Robin Duncan standing/teaching/talking, student sitting at tables, working in groups

Mentoring in
Research
& Teaching

About

We at TLC know that mentoring takes many forms and occurs in many different contexts at our institution: faculty mentoring graduate and undergraduate students in research and teaching settings; postdoctoral scholars mentoring undergraduate and graduate students in the lab; graduate students mentoring undergraduate students, as well as their graduate student peers through student-led programs; faculty engaging in peer mentoring of early-career faculty; and more.

In order to support mentors and mentees alike in developing effective, equitable, and learning-focused mentorship relationships, we have developed guides, tools, and workshops drawing on a rich body of research from organizations such as the Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER) and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM).

Research Mentorship

Noori Chai and Nandini Bhattacharya smiling in front of a screen.

These resources support both mentors and mentees in cultivating productive and rewarding mentorship relationships that effectively address the mentee’s goals for scholarly and professional development.

Teaching Mentorship

Faculty and TLC staff, seated and standing, posed picture.

These resources support instructors with teaching mentorship, where instructors work with graduate student teaching assistants in teaching teams, and support student learning and development during office hours.

Peer Mentorship

Math grad students working together, active learning, seated at tables.

This resource supports peer mentorship relationships, such as when advanced graduate students serve as peer mentors to early-career graduate students.

Additional Resources

TLC Workshops & Programs

In addition to these web resources, the TLC offers various workshops and programs to support graduate students, postdocs, and faculty in their mentorship endeavors.

We offer departmental and program-level workshops for: faculty and graduate students who mentor trainees in research settings; instructors interested in developing effective teaching teams; and postdocs and graduate students participating in peer mentoring programs.

For a more in-depth exploration of equity-minded mentoring in research and teaching settings, we also offer multi-session programs for graduate students (during the regular academic year) and postdocs (during the summer).

On Mentoring First-Generation and Graduate Students of Color

By Marissa López

Founded in recent scholarship, this article provides both an overview of the current conversation and specific strategies that faculty can adopt in order to address priority areas in the professional development of first-generation and graduate students of color.

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University of Michigan Guide for Mentoring Graduate Students

This guide from the University of Michigan provides practical guidelines and tips for developing effective and professional mentorship relationships with graduate students, and offers perspectives on how to develop a departmental culture of mentorship and how to account for diversity and equity in mentor-mentee relationships.

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The Science of Effective Mentorship in STEMM – NASEM Resources

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) developed various resources to supplement their 2019 report on “The Science of Effective Mentorship,” including podcasts and an online interactive guide.

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Last modified: Aug 02, 2023