Frequently Asked Questions

ORISE Connections FAQ

Q. What is ORISE Connections?

ORISE Connections is an exclusive community of current and alumni participant peers, mentors, and STEM professionals which:

• Connects you to a network of ORISE peers, mentors, and STEM professionals 
• Encourages global, multi-disciplinary collaboration 
• Engages and guides you in an exploration of STEM, policy, and technical support opportunities, research, and ideas
• Informs with access to personal and professional development resources, newsletters, events, and more
• Introduces you to STEM news and career resources across DOE and sponsoring federal agencies
• Offers events specifically designed to enhance your STEM career path and share your experiences within the community
   

Registration and Eligibility

Q. Who is eligible to join ORISE Connections?

We will launch in Summer 2022 to pilot groups of current ORISE participants, recent alumni, and mentors and will expand to the full ORISE community in the near future. You will receive an invitation to join via e-mail as the platform opens and/or will be able to access the platform via your Zintellect.com dashboard. All current and former ORISE participants, mentors, program sponsors/staff/leadership, and ORISE staff can join the community once it is live. 

Q. How do I register and join ORISE Connections?

Once open for registration, you can begin the process by visiting the Zintellect.com dashboard at www.zintellect.com, logging into your Zintellect account or registering for a Zintellect account, and then accessing the ORISE Connections Sign-Up/Registration link to begin registration. Once your registration is approved in the ORISE Connections system, you will return to your Zintellect dashboard to sign-in and begin/continue using the platform. 

Q. How long does it take for registration approval?

Once registration is open to the full ORISE community, requests may be automatically approved for verified current or past ORISE participants/mentors. Manual approvals may take up to 14 days and/or require additional information. 

Q. Once approved, how would I know that I could start using ORISE Connections?

You will receive a "Welcome" e-mail upon approval. After you receive it, log on, update your profile, and begin taking advantage of all the community has to offer. If we need more information to process your registration, you will receive an e-mail from oriseconnections@orau.org. We cannot wait to see how you #ExperienceORISE!

Profile and Directory

Q. Do I have to complete the profile?

Yes, you must create a profile to be a member of the ORISE Connections community platform. Required items are clearly marked and you can choose to share and make viewable to other Users the information marked as optional. However, by limiting, the information you share you will also limit the overall value of the connections and networking opportunities that will be available to you and the community. ORISE Connection administrators can see your personal information. More information about how your data is used can be found in the ORISE Connections Privacy Policy, and the Terms and Conditions on this site. 

Q. Where does my profile appear?

Your profile appears in the Directory section of ORISE Connections, which is only visible to or searchable by other verified ORISE Connections members, and authorized ORAU personnel. 

Q. How do I find and/or contact another ORISE Connections member directly?

Go to the Directory section and enter in a name or location or use the Advanced Search to add and apply applicable filters such as university, field of study, STEM field, ORISE agency, current or previous employer, etc. 

Once you identify a User that you would like to contact, click on their profile. If the contact information is not listed, that User has chosen to engage only within groups and not in individual contact. If an e-mail address is listed, you may e-mail the User directly to introduce yourself. Remember to use professional courtesy when initiating contact and explain the nature of your request as a fellow ORISE Connections member. Be understanding if replies are not immediate and remember that you may be able to start a conversation in a group post to obtain additional viewpoints or advice. 

Q. How can I opt-in or opt-out of communications from ORISE Connections? 

During registration, you will be required to provide an e-mail address that will be visible by default to your fellow community members. 

You can withdraw your consent for visibility of your e-mail address in your Profile after your account is complete by clicking on your Profile Avatar in the upper right corner, selecting User Settings, and then turning the option to “Share to Profile” to OFF. This will remove your e-mail which is the only contact information shown to Users in your profile and can be returned to ON status at any time by you. This will not remove visibility for ORISE admins regarding your e-mail address. 

