Overview
From June 24-26, 2009, New Connections hosted its Third Annual Symposium at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) in Princeton, NJ. New Connections aims to create a network of support for diverse researchers, consultants, and scholars. Through a competitive application process, over 100 diverse researchers were selected to participate in the training, mentoring, and networking event. Applicants who were not accepted were able to use social media to watch (and Tweet about) Symposium sessions and view photographs from the event. The Symposium was designed to increase the visibility and enhance the skill set of New Connections grantees and network members. New Connections was honored to have the support of Professor of Medicine at the University of Chicago, Dr. Marshall Chin, as our Symposium Chair. 

Meeting Highlights and Activities
The New Connections Third Annual Symposium began on Wednesday, June 24, 2009 with a grantee-only meeting for current grantees and alumni of the New Connection program. This meeting was an opportunity for grantees and alumni across cohorts to meet one another, meet RWJF staff, and engage with New Connections program staff. Later that evening, an Opening Reception for the Symposium was held at the Princeton Marriot at Forrestal Village for New Connections grantees, alumni, and Symposium participants.

On Thursday, June 25th the Symposium began with a welcome address from Debra Perez. A plenary address from Michael Nettles, Ph.D., followed. After Q&A sessions with Team Directors at RWJF, scientific sessions on Missing Data and Social Network Theory and Analysis were held. New Connections grantees presented findings from their projects as well.

On Thursday evening, a reception was held concurrently with a "Speed Mentoring" session where participants were able to network with over 20 experts in the field of health and health care research including many RWJF staff members. Each "Speed Mentoring" session lasted 15 minutes and participants had access to two to three sessions. A dinner and awards ceremony followed the reception and Speed Mentoring event with a keynote address from RWJF President and CEO, Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, MD, MBA.

The closing day of the Symposium was Friday, June 26, 2009. The day began with a Funders panel with representatives from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, NIDA, and the Association of Black Foundation Executives. Scientific sessions held later that morning covered Hierarchical Linear Modeling, Qualitative Analysis, and Community-Based Participatory Research. During a Mock Review Panel, New Connections grantees presented funding proposals and received feedback in the form of a mock review from senior scholars and researchers.

The New Connections Third Annual Symposium was a tremendous success for participants, presenters, and New Connections program staff! Please see below to view a slide show of the Symposium.