Building Thriving Research Groups (BTRG) Webinar Series
A new five-part virtual webinar series building on the foundation of the Raising a Resilient Scientist Series (RRS) for faculty and staff who work with, supervise, and support research fellows.
About the series
The Building Thriving Research Groups Webinar Series is a five-part series designed for PIs, staff scientists, staff clinicians, and others who supervise or support fellows in research settings. Through practical frameworks, strategies, case discussions, and tools, participants will explore how to set clear expectations, understand and respond to fellows' needs, communicate and provide feedback effectively, navigate performance and conflict, and support well-being—for fellows, colleagues, and themselves.
The series recognizes that creating a thriving research group is a shared responsibility. PIs may have overall responsibility for the group, while staff scientists, staff clinicians, and other experienced team members often play important day-to-day roles in training, supervision, communication, and maintaining the research environment.
We welcome participation from all students and fellows, both within and outside NIH.
There are five units in the series; each unit will consist of a 60-minute online lecture with Q&A.
Series components
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Module 1: Building the Foundation: Expectations, Culture, and Research Group Purpose
Register here for Module 1What makes a research group a place where people can do their best work? In this session, PIs, staff scientists, and staff clinicians will examine their roles and responsibilities in supporting fellows and consider how trust, belonging, accountability, and shared purpose shape research-group culture. We will explore strategies for making expectations explicit from the start, establishing consistent approaches across the research group, maintaining expectations over time, and adapting supervision and support as fellows develop greater experience and independence.
- Tuesday, October 6, 2026 from 12-1pm ET
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Module 2: Understanding Today’s Fellows: Motivation, Learning, and Development
Register here for Module 2Why does one fellow thrive with minimal direction while another needs considerably more support? In this session, PIs, staff scientists, and staff clinicians will explore how differences in experience, motivation, career goals, executive functioning, stress, and other factors can influence behavior and performance. Participants will learn strategies for balancing accountability with support, adapting training and supervision to different levels of experience and development, and recognizing when fellows may benefit from resources or support beyond the research group.
- Tuesday, December 1, 2026 from 12-1pm ET
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Module 3: Communication That Builds Trust and Feedback That Fosters Success
Register here for Module 3Effective communication is central to productive research relationships, whether the conversation is between a PI and fellow, a staff scientist or clinician and fellow, or colleagues working together across roles. In this session, we will explore practical strategies for building trust through empathic communication, active listening, curiosity, and awareness of different communication styles and experiences. Participants will explore how generational and cultural differences can affect communication and practice approaches for giving feedback that is clear, constructive, and actionable. We will also consider when not to have a conversation immediately and how to prepare for conversations that matter.
- Tuesday, January 5, 2027 from 12-1pm ET
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Module 4: Managing Performance, Conflict, and Difficult Situations
Register here for Module 4What do you do when expectations have been clearly communicated but are still not being met? This session focuses on challenging situations that can arise across research groups, including performance concerns, professional conduct, boundary issues, conflict, incivility, and repeated patterns of behavior. PIs, staff scientists, and staff clinicians will explore strategies for addressing concerns early, listening to different perspectives, maintaining fairness and accountability, and determining when additional support or a more formal response is appropriate. Realistic cases and practical tools will help participants prepare for difficult situations and clarify their roles in addressing them.
- Tuesday, March 2, 2027 from 12-1pm ET
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Module 5: Supporting Well-being: PIs, Staff, and Fellows
Register here for Module 5Supporting a healthy research environment includes paying attention to the well-being of fellows, PIs, staff scientists, staff clinicians, and other members of the research group. In this session, participants will explore strategies for navigating stress, uncertainty, setbacks, burnout, compassion fatigue, and the emotional demands of supporting others. We will discuss recognizing signs that a fellow or colleague may be struggling, having supportive conversations while maintaining appropriate boundaries, and knowing when and how to connect people with institutional resources. The series concludes by bringing together its central themes: clear expectations, effective communication, an inclusive and supportive culture, constructive feedback and accountability, and attention to the well-being of the entire research group.
- Tuesday, May 4, 2027 from 12-1pm ET
Contact
Reach out to us at [email protected] with questions.
