Becoming a Resilient Scientist (BRS) series
A five-part series including lectures and discussion groups to help fellows develop skills needed to thrive in research and healthcare careers.
On this page
About the series
The Becoming a Resilient Scientist series provides tools to help you build resilience and thrive in high-knowledge environments. You will develop skills in well-being, assertiveness, and responding to feedback that can strengthen relationships within research groups and beyond.
The series is designed for trainees and fellows at all levels, including those who supervise or mentor others and want to strengthen their mentoring skills.
Learn more about the effectiveness of the series by reading our publication: Becoming a Resilient Scientist series: an intervention program.
How to attend
The series includes five sessions, each with a lecture and a facilitated small group discussion, where you can reflect on the material, share experiences, and learn from peers.
We encourage you to attend the full series, although you may participate in individual sessions. Trainees who attend all five lectures and at least two small group discussions will receive a certificate of completion.
The series is offered twice each year: once in the Summer, beginning in June, and again in the Fall, beginning in September. We welcome participation from all students and fellows, both within and outside NIH.
Attend a drop-in discussion group after the session
Join us to discuss how the materials relate to your own life, learn from other trainees, and support each other.Series components
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An Introduction to Resilience and Well-Being
Register for the Unit 1 lectureWe all experience setback and disappointments in science, work, and life. In this webinar we will look at seven key elements of resilience with a focus on building habits that promote healthier responses and resilient behaviors in the face of set-back in educational and work environments.
- Lecture: September 24th, 2026, 3:00-4:15pm ET
- Drop-in Group: October 1st, 2026, 3:00-4:00pm ET (register at link above)
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Exploring Self-Talk: Imposter Fears and Other Cognitive Distortions
Register for the Unit 2 lectureWe tell ourselves stories about what is happening to us and around us. In this webinar we will explore how our self-talk is generated and look at ways our self-talk can either help us be more resilient or how it can hurt us and hold us back. We will look at two important elements of our self-talk, cognitive distortions and imposter fears and explore ways to recognize internal messages and input from others that distorts our views of our abilities and accomplishments.
- Lecture: October 8th, 2026, 3:00-4:15pm ET
- Drop-in Group: October 15th, 2026, 3:00-4:00pm ET (register at link above)
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Self-Advocacy and Assertiveness
Register for the Unit 3 lectureWe all need to develop the skills needed to be assertive and to advocate for ourselves, especially in hierarchical environments where we sometimes feel we do not have a voice. In this webinar, we will discuss how to set boundaries, communicate expectations, ask for feedback, and discuss difficult issues with friends, mentors, colleagues, and supervisors.
- Lecture: October 22nd, 2026, 3:00-4:15pm ET
- Drop-in Group: November 5th, 2026, 3:00-4:00pm ET (register at link above)
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Developing Feedback Resilience
Register for the Unit 4 lectureWe all need feedback to grow and learn but we often become defensive and are unable to learn from the feedback we receive, even if it is delivered well. In this webinar, we will talk about why receiving feedback is so difficult and explore ways to stay calm and engaged when receiving feedback. We will also talk about giving feedback in a calm and assertive way so that our voice can be heard.
- Lecture: October 29th, 2026, 3:00-4:15pm ET
- Drop-in Group: November 5th, 2026, 3:00-4:00pm ET (register at link above)
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Managing Up to Maximize Mentoring Relationships
Register for the Unit 5 lectureWe all need mentors to support and encourage us throughout our educational and career journey. In this webinar, we will talk about the mentoring relationship in research environments with a focus on improving your relationship with your PI, finding mentors and on improving communication and interpersonal interactions. The webinar will help clarify what you need from your supervisors and mentors and address how to get what you need from these important interactions.
- Lecture: November 12th, 2026, 3:00-4:15pm ET
What past participants say
“Thank you for putting this series together. I learned so many critical skills that I have already applied in work and in personal life, and I am eager to refine them as I grow. You have truly impacted how I see myself and my role at work and reminded me that I have agency.”
“This series has been invaluable to me as a graduate student and future independent researcher. Much still needs to be changed in this culture, but this series was incredibly helpful in increasing my awareness, empowerment, and skills related to the topics taught/discussed. After participating, I have noticed myself sharing what I’ve learned with my peers when they talked about issues that they are facing as well. I believe having this as a regular offered series would have an incredible impact on individuals who participate and eventually on the culture of science.”
“Completion of this program should be a part of ... [the requirements every institution must meet to receive funding] ... from the NIH in the same way RCR is. The information in these presentations is invaluable. And if students and post docs had this info they could avoid getting into bad situations with tormentors. Thank you very much; this series has helped me immensely. The tools presented here have allowed me to identify and deal with stressors much more effectively.”
Additional resources
You can find additional recorded seminars on the OITE YouTube channel.
