Resources for Empowering Successful Mentoring Relationships
Nature's Guide for Mentors
Mentoring sometimes does not get the recognition it deserves. The Nature award for creative mentoring in science was created to acknowledge and celebrate mentoring. A good mentor early in your career can make all the difference, no matter your area of study or career path. The following article includes references for how important mentoring is, highlights satisfaction for being a good mentor, and expresses how second-generation mentors are learning from their own mentors. This is a great resource for both mentors and mentees.
Building a Relationship with a Mentee
Building an effective relationship of mutual understanding and trust with the mentee is a critical component of effective mentoring. Mentors can establish rapport with their mentees by using effective interpersonal communication skills, actively building trust, and maintaining confidentiality. This document contains information and advice to help mentors build rapport and create positive relationships with mentees so both parties can achieve the greatest benefit from the mentoring experience.
The National Research Mentoring Network implements and disseminates innovative, evidence-based best practices to improve mentoring relationships at institutions across the country. NRMN connects highly knowledgeable and skilled mentors with motivated and diverse mentees, ranging from undergraduate students to early-career faculty, and facilitate long-term, culturally responsive interactions between them. NRMN is committed to establishing a culture in which historically underrepresented mentees successfully progress in their careers and contribute to the biomedical research enterprise.
NRMN resources include mentor certification, professional development webinars, a social networking platform called MyNRMN, and facilitator certification through the Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER).
OITE has created workshops and other training activities to support extramural principal investigators (PIs) and staff as they manage and lead biomedical research groups. In this series, five units covering communication, resilience, inclusivity, conflict and feedback, and trainee wellbeing, will help PIs and staff support your biomedical trainees. Each unit will explore ways to manage common challenges in research groups by means of a webinar (to watch in real-time or via a recording) and facilitated small groups designed to build a community to improve training across the US. You are encouraged to attend the entire series, but each unit may be attended as a stand-alone. Workshops begin February 1st, 2022.
ISSA is here to support international students through their transition at IU Indianapolis. We focus on:
- Getting to know IU Indianapolis
- Becoming familiar with Indianapolis
- Adjusting to U.S. life and academics
- Setting and achieving success goals
- Meeting people and having FUN!
Questions? Email imentor@iu.edu.
The goal of the Graduate Emissaries for Student Diversity program is to connect trained IU Indianapolis graduate and professional students to serve as program ambassadors and assist in the various stages of the graduate process. A major function of emissaries is to provide for the interchange/exchange of information that facilitate progression and successful completion of their graduate student programs. Emissaries will serve as initial peer contacts for pre-application graduate and professional students and will also work to build a more inclusive graduate student community through formal and informal mentoring activities. Additionally, emissaries will assist in creating a welcoming campus environment, networking support, and providing information and referrals to on campus resources and services particularly for underrepresented and minority students.
The Office of Conflict Resolution and Dialogue Programs (CRDP) develops and coordinates personalized workshops, discussions, and programming designed to provide the knowledge, skills, and tools for individuals to work across differences. CRDP welcomes opportunities to collaborate with others to develop and provide such programming.
National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN) Webinars
Every facet of the United States scientific research enterprise—from basic laboratory research to clinical and translational research to policy formation–requires superior intellect, creativity and a wide range of skill sets and viewpoints. The National Institute of Health encourages institutions to diversify their student and faculty populations to enhance the participation of individuals from groups that are underrepresented in the biomedical, clinical, behavioral and social sciences. The following webinars support this mission:
Black Voices of Past and Present in STEMM
A Time for Healthy Change in STEMM for Black Scientists Through Allyship
The Impact of Mentoring in Technostress and John Henryism during the Continual Pandemic
Additional Mentor Training Courses
This self-directed course is designed to help faculty members (or other experienced researchers) optimize their mentoring relationships with graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and early-career faculty. The course predominantly addresses research mentoring that occurs within biomedical, behavioral, and social science fields. But, many of the principles and approaches covered in this course are applicable to other disciplines and other types of mentoring relationships.
Mentoring Graduate Students, Post Docs & Early Career Faculty
The NIH Office of Intermural Training and Education to offer a series of webinars and small group discussions on RAISING A RESILIENT SCIENTIST for faculty, staff scientists, and administrators who mentor students and postdoctoral fellows in the biomedical, behavioral, and social sciences. A variety of topics are covered with a specific focus on communication and shared problem-solving to help trainees deal with the inevitable setbacks experienced in high knowledge environments. The goal of the Raising a Resilient Scientist series is to promote the mental health and well-being of the academic research community by supporting faculty and administrators to develop self-management, relationship-management, and mentoring skills. There are five units and each unit will consist of a 75-minute lecture followed by a 1-hour facilitated discussion with peers.
See Workshops and Trainings for Extramural Faculty for registration and details.