

Jessica Brassard, Director of Research Development and Communication, Michigan Technological University
Becca Latimer, Research Program Director, University of Virginia Comprehensive Cancer Center
Jessica Moon, Executive Director, Stanford Aging and Ethnogeriatrics Research Center, Stanford University

Holly Falk-Krzesinski Service Award

Jill Jividen, Senior Director of Research Development, University of Michigan

Learn more about the NORDP Awards program and view past awardees.

NORDP 2023: What to Know Before You Go

Greetings NORDP 2023 Attendees:

We are looking forward to welcoming you to Crystal City, VA for our first in-person conference since 2019! Get ready for inspiring keynotes, fantastic presentations, and plentiful opportunities to grow connections. We have put together the following guide that we hope will be helpful as you prepare for your arrival in Crystal City.

🙂 NORDP Conference Concierge

The NORDP Conference Concierge (not to be confused with the Hyatt Concierge desk!) is located in the Regency Foyer of the Hyatt (2 floors below street level). It’s more than a location! It will be staffed by event management professionals and our wonderful NORDP member volunteers! It’s a place to go when you have a question or problem to be solved, are unsure, or just need a break. For those of you who are new(er) to NORDP, the NORDP Concierge Desk is a great place to learn about NORDP as an organization (e.g., what committees are available to join? Who is on the Board? How can I get involved?).

Stop by the Conference Concierge Desk anytime during these hours:

Sunday, 12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Monday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Tuesday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Wednesday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

In addition to the NORDP Concierge Desk, you can use the Whova App to directly message Conference Organizers. Find this feature under Community → Ask Organizers Anything.

🚙 Shuttle & Parking & Metro

The Hyatt Regency Crystal City provides a courtesy airport shuttle to and from Reagan National Airport

The shuttle departs from the hotel front drive every 20 minutes on the hour from 4:20 a.m.–12:40 a.m. seven days a week.
Terminal 1 pickup location is outside the main doors. Follow signs for Hotel Shuttle Pickup.
Terminal 2 pickup locations are outside of Doors 4 and 7 on the baggage claim level. Follow signs for Hotel Shuttle Pickup.

If you are driving to the conference and need to park at the hotel, parking fees can be found on the hotel website.

The Crystal City metro station is 4 blocks from the Hyatt Regency Crystal City—about a 14-minute walk.

✅ Conference Check-In

Conference Check-in is 12:00–6:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 7 at the NORDP Concierge Desk. If you are not arriving in that time frame, no worries. Simply come to the NORDP Conference Concierge on Monday morning (opens at 9 a.m.) to check in.

To check-in:

Approach the NORDP Conference Concierge to find large QR codes printed for check-in.
Open the camera on your phone to scan the QR code. It will automatically direct you to the Whova app for check-in.
Approach the staff and volunteers to collect your name badge and lapel pin.
That’s it!

Note: if you are NOT using the Whova app, you can still access information about the conferencevia the Whova app website (https://nordp2023.events.whova.com/).

Please remember: There is no on-site registration this year! No exceptions.

📱 Need help with the Whova App?

We are so excited to offer the Whova App for our entire conference community! The platform is a resource for attendees, speakers, sponsors, and the planning committee. Activity on the app has been ramping up over the last couple of weeks, and it’s been so fun watching all of you engage! If you are not on the app yet, let us know and we can help. Just stop by the NORDP Conference Concierge in the Regency Foyer of the Hyatt.

Note: if you are NOT using the Whova app, you can still access information about the conference via the Whova app website (https://nordp2023.events.whova.com/).

👋 Welcome Reception

Join us on Sunday from 5:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m. for a Welcome Reception in the Regency Foyer. The Welcome Reception is sponsored by our platinum sponsor, Thorn Run Partners. We are so excited to welcome you to NORDP2023! Brief welcome remarks from NORDP leadership and Thorn Run Partners will be followed by a chance for us to meet each other in person for the first time since 2019!

🌟 NORDP Sponsors

Please make time to stop by our sponsor exhibits in the Regency Foyer to chat with them and find out what’s new in their businesses. Our sponsors make the conference happen! We will also be holding a Sponsor Expo on Monday May 8 from 1-2:30 p.m. Please take this opportunity to check out the sponsor booths! As you visit the sponsors, remember to collect a ‘stamp’ from each sponsor you visit for the Passport Contest. Attendees who collect 20 or more stamps will be entered into a raffle for prizes.

