Securing external grants has become essential for the nation’s colleges where decreased funding for research and educational programs has triggered the imperative to supplement university budgets. There are a host of challenges, however, that inhibit grantsmanship success for those at community colleges, including a lack of time due to teaching, advising, service and other aspects of scholarly duties, the absence of experience and the requisite skills required to write and attain competitive grants, and the void of a culture of grantsmanship at the institution. To address the gaps associated with grantsmanship success at an urban community college in New York City, the Hostos Research Center (HRC), was created. Among the goals of the HRC is to educate faculty and staff on grantsmanship and to increase the number of competitive applications submitted to external funding sources. This, in turn, would increase the likelihood of success for those applications. To this end, the 
HRC created internal funding competitions similar those that exist at major external and federal funding sources. The HRC internal competitions awarded up to $10,000 for proposals that went through a detailed submission process that paralleled those of the National Science Foundation and included a formal request for proposals, HRC “Office Hours” and detailed feedback for submissions by a panel of reviewers with prior experience and success in securing external funding. In the three years since the creation of the HRC and its internal funding competitions, the success rate of external grant submissions has increased to an average of 86% from an average of 66% in the three years prior to the HRC. Additionally, this improvement in attaining external funding has also corresponded with increases in the number grant submissions that have been made and the amount of funding secured compared to the three years prior. Furthermore, survey responses on the impact of the HRC internal funding programs and its professional development opportunities have indicated an increase in the motivation to apply for new grant opportunities, improved grant writing skills and overall awareness of grant opportunities. We propose that the HRC could serve as a model for creating a culture of grantsmanship at other institutions.

Creating a Research Center and Leveraging Internal Funding Opportunities to Develop a Culture of Grantsmanship at an Urban Community College

Mentor/Mentee Jobs on Campus (MMJOC) is a new career development and mentorship program launched at Hostos Community College (HCC) that is designed to provide undergraduate students with workforce experience to facilitate their transition from college to the workplace combined with mentoring to support students’ academic progress and professional development. Students are hired to work a maximum of 10 hours/week at various academic and administrative departments across HCC and paired with a faculty/staff mentor that supports their academic and career goals. MMJOC provides students with access to skill-building experiences and mentorship that equips them to effectively navigate work in a professional environment. Mentors receive guidance on how to strengthen mentoring relationships through focused mentoring sessions that address students’ academic support, professional development, personal development, and maintaining health/work/life and balance. Career development events are held every semester to help students further develop their career readiness skills and promote peer bonding. MMJOC integrates key components of effective mentorship and how to apply best practices in developing and sustaining mentor-mentee relationships, including setting clear expectations through objectives, establishing communication norms, and facilitating professional growth through programming. The NACE (National Association of Colleges and Employers) career readiness competencies (career and self-development, communication, critical thinking, equity & inclusion, leadership, professionalism, teamwork, technology) are foundational for preparing undergraduate students for the transition to the workforce. Capacity-building workshops educate mentors on strategies for integrating these into the work setting through focused skill-building opportunities, and they also assess students’ skill development each semester. A cohort of up to 25 students is employed each semester and most students work for an average of two semesters. Evaluation findings from mentor and mentee feedback surveys show, on average, 82% of mentees were able to accomplish career readiness skills “very well”; 70% of mentees reported that MMJOC “contributed greatly” to informing their career plans; and over 90% of mentors and mentees reported they were satisfied with the program experience. For institutions seeking to develop a mentorship-based career development program, MMJOC provides an adaptable framework for guiding students’ progress academically and providing students with the socio-emotional and career-building guidance that makes a difference in a student’s educational trajectory.

Mentoring to Advance Students’ Academic Success and Career Readiness

Poster Session 1

poster

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2025 Understanding Interventions Annual Conference

Don’t miss out on this invaluable opportunity to be part of a movement towards a more inclusive and equitable future in science. This year’s event promises to be an enlightening experience, filled with opportunities for sharing, networking, engagement, and inspiration.
Mark your calendars, spread the word, and join us for the 2025 Understanding Interventions Annual Conference on February 7-8th.

Sofia Oviedo

2

Presentations

Creating a Research Center and Leveraging Internal Funding Opportunities to Develop a Culture of Grantsmanship at an Urban Community College

Mentoring to Advance Students’ Academic Success and Career Readiness

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