What's New

NIH Ombudsman to Present at the Institute for Clinical and Translational Science, University of Iowa

Dr. Howard Gadlin, Director of the NIH Office of the Ombudsman, and Dr. L. Michelle Bennett, Deputy Scientific Director of the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, will discuss the characteristics of successful research collaborations, as well as strategies that team leaders and participants can use to help build and sustain interdisciplinary teams. Drawing from research and first-hand experience, the session will examine barriers and challenges to successful collaboration and introduce ways to overcome them. For more information, please go to: http://research.uiowa.edu/team-science-building-successful-research-collaborations. Drs. Gadlin and Bennett have presented on their work exploring many facets of team science at institutions around the United States and the world.

NIH Office of the Ombudsman Seeks an Intern for 2013

The OO/CCR has an opening for one Intern from June through August, 2013. Exact start and end dates are negotiable. Under the direction of the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) Office of the Ombudsman/Center for Cooperative Resolution (OO/CCR), the Intern will have the opportunity to learn about the functions of an internal organizational ombudsman office. The Intern will focus on one major project and will observe and assist with individual consultation sessions; mediation processes; group facilitations; conflict resolution system development and assessment; conflict-related research; data collection; and trend identification based on aggregated data. The Intern will work with a mentor who will provide guidance throughout the internship and will also collaborate with all ombudsmen at OO/CCR. The position requires an individual to be either currently enrolled in or recently graduated from (less than one year) a graduate-level academic program in conflict or dispute resolution, legal studies with an emphasis on dispute resolution or mediation, or a closely related field. Applicants must submit a current resume and cover letter explaining his or her interest in working with the OO/CCR and in the organizational ombudsman field. The position will be unpaid. THE DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS IS MONDAY, JANUARY 7, 2013.

Applications and questions should be directed to Samantha Levine-Finley at levinesa@od.nih.gov.

Click here for the full announcement and further application instructions.

FAES Introduction to Negotiation Course

  • There are still a few spots open in the Fall 2012 FAES Introduction to Negotiation Course. You can find out more about the course and register by clicking here. Classes will be held on Tuesday evenings beginning September 11, 2012. The course will focus on understanding basic models of negotiation; planning for all phases of negotiation, including the anticipation of common barriers; communicating with, and relating to, the other participant(s) in the negotiation, including considerations of ethics and culture; evaluating your strengths and weaknesses as a negotiator and as a negotiating partner; and developing a plan for further learning and improvement.

    Strategic Negotiation Workshop

    • On November 30, 2011, the OO/CCR offered a one-day Negotiation workshop free of charge. This course provided participants with a portable tool kit of problem-solving techniques to use in a wide variety of workplace contexts-including interacting with colleagues, supervisors and clients, balancing competing needs, and addressing other potentially difficult issues.

    Team Science Manual Wins an NIH Plain Language Award

    • Collaboration & Team Science: A Field Guide, co-written by OO/CCR director Dr. Howard Gadlin, associate ombudsman Samantha Levine-Finley, and NHLBI deputy scientific director L. Michelle Bennett, has won a 2011 NIH Plain Language/Clear Communication Award. The three authors have conducted several presentations and workshops across NIH based on The Field Guide, which is designed to help researchers participate in, develop, and lead successful scientific collaborations. The Field Guide has also been shared with scientific research institutions around the United States. The Plain Language awards recognize communications and documents that are clear, correct, and easy to understand and do not 'dumb down' information or use unnecessary jargon or language. For more information on the award, please go to http://www.nih.gov/clearcommunication/plainlanguage.htm.To download a copy of the Field Guide, as well as other useful materials for scientific collaborators, please go to teamscience.nih.gov.

    NIH Presentations

    November 2011

     

    Members of the OO/CCR presented at the Tenth Annual Conference of the Coalition of Federal Ombudsmen on November 16, 2011 in Washington, DC.

    • Development of the Federal Ombuds: Where Are We/Where Are We Going?, presented by Howard Gadlin, ombudsman.
    • "Workshop with Harvard: How to Evaluate an Ombudsman's Office," presented by Lisa Witzler, associate ombudsman.

     

    May 2011

     

    • Adventures in Collaboration and Team Science: How to Succeed as a PI, presented by Samantha Levine-Finley, associate ombudsman, and L. Michelle Bennett, deputy scientific director of NHLBI, on successful strategies and tools for scientific collaboration.

     

    Educational Outreach and Development

    May 2011

     

    • OITE Orientation for Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Fellows, Lisa Witzler, associate ombudsman, represented the OO/CCR and conversed with students and fellows about the NIH Office of the Ombudsman and the role of the NIH ombudsmen.
    • Building Successful Research Teams: Preventing and Managing Conflict, a workshop presented by Dr. Howard Gadlin, director of OO/CCR, at the University of Minnesota.

     

    April 2011

     

    • Wired for Empathy: Understanding Human Connection, Trust and Effective Decision Making,a workshop that explored the interrelationship between neurotransmitters, trust, and decisionmaking, attended by Kathleen Moore, associate ombudsman. Los Angeles, CA.
    • When Women Talk: Mediating Disputes among Women, an interactive session exploring observations made while working with all-female groups in conflict, as well as a survey of theoretical and biological bases for some of the observations discussed. This workshop was presented by Howard Gadlin, NIH ombudsman, OO/CCR director, and Samantha Levine-Finley, associate ombudsman. International Ombudsman Association Annual Conference: Portland, OR.
    • Invisible Preference: The Challenge of Mediator Neutrality, an interactive workshop exploring the role of unconscious preference in conflict resolution and the implicit bias research of Mahzarin Banaji, presented by Linda Brothers, associate ombudsman. International Ombudsman Association Annual Conference: Portland, OR.
    • Adding Value: How Do Ombudsmen Across Sectors Collect, Use and Report Data?a panel exploring and comparing confidential data collection methodologies in use by a broad spectrum of ombudsmen offices, facilitated by Lisa Witzler, associate ombudsman. International Ombudsman Association Annual Conference: Portland, OR.