Research Mentoring Competencies
Effective research mentoring relationships are critical to developing the next generation of researchers.
Based on the research mentoring curricula, Entering Mentoring, an evidence-based curriculum from the the Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER), the FSU Research Mentor Academy uses an interactive approach that allows participants to explore an intellectual framework for research mentoring within a community of their peers. This approach provides mentors with opportunities for reflection and a forum to solve mentoring dilemmas and share successful mentorship strategies. You can read more about the development of these training materials here. Competencies for effective mentoring are provided below.
Maintaining Effective Communication
Developing skills to communicate across different backgrounds, engage in active listening, and provide constructive feedback.
Aligning Expectations
Effectively establishing mutually beneficial expectations for the mentoring relationship
Assessing Understanding
Using multiple strategies to assess and enhance mentee understanding of core concepts and processes
Fostering Independence
Define independence and how it changes over the course of a mentoring relationship, and use strategies to build mentee confidence and foster independence
Promoting Professional Development
Develop a strategy for guiding professional development and sustain a dialogue with mentees on professional goals
Articulating Your Mentoring Philosophy & Plan
Reflecting upon your mentoring relationships is a vital part of becoming a more effective mentor.
Fostering Well-Being & Work-Life Integration
Developing the skills to have open conversations about the often stigmatized topics of mental health, well-being, and psychiatric conditions is key to success.
Promoting Mentee Research Self-Efficacy
Mentors play a critical role in shaping the research experience to increase mentees' self-efficacy in relation to their research skills.