The Indigenous Mentorship and Paid Research Experience for Summer Students (IMPRESS) program aims to provide Indigenous students at the early stages of their academic career with meaningful experience and skills through mentorship, training sessions and paid work. Healthy Brains, Healthy Lives (HBHL) is proud to support the neuroscience stream of this paid mentorship program for Indigenous post-secondary students.
How it works
- The Paid Indigenous Mentorship Program is hosted by HBHL in collaboration with IMPRESS, a project coordinated by Branches—McGill's Community Outreach Program at Enrolment Services.
- This program is for Indigenous undergraduate and CEGEP students.
- Participating HBHL principal investigators (PIs) will host selected students in their lab 20 hours a week for 8 weeks.
- Students will receive a $6,000 stipend.
- Branches will pair selected students with a graduate-student mentor, who will provide context on the transition from undergraduate to graduate studies.
- The mentor will train the participant in skills needed to succeed in their HBHL lab placement and ensure the student receives the guidance and support needed to have a rewarding experience.
- PIs who do not self-identify as Indigenous will take part in cultural-competency training provided by Branches to prepare them for the responsibilities of the role.
What participating principal investigators can expect
- Participating HBHL labs will be introduced to some of Montreal's brightest neuroscience students in the early stages of their studies.
- PIs will be required to provide approximately 15 hours of work per week to their IMPRESS student and to meet with them on a regular basis (1 hour per week) throughout the eight-week program.
- Branches will remunerate the student and organize cultural and social activities.
What participating students can expect
- Each student will be provided with a $6,000 stipend for their participation in the program and contributions to HBHL labs.
- Students will be placed in a lab based on work needed and the student's interests.
- Students will be required to dedicate 20 hours per week to IMPRESS.
- 15 hours will be spent in the lab.
- 5 hours will be spent attending workshops and social and cultural activities organized by Branches.
- Mentors will ensure that their assigned students have a positive social experience, making sure trainees feel connected with their colleagues and are treated fairly and with respect.
- Students will finish this summer program with hands-on experience working in labs, connections with McGill PIs, graduate and postdoctoral students, training across various relevant skills and greater familiarity with neuroscience at McGill.
HBHL hopes that students leave this program feeling empowered and with the tools they need to continue their academic interests and pursue graduate studies in neuroscience.
