How to supervise junior peers and become a mentor

From ScienceMag:

As an aspiring group leader, marine ecologist Maysa Ito expected supervising and mentoring to become an increasingly important part of her role. But her early experience as a daily supervisor to a more junior lab member during her Ph.D. left her feeling “deeply frustrated,” she recalls. “I was unable to transfer my enthusiasm for the project,” she says. “I felt stuck, unsure how to support them.” In hindsight, she says, “Many early-career academics are not equipped or trained to supervision and mentoring roles … I was one of them.”

That experience prompted Ito, now a postdoctoral researcher at the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, to take a step back and seek training. She took workshops in communication and leadership skills and enrolled in a “buddy” program at her institution as a postdoc mentor to Ph.D. students. The targeted, hands-on guidance she received “transformed how I show up as a mentor” today, she says.

Her early supervisory experience provided a valuable “entry point to discover the … roles that supervisor[s] and mentors play,” Ito says. She came to realize that “supervision and mentoring are not the same thing and they don’t always happen together.” Typically, though the two terms are often used interchangeably, a supervisor’s primary role is to see a student through a project; a mentor’s is to more holistically support their career development. But in both roles, “Truly understanding who is in front of you is essential to support their growth and help them develop their skills at their own pace,” Ito says.

To help readers at all career stages become the supportive mentors and supervisors they aspire to be, Science Careers asked Ito and other researchers to share the lessons they’ve learned on their way. The responses have been edited for clarity and brevity.

Q: What have your supervising and mentoring experiences been? Did you feel prepared?

Victoria Ann Bonnell, senior scientist of molecular biology at stealth-mode biotech startup in Boston: In my Ph.D. lab it was the natural responsibility of older graduate students to help onboard and train the newer ones. I also made sure that anyone in my department could ask me for advice if they wanted it, and later became my graduate student association’s chair on mentoring issues. I learned from building relationships with some great mentors. It’s OK to not have all the answers, and don’t assume you know what to do in every scenario. I was not a perfect mentor for all my mentees, but I always tried my best.

Joseph Walston, Ph.D. candidate in botany at the University of Wisconsin–Madison: My Ph.D. adviser had mentioned in passing that I could bring on undergrad students if I wanted; his only advice was that I find students who can help with my dissertation research. Once I found this first student—whom I heard say in a plant anatomy class during my first semester that he also liked carnivorous plants—I let my adviser know, and the student and I applied for his own funding. Since then, I have spent every year of my graduate studies mentoring a senior thesis student in my department; they get course credit for our work together. Over time, I gained confidence in my supervising role, and I have had students assist with my dissertation work as well as complete their own independent projects. I did not expect to be a mentor so early in my career, as I was practically mentoring students just a few months younger than me. But I personally felt prepared because of my pedagogical training for becoming an elementary and preschool teacher back in college. Those skills of lesson planning and turning complex topics into digestible instruction really help me with mentoring and bringing down some of the intimidating barriers for students.

Eleni Spyreli, research fellow in public health nutrition at Queen’s University Belfast: I have primarily been a mentor through ad hoc meetings and interactions with members of my team and friends. These stemmed from my desire to help colleagues with their work by drawing on my own experiences. More recently, I have started coordinating a mentoring buddy scheme between postdocs and postgraduates in my school. Having completed a milestone that somebody else aspires to reach puts you in a good place to offer advice, provided the experience is still fresh in your mind. The most valuable learning has come from reflecting on the advice that I received as a mentee and whether it has helped me—or not.

Andrew Moore, recently transitioned from a postdoctoral fellow to a lecturer in psychology at the University of Oklahoma: I started supervising undergraduate students as soon as I joined my graduate lab, in the early days of the pandemic. To make up for the lost experience during lockdown, I helped undergrads create virtual conference posters using data already collected. As we slowly returned to in person, I also started training them in data collection. Other than that, I helped a few postbaccalaureate students gain research experience as part of a formal mentoring program. I have always been told that if you feel prepared, you’ve started too late. As long as you go into these interactions with good, thoughtful intentions, I feel that you really can’t go wrong. The goal isn’t to be perfect; it is to do what you can, learn and adapt as you go, and ultimately help those around you.

