The Researcher Development Program (RDP) seeks to expand access to academic networks that dually support graduate students’ personal and professional well-being and scholarly development.

The RDP fulfills its mission by:

• Striving to create accessible, inclusive, and humanizing professional development spaces
• Promoting sustained, professionally enriching collaboration between faculty members and graduate students
• Providing research, writing, presentation, and publication opportunities aligned with participants’ academic and professional goals
• Promoting opportunities for faculty members to hone their mentorship skills.

RDP Call for Mentors: The UCEA Graduate Student Council (GSC), in conjunction with the AERA Leadership for School Improvement Special Interest Group (LSI SIG), is seeking mentors for the Researcher Development Program (RDP) 2025-26 cohort. The Researcher Development Program is an initiative aimed at providing graduate students with research-focused mentorship and networking opportunities with faculty members outside their institution. The deadline is October 15th! Sign up HERE.