Preparing junior investigators to develop gerontological research

There is a growing concern about the number of junior investigators in nursing committed to gerontological research. A rarity of nurses conducting research already exists since only 0.6% of the 2.2 million employed registered nurses in the US have a doctoral degree in nursing or a related field. This limited scholarly resource challenges junior investigators to identify appropriate programs to receive training and mentoring in gerontological research. Yet, this limitation can be addressed by an intensive summer program intended to mentor junior investigators in the development of gerontological research. This article discusses the feedback of 8 junior investigators participating in a week-long intensive program for gerontological research. Participating in this intensive summer program provided opportunities for the junior investigators to develop mentoring relationships and receive useful feedback with directions to develop research careers.