🔘 Code of Conduct

We have posted a NORDP2023 Conference Code of Conduct in the Whova App and on the conference website. In both platforms, it can be found under Logistics → Conference Code of Conduct. Please review it when you have time. If you witness any violations of the Code of Conduct during the conference, please report it using the reporting form linked in the Code of Conduct.

👕 Attire

Attire for the conference is business casual, and casual after hours. Be sure to bring workout clothes/shoes if you’re planning on taking part in morning exercise. The forecast is for seasonal temperatures, warm during the day (75-80℉) and cooler at night (50-60℉), with humidity running between 55-89%.

The meeting spaces at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City can get a little chilly. Consider bringing a layer that makes you comfortable and feel good.

🍽️ Meals

Your registration fee covers the cost of breakfast and lunch on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of the conference. We have made every effort to accommodate dietary restrictions and requests. Please find one of the service staff if you have any questions.

Dinners will be on your own—please check out the Whova App under Community → Meet-ups & Virtual Meets to find a Networking Dinner to sign up for, or grab dinner with a colleague or a friend. We have put together this map that provides multiple restaurants within walking distance of the hotel.

🚰 Water bottle

In the interest of practicing sustainability, we ask that conference attendees bring their own water bottles to the conference. There will be water stations available at breakfast, breaks, lunch, and receptions to stay hydrated!

🎒 Bring a backpack or tote

No swag bags will be given at check-in this year. If you like to carry things around the conference with you, consider bringing your own packable tote or backpack.

🏙️ Optional Social and Fitness Activities

In true NORDP fashion, you all have stepped up to lead amazing social and fitness activities. From walking to local coffee roasters, to enjoying an evening meal around a discussion topic, to swimming laps — there are many options to add some fun to your agenda. Find current options in the Whova App under Community → Meet-ups & Virtual Meets. Don’t see something that you’d like to do? Feel free to post something for others to join!

🧰 Workshops

RSVP registration for the three workshops is now open in the conference app.

Strategies for incorporating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) during proposal development. (2 hours)
Framework and tools for planning several kinds of workshops (4 hours)
Building communicative and collaborative capacity for cross-disciplinary teams using the toolbox dialogue method. (2 hours)

You can find the workshops by navigating to the agenda section in the app and then searching for them on Tuesday morning or using the ‘workshop’ tag under the tracks function. Click on the session and then you should see a button that says “+RSVP”. We will not be accepting RSVPs via email—sign-up is only through the app (either the mobile app or web browser app).

If you previously added a workshop to your personal agenda, you will still need to go into the app to RSVP (i.e., adding to your personal agenda did not save you a seat). As the workshops have limited capacity, please only sign up for a workshop if you plan to go. Whova will automatically create a waitlist and notify you if/when spots open. For these sessions, we will be scanning name badges at the room door. Please arrive on time for the workshop; we are providing a 5-minute grace period, after which we will notify individuals on the waitlist that a spot has opened.

❤️ NORDP’s Got Heart

This year’s conference committee wanted to make an impact in the community where we are convening. To do this, we are partnering with Carpenter’s Shelter, a local organization that supports individuals and families experiencing and at risk of homelessness to achieve sustainable independence through shelter and housing placement, guidance, education, and advocacy. We will be collecting items and monetary donations during the conference until 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday. Requested items, as a link for monetary donations, can be found on the Whova App and on the website under Logistics → NORDP’s Got Heart.

Check out the ‘Meet-Ups’ section of the conference app, Whova. Members will be organizing morning walks to CVS or other stores to purchase items for donation.

We will total both items and monetary donations and present all donations to a representative from Carpenter’s Shelter on Wednesday during our awards ceremony.

🖼️ Presenting a poster

If you are presenting a poster, try to find a time between 9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. on Monday, May 8 to hang your posters up on the display boards (located in room Independence B). Posters will be up for the majority of the conference in Independence B. Please take down your poster by 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Any posters left after noon will be thrown away.

😷 COVID-19 awareness at the conference

We encourage all conference attendees to practice good hygiene. Best practices for conferences include frequent handwashing, mask-wearing if you are at risk or concerned about exposure for any reason, and communication through the event if someone at the conference tests positive for COVID. We refer to the latest CDC Guidance for Travel.

