At WashU we are strengthening our commitment to mentoring.  Effective and culturally competent mentoring is critical to the success and thriving of students, trainees, postdocs, and faculty. This page offers resources to help our community members nurture positive and successful mentor/mentee experiences, as we support the next generation of scholars, researchers, and faculty.

Faculty Mentoring Intensive

May 16, 2024

Elevate your mentoring expertise with our exclusive, full-day intensive tailored for WashU faculty dedicated to mentoring graduate students and early career faculty, offering a unique blend of theory-based exercises and case studies proven to enhance your mentoring impact. Faculty who complete the mentoring intensive will receive a Level 1 Mentor Certificate of completion, and their names will be listed publicly at mentoring.wustl.edu.


Office of the Provost Programs and Resources

Association for Women in Science (AWIS). Washington University is a member of AWIS, the supporting a global network of like-minded women and allies committed to advancing women in science, technology, engineering, and math. As an Institutional Member, WashU is pleased to offer membership to all students, faculty, staff, postdocs, and trainees.

Danforth Faculty Development Programs

Faculty and Mentoring Summit 2023: In October 2023, Dr. Melissa McDaniels, the associate executive director and scientist at the Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER), gave the opening keynote for the Faculty and Mentoring Summit. Participants completed 5 CIMER modules with the choice for an emphasis in mentoring graduate students and postdocs or pre-tenure faculty

National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity (NCFDD)
WashU has an institutional membership to NCFDD allowing our faculty, graduate students, post-docs, trainees, and staff sub-account membership to gain access to a suite of online webinars, multi-week courses, and more. The NCFDD is an independent professional development, training, and mentoring community, 100% dedicated to supporting academics in making successful transitions throughout one’s careers.

Washington University Mentoring Resources

Center for Teaching and Learning: Mentoring and support programs that help make academic success achievable by all students, regardless of their needs and backgrounds.

Division of Biology & Biomedical Sciences (DBBS): DBBS faculty mentors can obtain mentorship resources through the DBBS Faculty Portal. The DBBS Student Advisory Committee hosts resources for trainees seeking a mentor.

McKelvey School of Engineering

Office of Undergraduate Research: How to find a mentor.

Setting up International PhD and Postdocs for Success (Inside Higher Ed): By Paola Cepeda, director of postdoctoral affairs at Washington University, and Natalie Chernets

School of Medicine Resources

Academy of Educators: Includes Mentoring Guide, “A Peer Mentoring Group for Junior Clinicians,” “Academic Mentoring – How to Give It and How to Get it,” “Four Archetypes to Help Mentees Succeed,” “Great Mentoring in Graduate School” Quickstart Guide, “UCSF Faculty Mentoring” Program Toolkit, “Choosing a Research Project and a Research Mentor,” “Mentoring Millennials,” “How Mentoring Evolves,” “Mentorship Malpractice,” “What the Best Mentors Do,” “Best Practices and Pearls in Interdisciplinary Mentoring,” “Characteristics of Successful and Failed Mentoring,” “Making the Most of Mentoring,” “New Mentor Evaluation Tool.”

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) Mentoring Resources

Department of Biostatistics: Programs to Increase Diversity Among Individuals in Health-Related Research (PRIDE): PRIDE Program in Cardiovascular Disease Comorbidities, Genetics & Epidemiology

Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Allyship & Social Justice (IDEAS) Mentorship to Enhance Diversity in Academia (MEDA): The MEDA program provides trainees with support, resources, personalized guidance, and engaging opportunities they need to become successful at WUSM and in their future careers.

Institute of Clinical and Translational Sciences

Office of Faculty Development, John T. Milliken Department of Medicine

Pathology & Immunology: Includes reading material on “The Challenges and Opportunities of Teaching Gen Y,” “Mentoring Millennials,” “Will you be my Mentor? Four archetypes to help mentees succeed in Academic Medicine,” “Mentorship Malpractice,” “Giving and Receiving Effective Feedback,” and “Effective Mentorship: Consultant, Counselor, Cheerleader.”

