“The structure, topics, and flow were all so thoughtfully designed — from the discussion on fostering research productivity to the deep dive into research independence. It was an engaging, insightful, and genuinely useful session for both mentors and mentees… In fact, we are already implementing two of the action items that we discussed at the workshop!”

Dr. Rachelle Crosbie / Chair IBP

Impact at a glance graphic shows three statistics: 100% of all participants found the training a valuable use of their time. 92% of faculty would recommend this training with their advisee. 89% of students would recommend this training with their advisor/PI.

Alt text: Bar chart shows 19 faculty strongly agree, 4 somewhat agree, and 2 neither agree nor disagree with the statement 'I would recommend doing this paired training WITH the advisor/advisee'. Among students, 22 strongly agreed, 10 somewhat agreed, 3 selected neither, 1 strongly disagreed, and none somewhat disagreed.

92% of faculty and 89% of students agreed they would recommend doing this workshop in the paired training format.

Alt text: Grouped bar chart showing faculty and student responses to 'Was attending this training a valuable use of your time?' Faculty responses: 4 somewhat valuable, 10 quite valuable, 11 very valuable. Student responses: 8 somewhat valuable, 14 quite valuable, 14 very valuable.

100% of participants found the workshop to be a valuable use of their time, including 84% of faculty and 78% of students who rated it quite or very valuable.

Prior Participants

Alt text: Donut chart showing faculty breakdown by tenure status on the left: 31 tenured faculty (63%) and 18 pre-tenure faculty (37%). Donut chart showing participant breakdown by role on the right: 62 graduate students (56%) and 49 faculty (44%).

CEILS invites you to engage in collaborative spaces designed for faculty mentors and graduate student or postdoctoral mentees to strengthen their mentoring relationships and co-create actionable plans through engaging case studies and activities on various mentoring topics.

The workshops equip faculty with evidence-based tools and strategies for mentoring graduate students with the goal of fostering more inclusive and equitable learning communities and supporting graduate student success

All formats begin with a small group discussion before pairs come together, giving participants space to reflect and build shared language before engaging directly with their mentor or mentee.

Click on the accordion arrows below to learn more about the topics offered.

The topics, case studies, and activities are adapted from the nationally recognized and peer-reviewed curriculum from the Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research.

How do I sign up?

Email Dr. JoAnn S. Roberts (jsroberts@ceils.edu) if you have questions about these opportunities or fill out the interest form and a CEILS team member will contact you.

Click Here to sign up

Accordion Panel

Explore strategies for fostering open dialogue, clarifying roles, and setting shared goals that strengthen the mentoring relationship. Whether you’re a faculty mentor or a student researcher, this session will help you build mutual understanding and create a foundation for effective, supportive, and productive research partnerships.

Breakdown

Discover practical communication and feedback frameworks designed to strengthen dialogue, enhance clarity, and build lasting trust within your mentoring relationships. Through interactive discussion and activities, you’ll collaboratively construct or refine your team’s approach to communication and bidirectional feedback for a more effective and transparent mentoring environment.

Fostering Research Productivity

Dive into essential topics that empower mentors and mentees to enhance communication and support in time management, prioritization, organization, and work-life integration. Equip your laboratory team with skills that support research productivity in manageable ways.

Fostering Research Independence

Consider the core elements, benefits, and challenges of research independence, and how it evolves throughout the mentoring relationship. Explore strategies for mentors and mentee pairs to share and plan their path to research independence.

Coming Soon: Speaking Across Conflict

This session provides mentors and mentees with replicable tools and exercises to foster constructive dialogue and build capacity for navigating differences. Practice these strategies together to foster open, respectful dialogue, enhance understanding, and build strong, collaborative relationships that support research and professional growth in your mentoring teams.

FacultyTestimonials

Student Testimonials

Join the Experience of Mentor & Mentee Conversations

FacultyTestimonials

“I thought it brought to the forefront a mutual respect and understanding of each other. It was interesting to see that we aligned on many things and also what was differentially important to each of us.”

“Far more productive than just attending alone.”

“Very helpful; gave me an opportunity to acknowledge areas of growth and ways we approach certain issues. For this specific student, provided additional info on their specific needs, communication style etc. Useful because everyone is different!”

“I really enjoyed it! Sometimes it is hard to do this sort of thing on our so being able to be in a safe space with allotted time for it is appreciated.”

“I like that we had the time to sit down and discuss what’s working and not working. We don’t make enough time for these types of strategy talks and it made me feel refreshed in my plans to be more organized and active in shaping our relationship.”

“I think it is helpful to work directly with your PI rather than individually because you can think through the same issue together but bringing different perspectives in order to come to a solution that works for both sides.”