National Institutes Of Health

Study of 900 NIH K-award scientists finds success tied to multiple mentors

A preprint analyzing nearly 900 recipients of NIH K career-development awards found that successful early-career researchers typically had a median of three mentors, with some reporting as many as 15. These mentors served distinct functions: research mentors mainly helped with publications and grant writing, while other mentors provided professional introductions, skill-building, or emotional support.

nature.com · 2026-09-11

Survey finds most U.S. adults struggle with basic statistics and p-values

A nationwide survey of 1,000 Americans presented at the 2025 Joint Statistical Meetings found that a quarter of respondents reported no understanding of statistics, while 37% said their familiarity was limited. Only about a quarter said they had learned some statistics in school, yet nine in ten said they would rely on statistics more often if they understood the concepts better.

psu.edu · 2026-08-26