Postdoctoral Scholars
Mentoring
Responsible Conduct of Research
UC Santa Barbara
At UC Santa Barbara, and across the UC system, the postdoctoral experience emphasizes scholarship and continued research training guided by a faculty mentor.
Faculty mentors are responsible for guiding and monitoring the advanced training of Postdoctoral Scholars. In that role, faculty mentors should make clear the goals, objectives, and expectations of the training program and the responsibilities of Postdoctoral Scholars. They should regularly and frequently communicate with Postdoctoral Scholars, provide regular and timely assessments of the Postdoctoral Scholar’s performance, and provide career advice and job placement assistance. (APM 390-6 – Responsibility)
UC Santa Barbara Postdoctoral Scholars Mentoring Guidelines
UC Santa Barbara has contracted with Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) to provide access to research training opportunities through an interactive online tutorial. It's free but requires users to set up a user name and password to log in.
The following online training opportunities, offered through CITI, are relevant to our campus, and RCR is particularly appropriate for postdoctoral mentoring:
- Human Subjects Protection
- Effort Reporting
- Stem Cell Research
- Laboratory Animal Welfare Courses for investigators and IACUC Members
- Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR)
In collaboration, postdocs and PIs should complete an Individual Development Plan. This Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology’s IDP is appropriate for and/or adaptable to any field. It provides a planning process that identifies both professional development needs and career objectives.
Mentoring Standards Gladstone Institute at UCSF
Articles
- A 10-Step Plan for Better Postdoc Training Postdoctoral Fellows Focus Group, The Scientist (subscription required), January 2006
- Career Advice for Life Scientists American Society for Cell Biology
- A Career Development Plan for Postdocs Laurie Hack, ScienceCareers.org, October 2002
- Compact Between Postdoctoral Appointees and Their Mentors AAMC Group on Graduate Research, Education, and Training (GREAT) and Postdoctorate Committee, December 2006
- Entering Mentoring: A Seminar to Train a New Generation of Scientists Jo Handelsman, Christine Pfund, Sarah Miller Lauffer, and Christine Maidl Pribbenow, HHMI
- FASEB Statement on Including Postdoctoral Mentoring Plans in Research Grant Applications
- Guidelines for Successful Mentor/ Mentee Relationships The American Physiological Society
- How to Be a Good Mentor Jill Adams, The Scientist (subscription required), August 2004
- Mentor-for-Mentor Program UCSF-GIVI Center for AIDS Research
- A Mentor Maintenance Program The Scientist (subscription needed), October 2002
- Mentoring for Success in Physiology Christin Carter-Su, Bodil Schmidt-Nielsen Distinguished Mentor and Scientist Awardee, 2005
- Mentoring Scientists: An Ethical Dilema ScienceCareers.org
- Mentoring the Postdoctoral Condition Monica Horvath, Association for Women In Science, Summer 2006, p. 15
- Mentoring to the Bottom Line Betsy Alberty, The Scientist (subscription required) September 2006
- Mentors are Made, Not Born The Scientist (subscription needed), Sept. 2002
- NIH Mentoring Handbook
- NIH Urges Career Training and Tracking Beryl Lieff Benderly, ScienceCareers.org, August 2006
- The Science of Mentoring Ishani Ganguli, The Scientist (subscription required), April 2006
- Sex and Science: Tips for Faculty Sheridan, Jennifer, Jo Handelsman, Eve Fine, and Molly Carnes
- Timbuktu Academy: Mentoring Future Scientists Clinton Parks, ScienceCareers.org, May 2005
- Top Research Institutions Reveal All The Scientist (subscription needed), May 2002
- Wisdom of Mentoring--Sharing the Methods of Exemplary Science and Engineering Mentors Marilyn J. Suiter, PhD, AWIS Magazine, Winter 2006
Mentoring Resources
- Faculty Mentoring Resources University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh
- Handbook for New Instructors University of Massachusetts Amherst
- Mentoring (Faculty Mentoring Guide, Mentorship Manual for Medical Students) Virginia Commonwealth University
- Mentoring Module Responsible Conduct of Research, Columbia University
- MentorNet
- MentorDoctor ScienceCareers.org
- Principles of Good Practice: Supporting Early-Career Faculty American Association for Higher Education (PDF by U Mass)
- ScienceCareers.org AAAS
Mentoring International Postdocs Guide Book and Videos
(Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia) US Department of Health and Human Services
- Video Guide Book
Mentoring International Postdocs: Working Together to Advance Science and Careers Download PDF - "A Frustrated Mentor"
Topics: cultural barriers MPG (19MB) - "A Tough Decision"
Topics: cultural bias, ethnic stereotypes, hiring practices, working environment, abuse of power MPG (19MB) - "An Unfortunate Misunderstanding"
Topics: immigration issues, mentor/trainee trust, trainee expectations, communication MPG (18MB) - "A Long Distance Hire"
Topics: hiring practices, mentor expectations, immigration issues MPG (17.5MB) - "Navigating Life in the US"
Topics: immigration issues, mentor/trainee trust, trainee expectations, communication MPG (18MB) - "Saeed's Dilemma"
Topics: communication, immigration issues, performance assessment, career guidance MPG (19MB)
Books (for purchase)
- Advisor, Teacher, Role Model, Friend: On Being a Mentor to Students in Science and Engineering
- Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy
- Enhancing the Postdoctoral Experience for Scientists and Engineers: A Guide for Postdoctoral Scholars, Advisors, Institutions, Funding Organizations, and Disciplinary Societies
Graduate Students
- How to Get The Mentoring You Want U of Michigan Rackham School
- How to Mentor Graduate Students: A Guide for Faculty at a Diversity University U of Michigan Rackham School
- Mentor and Graduate Student Strategies for Success University of Louisville
- A Survival Guide for Ethnic Minority Graduate Students