Q. How can I opt out of communication from an ORISE Connections admin?

During registration you may choose to unselect the box that reads “ You can contact me about: I will receive e-mail communications from ORISE Connections (opting out only removes me from communications directly from ORISE Connections and does not impact communication regarding my appointment, participant information, resources, events, or added development opportunities, or from other ORISE or ORAU platforms).”  

Q. How will my personal information be collected, used, and disclosed by ORISE Connections? 

Any personal information you submit that is designated by ORISE Connections as being accessible through the Directory of Users will be available to authorized ORAU personnel and to other registered ORISE Connections Users and may be used by them to provide service to you as an ORISE participant or contact you for any purpose not specifically prohibited by the Terms, including use for any networking, social and business-related purpose. 

ORAU will not rent or sell your personally identifiable information to third parties for marketing purposes; ORAU will not share your contact information with another User without your consent; and any personally identifiable information that you provide will be secured with industry standard protocols and technology. 

Refer to the ORISE Connections Privacy Policy and/or Terms and Conditions for details.

Q. If I no longer wish to participate in ORISE Connections, whom do I contact?

If you no longer wish to participate in ORISE Connections, you may contact oriseconnections@orau.org to request that your profile on this website be deemed inactive. Even if your profile data is deemed inactive, ORAU may retain your profile data in accordance with applicable law. ORAU will use reasonable efforts to notify you by e-mail before deleting your profile. If your profile is deleted, other data and information that you have included on the Website (such as posts) may still remain on the Website and be visible to other Users. 

Home, Activity Feed, Events, and Groups

Q. How do I select what I will see in the Activity Feed on the Home Page?

You can choose the “Displaying” filter to show all or select what you choose to see, including options for stories from new or returning members, feeds from different federal agencies, ORISE, groups, or articles posted about a variety of STEM topics.

Q. What should I do first?

Introduce yourself to the group using the “Tell us your story” option which appears as one of the feeds on the main portal page. Then be sure to regularly check for new stories to like, comment, and engage with other members of the ORISE Community!

Check out new members as they join, save those that you may want to connect with later, or send them an e-mail to say hello. And be sure to keep an eye on the latest tweets from DOE, ORISE, and other ORISE federal agency partners. 

Q. How can I “join the conversation” and get started in the “Groups” feature?

All members of the Community are automatically enrolled in the ORISE Community group. Here is where you will go to regularly create posts, ask questions, start discussions, or just say “hi” to all members of the site. You may also be automatically assigned to groups based on your status as a Participant, Alumni, or Mentor and you can enter those Groups from the icon on top right. 

You will also see additional groups that you can choose to join or leave at any time on the Groups page – note that they are not just for Alumni but are open to all within the ORISE Community. We have a few started – such as “Ask A Mentor”, “Member Accomplishments and Honors”, “Peer Review”, “STEM/Federal Career Opportunities”, and STEM NEWS Now”, but are planning to add more soon. Watch these pages for specific posts, discussions, collaborations, questions, and resources that are of interest to those group members.

Have an idea for a group? Want to be a group leader? Reach out to us at oriseconnections@orau.org and tell us more about your ideas and/or what would be of interest to you!

Q. What if I have a career opportunity to list?

We encourage all of our federal partners to share their opportunities in the STEM/Federal Career Opportunities Group. You can also send resources to oriseconnections@orau.org and we will add them to our resources list. Members may also post other career information within the group if of interest to Users. 

Q. Can I attend the events listed?

Yes and we hope you do! Most events will be open to all in the ORISE Community. Watch the description for details on registration or the link to attend.

Have an event you would like to share? Send it to oriseconnections@orau.org and we will discuss whether to share it as a post (best option) or add as a separate event (must be applicable to all Users).  

Q. If I have a question, how can I contact ORISE Connections?

Please contact us at any time by using the Contact Us option on the site or by e-mailing the admins at oriseconnections@orau.org. Someone will respond to you as soon as possible.