Mentoring is a one–to–one learning activity which can quickly help you to develop your professional knowledge and skills. It draws on the support of someone who has experience in their role.
Anyone can be a mentor. If you are working in a research related role – even if you have only been in the role a short time – it is likely you have picked up knowledge and skills that will be of value to someone. You do not need special training or formal development to be a mentor. All you need is some time and the desire to help others.
A mentor can help you focus on your professional development. They can share their experiences and provide you with feedback, so you know what to improve on.
When you apply for some of the East of England RRDN training courses you will need a mentor to support you through your learning.
For mentoring to be successful, an effective relationship is needed between the mentor and mentee, there is no single best model or approach. Every mentoring relationship is unique and is based on the needs of the mentees.
You may find the following documents useful:
The NIHR Academy has launched a new mentoring programme for postdoctoral Academy Members. The aim of the programme is to support the academic and career development of our postdoctoral communities. For more information, please read the description on the NIHR Academy Website.
A mentoring scheme for those in social care research is also available. More information about this scheme can be found on the Wider Care and Community page of the East of England RRDN Hub Home.
We have completed the COMmercial MENtoring Directory (COMMEND) pilot for staff interested in becoming involved in commercial research in the East of England.
We look forward to sharing the outcome of the COMmercial MENtoring Directory (COMMEND) pilot with you in due course.
For more information you can contact our team for support and advice at eoe.rrdn@nihr.ac.uk.