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Establishing Research Mentoring Schemes
This session will:
o Outline the context for the introduction of research mentoring schemes at
Sheffield Hallam
o Suggest ways of determining objectives/target groups
o Detail the mentoring training that is provided
o Explain the application and the matching process
o Present typical programme structures
o Introduce plans for evaluation (and reflect on past experience of
undertaking this)
Objectives
Establishing Research Mentoring Schemes
A supportive form of development, which focuses on helping
individuals manage their career and improve skills
The process of change and growth brought about by the interaction
of two people
A method of achieving personal goals faced by different people with
unique concerns
What is Mentoring?
Establishing Research Mentoring Schemes
The world-leader for academic outputs on the subject
Very successful student schemes - peer and career mentoring
But nothing for its own staff prior to 2013
Mentoring at SHU
Establishing Research Mentoring Schemes
The Aspire female progression scheme launched in March 2013 - a
Women Professors' Group and HR scheme, but supported by the
research office due to the research focus of many applicants and
the particular experience of the researcher developer
First year of Aspire was very successful - created a real appetite
and a group of influential advocates
Was hoped that Aspire would be a catalyst - that a mentoring culture
would cascade, and there was an expectation that mentees on the
scheme would go on to become mentors themselves
Two departmental research mentoring schemes launched in spring
2014 - an Aspire mentee was instrumental in initiating one
From Female Progression
to Research Mentoring
Establishing Research Mentoring Schemes
Two social science disciplines that were not submitted as units of
assessment in REF 2014, but which had been in RAE 2008
Schemes designed to help develop research capabilities within
small and emerging research communities - pairing researchers
with more senior researchers
As a teaching-led institution, line-managers of researchers can be
non-research-active and their priorities/expertise will rarely include
development of their reports' research profiles
Established researchers are a scarce resource in these two areas -
the schemes are designed to tap into these in a strategic way
A sort of 'franchise' model with central guidance and local ownership
Research Mentoring Schemes
Establishing Research Mentoring Schemes
Aims - broad rather than prescriptive. The work undertaken between
a mentor and mentee is driven by the mentee according to their own
circumstances and aspirations
But also outline some of the ways in which the mentoring might
benefit individual career development e.g. under headings of
Supporting Career Development, Research Profile & Teaching
Expertise, and Work-Life Balance
Think of the measures of success from an organisational
development point of view (for evaluating scheme success cf
individuals' satisfaction)
Determining Objectives
Establishing Research Mentoring Schemes
Mentoring is most useful for people at junctures - approaching
maturity in their role/a career decision, or suffering from
inertia/feeling stale - and need strategies to move forward
Less effective for those new in roles
or in a growth phase
Self-selecting, rather than compulsory
Mentors' experience is their key
qualification, but usually a grade higher
than mentees
Target Group
Establishing Research Mentoring Schemes
The Programme
Workshops • Workshop
Application Form • Application Forms
Matching Process
• Matching Process
‘Contracting’ • ‘Contracting’
Meetings • Meetings
Exchanges/Circles • Exchanges/Circles
Ending and Evaluation
• Ending and Evaluation
Establishing Research Mentoring Schemes
90 minute session covering:
o What is mentoring, what is a mentor, the mentoring process
o Considering and refining expectations
o Responsibilities within the programme (mentoring agreement)
o Emphasis on ensuring reflection (exploration) and critical reflection (new
understanding) before action planning (on revised assumptions)
o Tools, techniques and guidance to help get the most out of mentoring meetings
o Video of a past mentee talking about their experiences through the whole process
o Assurance for mentors that their experience is the essential qualification
o Outline the application process - stressing that the more considered the application,
the better the match
Training
Establishing Research Mentoring Schemes
Deadline a week after training
Questions include: o What do you enjoy most about your role in the University?
o What do you consider are the main challenges/issues you are
facing while trying to develop and progress in the organisation?
o How do you think a mentor can help you to overcome these challenges?
o Please describe your ideal mentor? (skills, area of work, experience, etc.)
o At the end of the mentoring relationship, what would you like to have achieved?
o What do you enjoy most about your role in the University?
o Do you feel that you have overcome any particular barriers/obstacles in progressing your academic
career?
o Please describe the skills, experience or expertise you feel you have developed in your career to date
that a mentee might particularly benefit from
o Please describe why you would like to be a mentor
o At the end of the mentoring relationship, what would you like to have achieved with your mentee?
Application
Establishing Research Mentoring Schemes
Matched by a programme team of 3-4, including at least one person
outside the department to ensure objectivity/any assumptions are
challenged. Allow a good 2-3 hours
Each person on the matching group reads all applications,
but are also allocated a third/quarter to 'champion'
Look at mentees one-by-one - identify all potentially
suitable mentors and order by best matches
Reverse matrix and look at mentors and their matches - move
mentees to a 2nd preference if a mentor has more than one match
If no suitable matches, don't use leftover mentors - defer mentee's
application or source a suitable mentor from outside your pool
Matching
Establishing Research Mentoring Schemes
Usually 3 face-to-face meetings over 6 months, or 5 meetings over
12 months. Meetings usually take 1.5-2 hours.
Tasks can be undertaken between meetings - revising CV, drafting
grant applications etc.
Exchanges/circles can be scheduled in the month between
meetings - facilitated discussions with the scheme mentees together
in one session, the mentors in another
Mentors tend to only find one of these exchanges useful. Mentees
will often engage with this additional peer-mentoring for the duration
of the programme (and beyond)
Programme Structure
Establishing Research Mentoring Schemes
Qualitative - Feedback sheets and/or structured interviews probing:
benefits, career progression and professional development that has
occurred, what worked well, what worked less well, were
expectations met etc.
More advanced - psychological measures against a control group
Evaluation - Qualitative
Establishing Research Mentoring Schemes
Quantitative - positive movement against baseline data that initially
prompted the intervention
For female progression - increases in % of females at higher levels,
more promotion applications, better promotion success rate etc.
For research mentoring - greater quantity of bids submitted,
research outputs produced, success rates of these, REF-ability etc.
Evaluation - Quantitative
Establishing Research Mentoring Schemes
Challenge - finding enough mentors - need to be creative and
persuasive (or at least skilled in flattery)
Opportunity - mentoring can have an enormous impact on
individuals - it can make a real difference with everything from
bringing people 'back from the brink', to enabling promotion
Advice - cohorts of 15-20 are a good/manageable size
Summary - mentoring is about the most effective form of
development there is and it is relatively resource light - asking
people from within the university to find less than an hour a month
Conclusion
Establishing Research Mentoring Schemes
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