A5 - One-sentence mentoring: Bridging the advice gap between PIs and postdocs
Day 1 at 14:45 - The PI is one of the most significant individuals in shaping the future career success of her or his postdocs. This fact is also identified by researchers themselves: 72% have consulted or would consult their Principal Investigator (PI) about training and development needs; a further 64% would seek advice from their PI about longer-term career planning (CROS UK aggregate data, 2011). Yet we know from our work with postdocs in Cambridge that, for a wide range of reasons, advice and mentoring from PIs and other academics can be difficult to access. For that reason, we piloted a new initiative that sought to bridge this gap. PIs were asked to submit just one sentence of advice to postdocs and aspiring group leaders, which was collating and disseminated in a readily accessible format for the postdoc community. This workshop was an opportunity to present our pilot process and initial findings, including themes emerging from the one-sentence mentoring advice, to other researcher development practitioners. Strand - Research staff.
| Day | Day 1 |
|---|---|
| Session | A |
| Start time | 14:45 |
| Strand | Research staff |
| Code | A5 |
| Presenters | Dr Steve Joy - Careers Adviser, University of Cambridge Dr Sharon Saunders- Researcher Development Consultant, University of Cambridge |
The workshop covered:
- a presentation of the one-sentence mentoring process
- a summary of initial findings
- a chance to explore how these insights might inform the researcher development policy and practice agenda.
Workshop outcomes:
Participants:
- gained an insight into the Cambridge one-sentence mentoring pilot
- increased their awareness of the current ‘world view' of PIs from a range of discipline areas
- explored ideas and implications for researchers in their own institutions.
Format:
Workshop.
