| ISBER Mentoring Program |
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ISBER is a global biobanking organization that creates opportunities for networking, education, and innovation. The organization provides a community for harmonizing approaches to emerging challenges in repositories, as well as fostering ideas to create new solutions. ISBER’s Mentoring program is an educational service to support members’ professional development of their biobanks. It consists of a matching service to facilitate mentoring relationships between mentees’ questions and experienced mentors in the field
of biobanking. Mentees ask their specific or general To access the Mentoring Program:
What is the ISBER Mentoring Program? ISBER’s Mentoring program is a service to support members’ professional development of their biobanks. It consists of a matching service to facilitate mentoring relationships between mentees’ questions and experienced mentors in the field of biobanking. Mentees ask their specific or general questions through service, and a mentor is matched to help answer those questions. Is there a fee associated with the program? The ISBER mentoring program is a benefit of membership and is available to paid ISBER members as part of their annual membership fee. How are the mentees and mentors matched? ISBER members enroll in the program as a mentor or mentee (with a question) or can register to be both. While filling out the online enrollment form, members will select preferences for various demographics (expertise in biobanking, preferred language, etc.) to establish their mentor program profile. Mentors can register to be placed on the ISBER mentor resource database by their stated to facilitate the matching process. Once a match has been made for a mentee, they will have the responsibility to email the mentor directly to initiate the mentorship. The mentee can accept or decline the match. How long will the mentorship match last? It is envisioned that the mentoring match will last 1-3 months, to allow the mentor and mentee to How do I become a mentor? If you are an ISBER member, you may enroll here. You will be instructed to answer questions about Who are the mentees? Mentees can be ISBER members that may be newer in the field and seek guidance or general advice about areas of biobanking. Can I have more than one mentee? Mentors can accept more than one mentee request (no limit), although it is recommended to be judicious with the number that you accept for any period of time. You can limit the number of mentee requests you are willing to accept on the mentor enrollment page here. How will I know if I have been selected as a mentor? Once you have been matched to a Mentee, you will receive an email noting your Mentee name and that the Mentee is requested to contact you within 1 week of notification of the match. The Mentor should respond within 2 weeks of the Mentee’s email. Is it okay to reject a match? If ISBER has misinterpreted information in your profile in the matching process, you may find the individualto be an inappropriate match. Please update your profile to avoid any additional mismatches. What if I’m going to be on vacation or unavailable for a period of time? It is your responsibility to communicate your availability to any Mentees that contact you. How do I end a mentoring relationship? If the Mentee’s questions are answered and the mentoring relationship is complete, we will ask for the feedback formto be completed by the Mentor and recommend that any resource documents that were provided to the Mentee be shared to the ISBER Mentoring Program's Resource Library. This Resource library will become a tool for all ISBER members seeking resource information. If the mentoring relationship isn't working out, email ISBER, to discuss your mentor experience. The program will note the disconnect and support your ending of the relationship. What are the expectations for participating Mentors? We expect that you will fulfill your commitment to develop at least one mentoring relationship. We expect you to respond to initial requests from Mentees in a timely manner (within a week), and that you communicate with your Mentee(s) as agreed upon by both parties. How much time will I need to invest as a Mentor? We recommend that you and your Mentee(s) agree on a schedule that works best for everyone. The most important thing is to discuss your mutual expectations about time and communication at the start of your relationship. Keep in mind that mentoring doesn’t necessarily require large amounts of your time. Even brief phone calls or e-mail exchanges can be used to answer the Mentee’s question(s). The annual conference also provides a convenient venue for connecting with your Mentee(s). If the discussion leads to more questions that are out of scope of your expertise, please recommend that the Mentee submit an additional request form here. What benefits do I receive from the organization if I participate as a Mentor in the program? All Mentors are volunteers. As an active program participant, you will receive a ribbon identifying you as a Mentor on your ISBER profile.You will also be recognized at the ISBER Annual Meeting. Legal Disclaimer: ISBER mentors and mentees that participate in the ISBER Mentoring Program waive their rights to any legal responsibilities for the advice provided. Terms must be accepted on the enrollment forms before acceptance into the Program. What is the ISBER Mentoring Program? ISBER’s Mentoring program is a service to support members’ professional development of their biobanks. It consists of a matching service to facilitate mentoring relationships between mentees’ questions and experienced mentors in the field of biobanking. Mentees ask their specific or general questions through service, and a mentor is matched to help answer those questions. Is there a fee associated with the program? The ISBER mentoring program is a benefit of membership and is available to paid ISBER members as part of their annual membership fee. How are the mentees and mentors matched? ISBER members enroll in the program as a mentor or mentee (with a question) or can register to be both. While filling out the online enrollment form, members will select preferences for various demographics (expertise in biobanking, preferred