Training and Mentorship

Broadway Bridge; Portland, Oregon; Photo by Elena Kuchko on Unsplash

Mentor

noun: an experienced and trusted advisor

verb: to advise or train

2022 - Excellence in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) Mentoring
National Institutes of Health; Sole awardee in Oregon for 2022

Getting Started

It can be overwhelming to start with a new mentor, especially when you're new to research. Every one is busy, so how do you make the most of your training?

Step 1) Ask questions. Make this a habit. In the lab. In science. In life. You can keep a running list so you don't forget.

Step 2) Get oriented. Look to others who have walked the path. Read the articles below for getting a sense of what to expect and common mentoring pitfalls and opportunities. Together, we'll craft a personalized training plan for you.

Article illustration by Robert Neubecker, via Science

Goodwin's "My lessons in mentorship"

Reflections from a scientist as they learned to mentor students.


Goodwin SJ. (2017, Jun 23). My lessons in mentorship. Science, 356(6344), 1302. Access article via Science.

Making the most of mentors: a guide for mentees

Mentoring from an academic perspective. This article has checklists that may be applicable for you. Your mentoring relationship and training goals will be unique. This puts some of those puzzle pieces into perspective.


Zerzan JT, Hess R, Schur E, Phillips RS, Rigotti N. Making the most of mentors: a guide for mentees. Academic Medicine. 2009 Jan 1;84(1):140-4. Access via Academic Medicine
Photo by JJ Ying on Unsplash

Expand your mentoring network using peers

Academic and research mentorship are not the whole story. Don't forget about including peers in your mentoring network. Especially those going through something similar, like BUILD EXITO or your graduate program.


Kuhn C, Castaño Z. (2016). Boosting the career development of postdocs with a peer-to-peer mentor circles program. Nature Biotechnology, 34(7), 781-3. Article via Nature

Remember, mentors are learning, too. For transparency around the mentoring process, here are some of the training materials we use

Finding a Project

We have many projects in the lab (and more not on the list). Start by getting a sense of the focus areas that interest you, both in and out of the lab. You may think of it as:

  • a research topic you want to learn more about

  • a research skill that you want to develop

  • a type of problem that you want to solve

  • an audience with whom you'd like to work

We'll talk about what is interesting to you and match a lab project to your interests. This will be a starting place. It likely won't be your only project in the lab (see Team bios), but is a place to start your training. We can always adjust, so look at each project from a growth perspective. For example, if a project doesn't resonate with you, think about why. Learning about what you don't like is as important as learning what you do like. Your trajectory likely won't be straight. Most aren't. Follow your interests and think critically about what training you need to get to where you want to go.

Research training in our lab aims to help you find your interests so you have a better sense of what you want for your next steps.

Creating an Individual Development Plan (IDP) for your Research Training

Your research training is just one component of your overall professional development. Think about the type of training you want for the problems you want to solve. Follow your interests. What is the next step?

Examples via:

Photo by Fabian Gieske on Unsplash

Developing a Mentoring Compact

An agreement of goals between mentor-mentee during the training process. These serve as ways of communicating training goals and expectations to each other.

Examples via:

  • University of Wisconsin (multiple examples)

  • University of Guam (via the amazing Dr. Andrea Blas)

  • EXITO Mentor-Mentee Agreement (via Clackamas)

In the Lab

Your training plan will include:

  • Readings - how to search the scientific literature and manage citations

  • Ethics - research ethics around the inclusion of human subjects

  • Data - Data collection and analysis approaches (varies based on your project in the lab)

  • Sharing - Presenting your research findings to others (presentations, posters, manuscripts, creative publications)

  • Professional Development - In the lab, you'll work on your curriculum vitae (CV), which documents your accrued skills and accomplishments (in the lab and beyond)

Leveling Up

You've been in the lab and are writing up your work. That too, can feel overwhelming.

Below are a few resources that can de-mystify the process from a mentoring perspective.

Ways to Level Up

  • Present at a conference - give a talk or poster presentation

  • Publish! - Scientific journal articles are most common, but our work does a lot of creative publications, like teaching materials and websites.

Mentoring Research Writers

Here are some tips for getting the most out of your mentors as you begin writing.

Hughes, B. Mentoring Research Writers. In: Pfund, C., Branchaw, J. and Handelsman, J. (2015). Entering Mentoring 2nd Edition. New York, NY: W.H. Freeman & Co.; Pfund C. and Handelsman J., eds. Entering Mentoring Series Access PDF via American Psychological Society.
https://youtu.be/1RwJbhkCA58

Learn about #betterposter

Learn more about #betterposter from an article in Inside Higher Education. Or go straight to the video (19:31m). A very realistic portrayal of what poster sessions are like.


Flaherty, C. (2019, June 24). #betterposter. Inside Higher Education. Accessed January 4, 2021 from https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2019/06/24/theres-movement-better-scientific-posters-are-they-really-better.
https://youtu.be/SYk29tnxASs

Better Poster, Version 2

Convinced? Now learn more about the science behind user experience design and more research behind the #BetterPoster approach (20:53m)

Better Poster template: https://osf.io/ef53g/

Your Professional Self

Only you know the path that is right for you. In the lab, you'll develop your professional skills.

  • Career Toolkit - Check out this amazing career toolkit from UCLA, which has all sorts of things to help you think about next steps (2019 edition; PDF)

  • About Curriculum Vitae (CV) - A guide for getting started (see document developed by EXITO's Aaron Raz Link)


Remember, mentorship isn't from one place, think about:

  • Academic Advising and Mentorship - who knows the classes you might need for your degree?

  • Career Mentorship - who is on the career paths that you're eyeing. Look to grad students and younger career professionals who know the path recently. They can complement the perspectives given by mentors more established in the field.

  • Peer Mentorship - People in your training program, grad school, and those who understand what you're going through. They're amazing. (Looking at you, fellow neuro alums and friends from University of Arizona, circa 2000-2004)

  • Supportive family and friends - They may not know the science, but they know you. They'll help to make all the highs and lows in science more enjoyable.

CV overview.docx

Raz Link, A. (2020). A guide to starting your CV. EXITO Enrichment, Portland State University.

What do you want to learn? Let's do it together.