Mentees

Mentoring for researcher development is aimed at researchers of all levels.  It does not matter if you are a new researcher who has never been involved in research but want to add research to your skills set, a developing researcher or if you are a working towards a readership or professorship, the researcher mentoring scheme can provide a useful developmental opportunities.

New Researchers

• One of the best ways to learn how to research is to do it, so the staff mentoring scheme provides a safe, supported environment in which to engage in research and develop your research skills and knowledge.  Through membership of an appropriate Peer Mentoring Development Group, you will work with other new and developing researchers to develop a research programme, collect, analyse and write up the into a  group peer review paper.  Each Peer Mentoring Development Group will be facilitated by an experienced researcher, who will support each group members’ development and advise the group on their research activities.

Developing Researchers

• Mentoring for developing researchers is provided in two ways: through Peer Mentoring Development Groups or One to One Peer Mentoring; the mentoring scheme will work with you to identify which type of mentoring best suits your developmental needs. 
• The Peer Mentoring Development Groups are facilitated by experienced research mentors, who will facilitate the knowledge and skill development of a small group of researchers.  The group will work together to develop research programmes and peer review outputs, which will enable mentees to develop methodological and analytical expertise and improve their project development and management skills
• One to One Peer Mentoring: Where possible, the scheme will find an appropriate, experienced research mentor to help mentee’s develop their self-identified research needs.

Readership and Professoriate Mentoring

• The mentoring scheme will work with you to identify an appropriate mentor to help you to benchmark your research outputs and support you in the development of your application.  The scheme will negotiate and formalise the mentoring match.

Mentors

The research development mentoring scheme provides both individual and group mentoring;  both these forms of mentoring require mentors who are experienced researchers. 

The group mentors will support a small group of mentees of varying experience, encouraging them to develop a group research project, and supervising and supporting the groups’ research development through these activities.  It is aimed that new researchers will develop skills and knowledge in the design of research, data collection and analysis, and writing for peer review publication.  It is aimed that developing researchers will gain experience in project develop, research management and widen their methodological and analytical knowledge.

Mentors are also required to support developing researchers and those making applications for readership and professorships. 

For further information on the time commitments required and support provided by the staff mentoring scheme please see information for mentors.