language, etc.) to establish their mentor program profile. Mentors can register to be placed on the ISBER mentor resource database by their stated Mentees can register for the program and include their area of biobanking question(s) to a mentor, How long will the mentorship match last? It is envisioned that the mentoring match will last 1-3 months, to allow the mentor and mentee to How do I become a Mentee? If you are an ISBER member, you may enroll here. You will be instructed to answer questions about your years of experience and various demographics to complete your profile. If you are not an active ISBER Member, you can JOIN HERE.Who are the Mentors? Mentors are experienced ISBER members who have volunteered to provide advice to others in the biobanking community. Can I have more than one Mentor? While there is no limit to the number of mentoring relationships you can establish, we will match one Mentor for each question a Mentee registers in the Mentoring program enrollment form. Please keep in mind that Mentors have limited time to offer and may have other Mentoring relationships. How do I find a Mentor? Once you have enrolled as a Mentee, your profile will go into the matching process. The Mentee and Mentor will receive an email notifying them of a match. The Mentee will be responsible for contacting the Mentor within a week and the Mentor should respond within two weeks to initiate the mentoring. What should I do if I don’t hear from the Mentor I requested? If you don’t hear from the Mentor within one or two weeks, feel free to contact them again using the contact information provided. What if the Mentor isn’t the right “fit” for my needs? Sometimes, regardless of the information provided, Mentors and Mentees don’t always "fit." If this happens, we suggest that you discuss your decision honestly and kindly with your Mentor; thank them for their time and send a message to ISBER, to note the end of your mentoring match. The program will note the disconnect and support your ending of the relationship. Mentees should submit a revised request form here. Where can I meet with my Mentor? It is up to you and your Mentor to decide how, when and where you want to pursue your mentoring relationship. It is likely that most of your communication will occur by phone, e-mail or other digital platform. The annual conference offers a great opportunity to meet in person. How long does the mentoring relationship last? We recommend that you and your Mentor agree on a schedule that works best for both of you. It is expected that the relationship will last 1-3 months to discuss and answer the Mentee’s questions. The most important thing is to discuss your mutual expectations about time and communication at the start of your relationship. If the Mentee’s questions are answered and the mentoring relationship is complete, we will ask for the feedback form to be completed by both the mentor and the mentee. Legal Disclaimer: ISBER mentors and mentees that participate in the ISBER Mentoring Program waive their rights to any legal responsibilities for the advice provided. Terms must be accepted on the enrollment forms before acceptance into the Program. Websites: International Standards Organization (ISO) 20387:2018 and Implementation Guide College of American Pathologists (Biorepository Accreditation Program)
Selected ISBER Tools: ISBER Best Practices: Recommendations for Repositories, 5th edition The ISBER Best Practices: Recommendations for Repositories Fifth Edition presents the most effective practices for the management of biological and environmental specimen collections and repositories. These are either evidence-based or consensus-based practices for collection, long-term storage, retrieval and distribution of specimens. They promote the availability of high-quality biological and environmental specimens for future research. Essentials of Biobanking Course This Essentials of Biobanking Course is provided by the Canadian Tissue Repository Network with endorsement from ISBER. It is designed to help biobankers gain knowledge required for operating and managing biobanks providing key elements in planning, establishing, maintaining and accessing a successful biobank. The course has received input from international biobanking experts and is applicable to all biobanking. The on-line, self-paced course uses the latest edition of the ISBER Best Practices to serve as the tenets for the curriculum while references to the ISO:20387:2018 standard have been incorporated. Biorepository Proficiency Testing Program Endorsed by ISBER, IBBL’s Biospecimen Proficiency Testing program is an external quality assessment (EQA) tool that can be used to verify the precision and accuracy of biospecimen testing methods, as well as the efficiency of processing methods. At the end of the program, each participant will receive a performance report, a certificate of participation, and a label of participation. The ISBER Biobank Assessment Tool (BAT) supports the evaluation of how well a repository is aligned to the ISBER Best Practices: Recommendations for Repositories, 5th edition . The assessment is aimed at identification of areas in need of improvement. By addressing these gaps, a repository can strengthen its practices. Developed by the ISBER Education & Training Committee, the tool contains 152 questions which may be answered in a single or multiple sessions. Each page of the survey corresponds to a section of the ISBER Best Practices: Recommendations for Repositories, 5th edition. Upon completion of the BAT, repository personalized and confidential results will be delivered. These include a Risk-Balanced Assessment Score that will help to indicate how well the repository current practices conform to the ISBER Best Practices. Qualification in Biorepository Science (QBRS) Qualified biorepository professionals are essential to the high-quality results required for the advancement of biomedicine and biospecimen-based science. Given the global growth of the field of biobanking, there is an
increasing demand for related education and professional standards. This qualification program for biobankers is designed to enable recognition of the competence of individuals in technical areas in the field of biological
and environmental biobanking. |