Mentoring and research capacity-building experiences: acculturating to research from the perspective of the trainee.

Abstract

We participated in the Collaborative HIV Prevention in Minority Communities Program, which was designed to support ethnic minority researchers in improving their HIV-prevention research skills. Here we share our experiences as trainees, as well as the effect this program has had on our research careers. We liken the process of securing funding for our research to that of acculturation: we had to learn a new culture while retaining our own identity and membership in ethnic minority communities. We also discuss the importance of mentorship from the perspective of the trainee and reflect on our learning and skills acquisition process.