establishing research mentoring schemes · establishing research mentoring schemes this session...

Dr Keith E. Fildes 9 September 2014

Establishing Research Mentoring Schemes

http://www.shu.ac.uk/


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



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?



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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