The ways in which workshops and seminars can be used to promote the participation and advancement of women and minorities in the field of educational research are described, based on the activities of Project Growth, sponsored by The University of Alabama's Institute of Higher Education Research and Services (IHERS). The program has served predoctoral and postdoctoral participants who are in residence at IHERS, or who are either employed and/or attending graduate school. Among the project objectives are to provide mentors and role models who can advise participants about gaining access to essential communication channels in educational research, and to provide advice concerning specific research efforts. The following tactics have been implemented to achieve the project objectives: applicants are asked to explain their research interests, skills, and goals; a contract is developed between the project and the participant; the project emphasizes both professional skill development and human skill development; scholars are carefully matched with top level university administrators for practice interviews designed to give the scholars experience of presenting themselves to an administrator and to promote information exchange; events such as breakfast and lunch meetings/panels, and social hours are sponsored to encourage interaction among scholars, university faculty and administrators, IHERS staff, speakers, and advisory board members; scholars are provided special opportunities to talk about their research ideas in small groups, to present their proposals as members of a panel, and to give formal presentations of their research progress or findings as guest speakers; and the content of the workshops is established by themes that focus on both national and regional issues. (SW)