Our Vision
Mentoring is a shared responsibility. Faculty, postdocs, students, and the institution all play a role in cultivating an environment, climate, culture, and community where every member is set up to succeed.
The Faculty Development Initiative strives to ensure that our faculty members have the training, tools, community, and time they need to meet their mentoring responsibilities. Concurrently, the initiative supports students and postdocs as mentees, strengthening their capacity to navigate mentoring relationships skillfully and advance toward their career goals.
News and Events
April 2, 2026: Restorative Communication Skills for Faculty Workshop- Register Today!
The Office of Restorative Justice Practices and GEPA's Faculty Development Initiative are thrilled to announce Listening with Empathy: Restorative Communication Skills for Faculty Leaders, an interactive, skills-based workshop designed to support faculty mentors in meeting the NIH’s expectations for effective mentor-mentee communication. The training will take place virtually on April 2, 2026, from 2-5 pm. Register here for this upcoming opportunity!
January 14- February 18, 2026: Conflict Competence Training for Faculty
The Office of the Ombuds and GEPA's Faculty Development Initiative are excited to announce the Conflict Competence Training for Faculty. Through four interactive, in-person sessions, faculty members supervising labs strengthen their ability to identify and successfully manage conflict that occurs in their workplace environments.
October 23- December 4, 2025: Faculty Mentor Training Program
The Faculty Mentor Training Program is a formal and comprehensive program designed to train the faculty to become confident and more effective research mentors and is fully aligned with NIH requirements for mentor training. The program consists of 5 self-paced online modules and 3 in-person group sessions to review materials and provide additional tools. The course is delivered over a 6-week period.
October 6, 2025: Mentoring in Times of Crisis, Dr. Christine Pfund
We were thrilled to present Mentoring in Times of Crisis, a special lecture by Dr. Christine Pfund, commemorating the launch of the Faculty Development Initiative. You can watch a recording of the event here (UCSF access required).