Mentorship in Clinical and Translational Research

Maintaining a productive mentoring relationship requires strong communication. Both the mentee and mentor should practice active listening (PDF) and routinely request and respond to feedback (PDF). 

As a mentoring team, it is important to create a strategic plan for how you will achieve your goals and establish a system to track and document your progress and achievements. For support with this process, take Project Management Strategies for Research Team Members, a four-part webinar series on the principles of project management. 

Even the strongest mentoring relationships encounter challenges. Starting early in your relationship, you should have a plan in place for resolving conflict. 

The Harvard Ombuds Office is a valuable, confidential resource for anyone in the Harvard community that offers informal space to discuss any issues affecting work or studies. The Ombuds Office also offers trainings and provides recommended readings and self-help handouts on a number of topics including negotiation, preparing for challenging conversations, authorship, and more. 

Periodically review your initial mentoring agreements and goal setting exercises to reassess expectations and check in on progress towards milestones. Explore the Assess Mentoring Relationships page to learn about practical strategies and tools to assess mentoring relationships.

Effective mentoring relationships value advocacy and foster independence. 

Strategies mentors can use to advocate and foster their mentees’ independence:

• Respect their mentees’ contributions and celebrate their successes. 
• Acknowledge the challenges faced by historically underrepresented groups in the workforce and use their influence to advocate for inclusion and equity.
• Suggest that their mentees attend and present at important conferences.
• Coach their mentees in how to have conversations with new connections.
• Guide their mentees in effectively communicating their science (e.g., choosing a journal, strategies for publication, presenting talks and posters). 
• Be a role model in responsible conduct of research.
• Provide guidance and support as mentees begin to serve as mentors for others.
• Guide discussions on career planning, and support mentees through career transitions.

Strategies mentees can use to practice self-advocacy and foster their own growth: 

• Negotiate for opportunities, resources, training, and credit. 
• Know where to turn for support when challenges arise.  
• Build their network by seeking out new connections.
• Identify professional societies and conferences in their field (or the field that they would like to enter) and familiarize themselves with them.
• Recognize scientific journals and their respective impact factor that are relevant to their work.
• Discuss ways to use their network to foster recognition.
• Seek feedback and input from mentors as they prepare for the next phase of their career. 

• Craft Your Elevator Pitch and Your Brief Biography 
• Grow Your Network
• Publish Your Manuscript
• Write Using Plain Language
• Prepare for Oral Presentations
• Design Slides
• Design and Present Posters
• Prepare for Interviews
• Prepare to Write a Grant 
• Navigate Content 

As a mentoring pair or small group, choose a topic or core competency that is of interest to you. Explore the page(s) of the Writing and Communication Center on that topic. 

In advance of a mentoring meeting, read through the selected page(s) and watch the videos. Within the pages there are two types of boxes titled “Put it Into Practice” and “Toolkit.” These boxes call out specific exercises and resources that can deepen your understanding of the concepts on the page. Consider choosing a “Put it Into Practice” exercise or a worksheet from the “Toolkit” to complete as pre-work for your meeting. Bring your completed work to your meeting, and share the insights you gained together. If applicable, present your work and use a provided rubric to collect and share feedback.