TERRA Program

Program overview

Educational program summary

The Training to Enhance Researcher Resilience and Adaptability (TERRA) program focuses on developing evidence-based tools for biomedical research trainees, faculty, and training program directors to enhance their well-being, career self-efficacy, resilience, adaptability, and mentoring effectiveness.

The program is designed specifically for the biomedical research environment and integrates research-informed strategies with practical application.

Needs assessment and rationale

In response to interviews and focus groups with NIH T32 Program Directors and managers at UCSF and from across the U.S., we identified a critical need for evidence-based guidance in the following areas:

  • Best practices for program assessment and well-being evaluation
  • Supporting faculty mentors in compassionately mentoring and supporting trainees’ mental health
  • Time management skills for trainees and faculty
  • Normalizing failure as part of the training and research process
  • Creating a culture where faculty and trainees feel safe asking for help

Program structure

The TERRA program consists of:

  • Six online modules with corresponding summary handouts
  • Three facilitator guides


TERRA Program overview handout

Program modules

  • Provides an overview of conceptual models and assessment measures, as well as core drivers of burnout and well-being in biomedical scientists
  • Target audience: Participants can engage in one of two module versions designed for their specific role
    • Foundations of Well-Being for Biomedical Researchers: Trainees, faculty
    • Foundations of Well-Being for Biomedical Research Program Leaders: Program directors and leaders
  • Includes a facilitator guide to encourage small group discussion

Videos

Foundations of Well-Being for Biomedical Researchers


Well-being self assessment

Foundations of Well-Being for Biomedical Research Program Leaders


Please evaluate the Foundations of Well-Being Modules

Handouts

Facilitator Guide

Foundations of Well-Being Handout

  • Provides evidence-informed guidance from the literature and clinical psychologists and psychiatrists across four institutions who work with biomedical trainees
  • Guides program directors and faculty mentors around communication practices and programmatic infrastructure that can create a safe learning environment to support trainees’ mental health
  • Target audience: Faculty, program directors and leaders
  • Includes a facilitator guide to encourage small group discussion

  • Presents current research on sponsorship and its role in career advancement in academia
  • Target audience: Trainees, faculty, program directors and leaders
  • Provides guidance for establishing best practices for both sponsors and sponsees, and integrating sponsorship conversations into existing annual review meetings

Video

 

Handout

Sponsorship handout

  • Provides guidance on interventions that can normalize failure and create a culture where struggle and perseverance are championed and success can be redefined
  • Target audience: Trainees, faculty, program directors and leaders
  • Includes a facilitator guide to encourage small group discussion

  • Provides tools for time management strategies that are applicable to both faculty and trainees
  • Target audience: Trainees, faculty, program directors and leaders

Video

Handout

Time management handout

  • Summarizes validated measures for assessing the well-being of faculty and trainees, along with a step-by-step framework for implementing well-being initiatives
  • Target audience: Program directors and leaders
  • The program is designed specifically for the biomedical research environment and integrates research-informed strategies with practical application.

The Training to Enhance Researcher Resilience and Adaptability program is funded by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under grant R25GM153811. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

Co-PIs: Rachel Schwartz, PhD; Jina L. Sinskey, MD