External Resources for Mentoring

Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Compact Between Biomedical Graduate Students and Their Research Advisors. A framework for aligning the graduate student mentor-mentee relationship.

Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Compact Between Postdoctoral Appointees and their Mentors: A framework for aligning the postdoctoral mentor-mentee relationship.

Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Appropriate Treatment of Research Trainees (AToRT)

Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER): Resources for organizations and institutions to improve research mentoring relationships. (CIMER materials for mentors and mentees)

Center for the Integration of Teaching, Research, and Learning (CIRTL): CIRTL is a nationwide online network of 40+ universities that seek to enhance excellence in undergraduate education through development of a national faculty committed to implementing and advancing evidence-based teaching practices for diverse learners.

Compass: Compass provides biomedical faculty and postdocs with the training and mentoring needed to successfully launch their careers. Compass Scholars receive guidance and tools to be intentional about leading people and managing scientific work. Compass is funded by the NIH and was developed by a team of researchers, workplace psychologists, and career development experts. Applications are now open for the spring 2023 leadership and management training and mentoring program for early-career researchers.

Faculty Advancement Network Inclusive Leadership Workshops: Access recorded workshops on “Actualizing Racial Equity throughout the Faculty Hiring Process,” “Supporting Your BIPIC Faculty Colleagues,” “Life in the Increasingly Diverse World of Higher Education and How to Make it Work,” “Mentorship: New Approaches for a New Professoriate,” “Revisiting Mentorship: Strategic for BIPOC Early Career Faculty,” “Keeping Afloat: Strategic for BIPOC Junior Faculty,” “Mitigating the Impact of COVID-19 on the Academic Progress of Underrepresented Faculty,” “Systemic Racism and its Impact on Creating a Diverse Faculty in Higher Education,” and “Engaging with Students Around Race and Racism.”

Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Making the Right Moves: A Practical Guide to Scientific Management for Postdocs and New Faculty, Second Edition.

Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Training Scientists: Training Scientists to Make the Right Moves.

#MentorFirst: A project initiated by Professors Jen Heemstra (Washington University in St. Louis) and Neil Garg (UCLA) with the goal of eradicating negative environments in academic research laboratories and instead promoting best mentoring practices that foster individual growth and research success.

MENTORNET: Provides all STEM students in the U.S. with access to effective mentorships in a vibrant community committed to student success; to develop a scalable mentoring platform that combines the technology of social networks with the social science of mentoring; and to deliver evidence-based programs that address the critical issues impacting STEM student success.

National Academies Enhancing the Postdoctoral Experience for Scientists and Engineers: A guide for Postdoctoral Scholars, Advisers, Institutions, Funding Organizations, and Disciplinary Societies.

National Academy of Sciences – The Science of Effective Mentorship in STEMM The Science of Effective Mentorship in STEMM studies mentoring programs and practices at the undergraduate and graduate levels. It explores the importance of mentorship, the science of mentoring relationships, mentorship of underrepresented students in STEMM, mentorship structures and behaviors, and institutional cultures that support mentorship. This report and its complementary interactive guide present insights on effective programs and practices that can be adopted and adapted by institutions, departments, and individual faculty members.

National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity (NCFDD) Mentor Map (available after you activate your free NCFDD membership): Map your current mentoring network, identify your unmet needs, and plan how to expand your existing network to meet your current needs.

National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN): A nationwide consortium, sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, that offers a plethora of training and opportunities to connect for mentors and mentees in the biosciences. 

Science.org Top Ten Tips for Mentors: Review the basics of mentoring and take inventory of your mentoring skills.

Articles

Chemical & Engineering News: “Putting Mentoring First” (September 12, 2020)

National Institute of General Medical Sciences): “Mentoring: It’s In Our Genes” (January 18, 2023), featuring Washington University Professor Jenifer Heemstra.

Additional Resources from Other Universities