In Arlington County, Virginia, the community level is Low (as of 5/3/2023) Feel free to keep an eye on this website for the latest information.
Follow any prevention advice given to you by your healthcare provider.
If wearing a mask is necessary and/or important to you, please bring the best mask for you.
If you are interested in acquiring a mask or a COVID test while you are at the conference, there are several nearby places to purchase. (CVS Pharmacy, Target, 7-eleven, grocery stores)

NORDP 2023 Keynote: Mentors-of-the-Moment with Dr. Brad Johnson

*NORDP 2023 Keynote Speaker,* Dr. Brad Johnson

For Dr. Brad Johnson, it was a crucial conversation with a valued mentor early in his career that offered him the affirmation that he needed to pursue his professional goals. Johnson, at the time, was a brand new clinical psychologist serving as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy Medical Corps. And despite the extensive training he had undertaken to become a practicing clinical psychologist, he was having some misgivings about his chosen profession. Johnson remembers working up the courage to share his thoughts with the senior psychologist who was serving as his supervisor and telling her, “You know, my happiest moment in the week is when a client cancels an appointment and I actually have time to do some writing. I love working on research articles and I love teaching, and I’m kind of thinking I don’t want to be a clinical psychologist in the traditional sense. I’d love to teach and be an academician.” His mentor’s response? As Johnson recalls, “She just looked at me and said, ‘Of course.’ like she’d known that all the time.” That pivotal conversation was a lightbulb moment for Johnson about the power of mentorship.

Dr. Johnson, now a Professor of Psychology in the Department of Leadership, Ethics and Law at the United States Naval Academy and a Faculty Associate in the Graduate School of Education at Johns Hopkins University, will be delivering the closing keynote at the 2023 NORDP conference. His address, entitled Mentors-of-the-Moment: Creating Mentoring-Rich Organizational Cultures, will focus on how to leverage developmental relationships and existing mentoring infrastructure to create cultures of mentoring within organizations.

When he began teaching and supervising students in a clinical psychology doctoral program, Johnson’s initial research focused on the treatment of depression. But that started to shift when one of the doctoral students he was supervising became interested in researching mentoring. “He came to me and he said, ‘You know, I found this article on mentoring in graduate training, and I find it really interesting and I think I might want to do this for my dissertation.’” His decision to join his mentee in pursuing this new line of research was another pivotal moment for Johnson. “It absolutely shaped the whole arc of my career, focusing a bit less on clinical treatment and a lot more on developmental relationships.”

Johnson’s next career move brought him to the U.S. Naval Academy, where he has been a faculty member ever since. As far as his research was concerned, this move was, in Johnson’s view, “such a natural, seamless transition because mentoring is so important in the military.” One of Johnson’s initial projects at the Naval Academy was a large study focused on retired Navy Admirals and their experience with mentoring in the fleet. One of the most powerful findings from the study, in his view, concerned the longevity of these mentoring relationships. “One of the things we asked was, ‘Why did the relationship end?’ and by far the most common response was that the mentor had died. It turns out that these relationships were lifelong. And they continued, even up to the point where the mentor was no longer living.” This finding was reminiscent of Johnson’s own relationship with his mentor from his days in graduate school. “We don’t see each other as often, but if I ever have a major career decision to make, I always reach out to him, even now. The effect of really great mentoring often lingers, and in the best case, these relationships become lifelong friendships.”

Johnson is particularly excited to speak to NORDP conference attendees about actionable strategies for moving beyond mentoring programs to creating cultures of mentoring, both within NORDP itself and within attendees’ organizations. “We know that a lot of talented junior folks fall through the cracks because they don’t think it’s for them or that they’re entitled to mentoring. And senior people feel like mentoring programs can be a burden and don’t engage.” For Johnson, building a mentoring culture means becoming a mentor-of-the-moment, someone who shows interest in junior colleagues in the day-to-day interactions we have at work. “Being a mentor-of-the-moment might mean being the kind of person who will initiate a conversation with a colleague about something you admired about their work, offering affirmation, or just saying, ‘Hey, if you ever want to drop by and just chat about where you’d like to go in the organization, I’ve got an open door,” he says. “If you have that kind of culture, we find that retention goes way up, satisfaction and belonging go way up. And I think we need to spend a lot more time thinking about our culture, not just our formalized programs.”

NORDP 2023 Keynote: Diversity in the Data with Dr. Christine Yifeng Chen

NORDP 2023 Keynote Speaker, Dr. Christine Yifeng Chen

From a young age, Christine Yifeng Chen had an affinity for the outdoors. Growing up in upstate New York, she spent many afternoons amusing herself in the local woods observing plants, rocks, and passing wildlife. When the sun was down or the weather was poor, she watched nature documentaries on public television and read books about historical expeditions and voyages, captivated by stories of field scientists working in far-flung places. Despite her enthusiasm, she never considered that outdoor field research was something she could ever do herself. After all, she had no camping or hiking experience, and hardly traveled outside of her hometown, as the costs of such activities were prohibitive.

