Effective Mentoring Toolkit
Effective mentoring improves the learning, performance, and professional growth experience for everyone, by clarifying expectations and opportunities. First generation academics—from all backgrounds—may benefit most from good mentoring, but researchers instituting these practices have also seen better relationships and productivity for all their trainees.
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Training & Professional Development
- The Entering Mentoring curriculum, developed by The Wisconsin Program For Scientific Teaching, is available free, from the web site of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute or as a printed book.
- Entering Mentoring. Pfund, C., J.L Branchaw, and J. Handelsman. 2014. W.H. Freeman Publishers, New York, NY, USA.
- Building National Capacity for Research Mentor Training: An Evidence-Based Approach to Training the Trainers. Pfund, C., KC Spencer, P Asquith, SC House, S Miller, and CA Sorkness. 2015.CBE Life Sciences Education, 14(2), ar24.
- A companion guide, Entering Research, tackles related issues from a student’s perspective.
LTER Entering Mentoring Workshops
The Entering Mentoring program is an evidence-based mentoring approach specifically tailored to STEMM researchers. Entering Mentoring runs programs for LTER researchers each year.
LTER Mentoring Community of Practice
Join mentors from across the LTER network to discuss and find support around the challenges that inevitably arise during mentoring. These generally run from May to September each year.
Documentation & Plans
Mentoring Plans Template from NSF
Mentor mapping exercise from ADVANCEGeo
Mentoring Programs and Organizations
#EEBMentorMatch links students with mentors to advise them on applications for NSF Graduate Research Fellowships and Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellowships.
The Earth Science Women’s Network (ESWN) is an international peer-mentoring network of women in the Earth Sciences, many of whom are in the early stages of their careers. They promote career development, build community, provide opportunities for informal mentoring and support, and facilitate professional collaborations.
Reading List
- Step up to Leadership for Mid-Career Growth. This article from the Nature Careers section provides some hard-earned advice for mid-career scientists with big aspirations.
- Culturally Aware Mentorship with Dr. Sherilynn Black and Dr. Angela Byars-Winston (VIDEO)
- Pathways to Science is an online manual for mentoring (and being mentored) at all career levels.
