RLC = Research Learning Community a.k.a. your research placement with DREAM

While Trainees are in research placements, DREAM is here to help you navigate this new experience. As such, our RLC Team is available to assist you with integrating into the RLC, understanding the research environment, building relationships with your research team, navigating your time in the RLC, and offboarding when you complete the program. 

Please reach out to Shandee Dixon if you have any questions, need advice, or are having any issues in your RLC. Many of our Trainees have worked with the RLC team to resolve questions, concerns, and challenges. Some common reasons are 

• Not getting enough hours or being asked to do the same tasks or doing an excess of remote work. Boll of these may impact your ability to have a meaningful research experience and meet DREAM requirements/goals. 

• Balancing your research, academics, and other commitments - especially when you are super excited about your research and/or there is a lot of work in the RLC

• Needing advice on how to navigate conversations and challenges with your RLC. We are happy to provide advice, meet with you and your RLC, or check in with the RLC. It just depends on the support you want*. Just let us know!  

• Getting assistance with more training and skill building. 

• And more!

DREAM is dedicated to providing Trainees with a rewarding and positive research experience. To help with this mission we partner with RLCs at PSU and OHSU that must meet workplace standards. 

Sometimes issues may arise with your RLC that are challenging to address on your own. Luckily the CIMR RLC Team is here to help!! You do not need to feel alone if issues or challenges arise in or around your RLC. If Trainees are having negative experiences in their RLC, DREAM will work with the Trainee to resolve the situation or re-match (as appropriate) in order to facilitate positive research experiences. 

PSU and OHSU have reporting systems in place and CIMR is happy to help Trainees navigate these systems. 

*Please note, CIMR has a personality to our Trainees, RLCs, PSU, and the programs' funders. As such, there may be times we need to reach out to your RLC without checking with you. 

Required hours are listed below. It is your responsibility to work with your RLC to determine your schedule for each term since Trainee and RLC hours availability may change each term. We encourage Trainees to create their schedule before the term starts. 

We also provide guidelines for how many hours you may work in a week. This helps Trainees conceptualize and plan for adding research to their already busy schedules. However, research work fluctuates and Trainees may need to take time off for midterms/finals, vacations, etc. That is why the requirement is tied to the term. 

Weekly guideline hours are the number of hours required for the term divided by the number of weeks in the term. 

CIMR does not require Trainees to work on university holidays and/or closures. Take care of yourself and let us know if you need support 

Please inform your RLC of any times you know you will be unavailable. Very Important! Please let them know before your time off. 

You may work with your RLC to request that extra hours are rolled over into the next term (terminology: Rollover Request) 

• There are NO “rollover” hours without prior approval from your program.

• Trainees can rollover excess hours (any hours over the required 100) from one term to another in Program Year 2 (ex: 120 hours completed in Fall and the Scholar wants the extra 20 hours applied to Winter)

• If you anticipate having an excess of RLC hours in one term and insufficient hours in the following term in the same academic year, submit a Request to Rollover RLC Hours to SSC for consideration. You can also submit a rollover request just in case. 

• The request must be made in partnership with your Research Mentor. Forms submitted without your Research Mentor’s signature will not be accepted or considered. Additionally, signatures from RLC Staff other than your Research Mentor will not be accepted or considered.

• Excess hours from the Academic Year (fall, winter, spring) cannot be applied to Summer Immersion or the following Academic Year.

• Excess Summer Induction RLC hours cannot be applied to the following Academic Year.

• Maximum Rollover Hours: 50 (Requests for more than 50 hours will be denied without consideration)