That all changed when she “won the lottery,” as Chen puts it, by gaining admittance to Princeton University for her undergraduate studies with a full tuition financial aid package. Scanning the catalog of course offerings, she noticed that the earth science department offered classes with field trips, all expenses paid. Soon enough, in her first semester, she found herself in California, gazing at snow-capped mountains, climbing up sand dunes, and walking amongst ancient pine trees for the very first time. This formative experience set the stage for Chen’s future in field geology. “It was a complete culture shock,” Chen says. “Suddenly, I had access to all these resources at this school, to do all the things I’d always read about or seen on TV. It was nothing short of life changing.”

Chen understands first-hand the impact that access to social and material resources can have on one’s career. She will deliver the 2023 NORDP Conference opening keynote address, entitled “Racial disparities in research funding.” In her remarks, she will highlight results from a recent study she led showing systematic racial disparities in funding rates at the National Science Foundation (NSF). Using publicly available data, Chen and her colleagues showed that from 1999 to 2019, proposals by white researchers at NSF were funded at rates higher than most other non-white groups, and that these trends held regardless of scientific discipline and proposal type. Since similar patterns have been observed at the National institutes of Health, NASA, and other philanthropic funding organizations, they are likely widespread throughout the research funding ecosystem.

Despite countless of initiatives at colleges and universities to diversify the professoriate, data on faculty demographics indicate that higher education institutions appear to have little to show for it. Chen believes that the long-standing funding disparities have played a significant role in stymieing diversity goals: “Eliminating inequalities in STEM and academia will require a reorganization of what causes inequality in the first place: unequal access to social prestige and material resources.”

As a geologist and geochemist by training, Chen is very familiar with the lack of diversity amongst faculty. The geosciences are the least diverse field of all STEM disciplines in terms of race and ethnicity; less than 10% of geoscience PhD recipients are people of color, and little has changed in the last 40 years. And unlike other STEM disciplines, Asians are underrepresented amongst geoscience PhD recipients.

That statistic, along with the rise in anti-Asian sentiments during the pandemic, spurred Chen and two of her colleagues to start an affinity group, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Geosciences (AAPIiG), to build community for AAPIs in the discipline. It was through one of the early virtual AAPIiG community gatherings that Chen first learned from a senior academic about the “open secret” that Asian researchers have the lowest proposal success rates at the NSF. The rest is history.

Chen is eager to engage with the NORDP community about these widespread funding disparities and what we can do about them, both as individuals as well as a collective organization. She hopes that we might consider the funding data at our own institutions from both public and private funders with a critical eye. Chen also hopes that NORDP can mobilize a coordination action in response to these trends, given our unique vantage point as being embedded in the research community at multiple levels and sectors. “NORDP is ideally positioned to guide and catalyze action around this issue. If not you, who else?”

Chen is now at a national lab where she continues her geological and geochemistry research.

Help us welcome her to the NORDP stage in May.

Follow @NORDP_official on Twitter for all the latest #NORDP2023 updates.

NORDP fosters a culture of inclusive excellence by actively promoting and supporting diversity, inclusion, and equity in all its forms to expand our worldview, enrich our work, and elevate our profession.

2023 NORDP Awards: Two Weeks Left to Nominate Your Colleagues!

Do you know a colleague or group of members making outstanding contributions to NORDP or the practice/field of research development? Consider nominating them for a 2023 NORDP Award!

NORDP members are invited to submit nominations for the following awards:
• Innovation Award
• Leadership Award
• Mentoring Award
• NORDP Fellow
• Rising Star Award
• Volunteer of the Year Award

Collectively, these NORDP Awards celebrate the distinctive achievements of individuals, collaborative groups or work teams, programs or projects, and organizations. More information about the different award types, including eligibility, and the process for submitting nominations is available on the NORDP website.

The deadline to submit nominations, including self-nominations, for the 2023 NORDP Awards is 8 pm EST on Friday, February 10, 2023. Winners of 2023 NORDP Awards will be recognized during the annual NORDP Research Development Conference May 7 to 10, 2023.

An informational webinar about the 2023 NORDP Awards cycle was held on January 18. During the webinar, NORDP Awards task force members reviewed opportunities for recognition, highlighted changes to the 2023 call for nominations, and addressed participant questions.

Contact Nathan Meier or Petrina Suiter to request a copy of the slides presented during the informational webinar or to ask a question about the nomination process.