Suggested Postdoctoral Mentoring Plan for UNL PIs/Faculty Sponsors
The following mentoring plan provides suggestions for developing your own approach to helping your postdoctoral appointees identify both professional needs and career objectives. Design your plan to fit your specific field, research agenda, and the needs of the postdoctoral researcher(s) you mentor. In structuring your own mentoring plan, consider the following:
1. Upon initial appointment, encourage postdoctoral appointees to visit the UNL Office of Postdoctoral Studies; at the very least, have them provide us with necessary contact information so they’re sure to receive seminar/event announcements and other pertinent information from our office. Upcoming seminar topics will supplement the individualized mentoring you provide. Additionally, suggest that your postdocs familiarize themselves with the extensive resources available on our website.
2. Let postdoctoral associates know that because UNL is a sustaining member of the National Postdoctoral Association (NPA), they––and their PIs––are eligible for free membership in the NPA, an invaluable resource providing on-line, professional and career development materials for both postdocs and PIs.
3. Upon initial appointment and in consultation with the postdoctoral associate, agree to honor the commitments outlined in the Compact between Postdoctoral Appointees and Their Mentors and review The Obligations of Postdoctoral Appointees and their Mentors in the introductory section of the Annual Performance Review Form.
4. In collaboration with the postdoctoral associate, complete the Individual Development Plan (IDP), which addresses many of the mentoring components required by national funding agencies. The IDP serves as the single, most important component of any effective mentoring process because it’s designed to help postdoctoral researchers identify both their short- and long-term goals and the skills and abilities needed to achieve them. As an iterative mentoring tool, the IDP helps establish an ongoing, productive mentor-mentee partnership characterized by mutual respect and understanding.
5. Establish a set schedule to meet individually with each postdoc to address research progress/results as well as professional and career development needs and opportunities.
6. To encourage constructive dialogue, clarify responsibilities and performance expectations, promote more effective performance, and establish future career development goals, conduct an Annual Performance Review. The performance review is often used effectively in conjunction with the IDP.
7. Inform and encourage your postdoctoral associates to (a) attend relevant professional and career development seminars/events/conferences offered by the UNL Office of Postdoctoral Studies, the Office of Research, other regional/national training providers (including web-based training), or discipline-specific associations, and (b) to actively seek other opportunities for professional experience, networking, skills development, and career advancement. 8. To mentor research independence, encourage senior postdocs to apply for a National Science Foundation postdoctoral fellowship, a National Institutes of Health Pathway to Independence award, or other grants that will provide bridge funding for independent research.
9. If your postdoctoral associate is interested in pursuing an academic career, help identify structured opportunities for her/him to acquire both teaching experience (e.g., graduate student seminars, guest lecturing, community colleges, UNL courses) and an understanding of faculty roles and responsibilities (e.g., UNL Preparing Future Faculty Program).
Resources:
Association of American Medical Colleges (2006). Compact between Postdoctoral Appointees and Their Mentors. Retrieved January 25, 2009, from the AAMC Web site: http://www.aamc.org/postdoccompact/
National Academy of Science, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine (2000). Enhancing the Postdoctoral Experience for Scientists and Engineers: A Guide for Postdoctoral Scholars, Advisers, Institutions, Funding Organizations, and Disciplinary Societies. Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press.
The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (2002). Individual Development Plan for Postdoctoral Fellows. Retrieved January 25, 2009 from the FASEB Web site: http://www.faseb.org/ UNL Office of Postdoctoral Studies- February 2009