10 Components of Successful Research Mentoring Programs

Mentorship has long been a critical element of faculty development. Historically, new faculty reached out to senior faculty within their department to get support on career growth. While some departments and research offices offer training tools or additional support, the ad hoc nature of these relationships means they are largely unstructured. As a result, early-career faculty have varying experiences and support networks.

Now, chief research officers (CROs) are increasingly aware that faculty do not always receive the mentorship and support they need from their department. This is particularly worrisome, as competition for funding has increased (as has the complexity of the process to secure grant funding). This impacts new faculty career development and ultimately affects faculty members’ ability to develop research opportunities.