Research Mentor Training

At UMass Amherst, we strive to help our faculty become more effective mentors of their graduate students, postdocs, and undergraduate researchers as an important part of building our campus community. We are proud to offer mentor training and additional resources to help you hone your skills in this important area of professional development.

Research Mentor Training

The Graduate School offers training for mentors of graduate, postdoctoral, and undergraduate researchers. We use the curriculum developed by the National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN). The efficacy of this program for mentors and their mentees is supported by both qualitative and quantitative data (learn more from the Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research, or CIMER).

This interactive training uses materials such as realistic case studies and sample compacts between mentors and mentees to promote discussion and reflection. With the help of trained facilitators, participants discuss these materials in small groups, and leave with plenty of new ideas and strategies to try and a more nuanced understanding of the mentoring relationship. The topics include aligning expectations with mentees, maintaining effective communication, addressing equity and inclusion, fostering independence, and promoting well-being.  

Join the more than 350 UMass faculty who have taken the training! Even experienced mentors report that they find it to be beneficial. We also offer this training to graduate students and postdocs.

See below for upcoming Research Mentor Training. If there are no trainings scheduled, or if the ones that are scheduled don't work for you, please fill out this form to express your interest, and we will notify you when the next training is scheduled.

Questions? Email mentortraining [at] grad [dot] umass [dot] edu.

Upcoming Research Mentor Training

Thursdays - Sept. 28th, Oct. 5th, 12th & 19th

• 9:00-11:00 AM each day (coffee, tea, and pastries will be provided starting at 8:45 AM)
• In person! We cannot offer a remote option for this training
• For faculty of all disciplines who mentor students in research
• Register here! Please note: you must be signed into the browser with your UMass NetID to access the form. If you get a message that you don't have access, navigate to https://apps.umass.edu/ to sign in with your NetID, then try accessing the form again
• Please note: this training is for faculty only. We offer separate training for postdocs and graduate students.

We are planning more research mentor training sessions for AY 2023-24. We will post details when they are available, and send out a call for registrations through department chairs/heads. 

Have you taken Research Mentor Training and are you interested in becoming a facilitator? Please contact mentortraining [at] grad [dot] umass [dot] edu.

Faculty Mentoring Handbook

Read A Guide for Mentoring Graduate Students at UMass Amherst, a document of best practices and helpful links for faculty mentors.

Advice for Supporting Graduate Students in Times of Stress contains specific advice for both mentors and graduate programs, as well as links to many resources.