Mentorship

Mentoring plays a central role in learning how to become a scientist. It offers trainees—such as students, postdoctoral fellows, and early-career scholars—valuable guidance from experienced researchers on conducting sound research and developing a successful career. A mentor may be a thesis advisor or a senior researcher without formal advising duties. Role modeling and leadership are also important in helping trainees understand and practice responsible research conduct. Effective mentors can help trainees navigate research regulations, institutional policies, and accepted standards of ethical research behavior.

The mentor-trainee relationship also depends on active participation from both sides. Trainees are expected to respect their mentors’ time and resources by approaching assigned work with care and responsibility. They must also follow research protocols and honor agreements related to authorship and intellectual property.

Early communication is essential for establishing standard operating procedures, such as how data are collected and interpreted. It also helps set clear expectations around time commitments to lab work or projects, as well as deadlines and deliverables. Because mentors typically hold more experience, knowledge, and authority, the relationship often involves a power imbalance that can feel uncomfortable or uncertain for new trainees. Mentors should aim to guide trainees toward becoming independent researchers who contribute meaningfully to their field and are prepared to mentor future generations.

A healthy and supportive environment is one where everyone feels respected, has access to resources and information to be successful, and is empowered to speak up and play an active role in their career development without shame or fear of retaliation. A mentor does not just demonstrate how research is to be conducted, but must embody the role of manager, mediator, and at times, therapist. Understanding how to address these challenges can alleviate a myriad of issues within mentor-mentee relationship. Mentors and mentees may consider education and training when approaching relationships.

Compass is an NIH (grant R25GM143346) funded program run by the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri. The program is split into two tracks- one for post docs and one for junior faculty. Through experiential learning, this program teaches mentors learn how to lead and manage, practice communication skills, and engage in collaborative approaches to problem solving. These types of training improve the skills needed to manage the day-to-day operations to conducting research.

To assist mentors in their roles, frameworks such as Leading the People and Leading the Work (McIntosh, Sanders & Antes, 2020) can be effective tools for success.

Leading the People

Practices	Example Behaviors
Build relationships	Express appreciation to lab members for their contributions Communicate to lab members with transparency and respect Avoid making demeaning comments when experiencing negative emotions (e.g., frustration, stress, anger) Show personal interest in lab members (e.g., ask about their career goals and interests) Provide encouragement when a lab member struggles
Encourage lab member engagement	Invite lab members to provide feedback on how the lab operates Involve lab members in key lab decisions when possible (e.g., when selecting new members to join the lab) Give lab members credit for their contributions to projects
Create a team atmosphere	Communicate the expectation that lab members interact collegially and as a team Bring lab members together for activities that allow people to get to know each other better
Address conflict	Help lab members resolve concerns about team dynamics Welcome lab members to voice their concerns
Celebrate wins	Tell lab members when they have done good work Encourage lab members to celebrate successes
Provide routine feedback	Provide positive feedback in a timely manner Provide constructive feedback when work or behavior does not meet expectations
Individualize interactions	Assign tasks to lab members based on knowledge and skill level Adjust interactions with each lab member depending on their skill and knowledge levels, and their needs Assign project work to align with lab member interests when possible

Used with permission from authors.

Leading the Work

Practices	Example Behaviors
Hold effective meetings	Hold regular weekly meetings with lab members as a team Establish routine one-on-one meetings Create and use a written meeting agenda Document key decisions by taking meeting notes
Establish rigorous research habits	Express that maintaining diligence (e.g., detailed documentation) is important Store all research data in a central location Discuss data interpretation openly with lab members
Address mistakes	Respond to mistakes in a supportive manner Avoid reacting harshly when a lab member admits a serious mistake
Provide oversight	Review lab members’ work routinely Regularly be available to lab members
Prioritize compliance and integrity	Articulate the importance of research ethics and compliance to lab members Establish and follow written compliance procedures
Establish operation and training procedures	Develop a lab manual of expectations, standards, and procedures for the lab Ensure lab members receive necessary training to perform tasks that require new skills Ensure lab operating procedures are being followed by lab members

Used with permission from authors.

Mentors and mentees should consider a roles and responsibilities plan. These plans should include at minimum mutually agreed upon goals, steps to achieving these goals, frequency of meetings, and collaboration expectations including authorship practices.

Example of Mentor-Mentee Plan

Office of Research Integrity: Mentorship

Antes, A. L., English, T., Baldwin, K. A., & DuBois, J. M. (2018). The role of culture and acculturation in researchers’ perceptions of rules in science. Science and Engineering Ethics, 24(2), 361–391. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11948-017-9876-4

Antes, A. L., English, T., Solomon, E. D., Wroblewski, M., McIntosh, T., Stenmark, C. K., & DuBois, J. M. (2024). Leadership, management, and team practices in research labs: Development and validation of two new measures. Accountability in Research, 1–28. https://doi.org/10.1080/08989621.2024.2412772

McIntosh, T., Sanders, C., & Antes, A. L. (2020). Leading the people and leading the work: Practical considerations for ethical research. Translational issues in psychological science, 6(3), 257–270. https://doi.org/10.1037/tps0000260