Ioannis Pavlidis, associate professor at the University of Crete and coordinator of the WIDEnzymes mentoring program: I gained my first mentoring experience shortly after my Ph.D. through a platform that connected people from different professional backgrounds with high school students to offer vocational guidance. That early exposure naturally led me to embrace the role of tutor and mentor throughout my academic career. Mentoring is an interactive process, with both mentors and mentees growing over time. As I joined mentoring initiatives, there were always counselors or coordinators who helped clarify expectations or suggested ways to approach the mentee, and other mentors who were willing to share their own experiences.

Ito: Joining a mentoring program as a mentee earlier on gave me an understanding of what mentoring really means and what it can achieve. Still, I didn’t feel ready—I worried about making mistakes and the potential impact those mistakes could have on a mentee’s career. As I became a postdoc mentor in my institution’s buddy program, I learned how to listen and guide others through their careers by drawing on the failures and successes I had witnessed or experienced myself.

Q: How do you go about delivering your supervision and mentoring? What are the ingredients for a healthy and productive relationship? What insights and skills do you strive to convey to your mentees?

Pavlidis: It is important to spend the first few meetings simply getting to know each other and build a relationship based on trust. We talk about life experiences, dreams, disappointments, turning points, and the paths that brought us here. Those early conversations help the mentee see the mentor as a real person with doubts and turning points, not as an authority figure. Once that foundation is there, the meetings can become more mentee-driven and focus on career choices, workplace relationships, science communication, or any other issues. For me, a healthy mentoring relationship depends on mutual trust, openness, and enough flexibility to adapt to what is most useful at each moment. I try to pass on to mentees that there is no point in overthinking what might have happened if a different choice had been made. If the outcome is not ideal, we can always adapt and change direction.

Walston: My preferred method of mentoring is to begin at the earlier stages of their college career, as it allows for the students to build trust with me over time. I meet with my mentees as a group at least a few times a semester and individually once or twice a week. To help prevent issues and explain how they will be handled, I developed an onboarding process that includes mentoring contracts. These living documents capture the needs of the students while setting ground rules on when and how we can contact each other and what we can expect from each other. I suggest the book Entering Research: A Facilitator’s Manual by Branchaw et al. on advice for building such a document, and my institution also has a sample agreement form that I have adapted. Some of the main attitudes I strive to convey are curiosity and passion. I also try to support my students outside of research. I ask about their classes and exams and listen to their frustrations. If they experience conflict with their peers or instructors, I make sure they know I am here to help them navigate them.

Spyreli: I have been asked to help with very technical aspects, like working with a piece of software, all the way to more nuanced and sensitive situations like choosing the right Ph.D. program or navigating the relationship with their formal supervisor. I am always mindful that my experience may not be applicable to their set of circumstances and try to enhance my mentees’ ability to solve problems by considering different scenarios. 

Moore: I offer structured office hours to facilitate consistent and expected interactions, while always keeping my door open for spontaneous questions and a deeper connection. Then it is up to the mentee to help strike that balance in service of their needs. I strive to cultivate a sense of coachability in my undergraduate mentees; I hope to promote introspection about what they have yet to learn. In terms of practical skills, during group supervision I teach technical data collection, lab etiquette, and how to review the scientific literature. In one-on-one mentoring sessions I cover how to ask a meaningful scientific question, data curation, coding for statistics, and interpretation of results within the broader context. Other top skills I emphasize are being able to articulate one’s position verbally as well as through writing. Finally, I try to facilitate conversations with more senior mentors, as fostering those connections can really help students obtain letters of recommendation or enter a broader network.

Ito: Mentors and mentees in my buddy program come from different research fields, which creates space to step away from the science itself and focus on the bigger picture, including career development, work-life balance, and the personal challenges that shape an academic path. Personally, I’m most effective when I help with concrete and practical things, like deep-focus writing or time management. I share tools I’ve tried myself, providing a wide range of options because minds work differently. When asked how things went during my Ph.D., I revisit those years with careful evaluation; experiences that once felt confusing or pointless make more sense in hindsight, so I’m intentional and precise when I talk about them.

Bonnell: Over time, I have had conversations with mentees about problems regarding failed experiments, challenges with adviser relationships, local recommendations, and personal issues. Oftentimes, all these things were connected and talking helped diminish the problems they were having. If as a mentor you’re not comfortable talking about personal issues, offering support by pointing to mental health or other resources is a great approach.

Q: How do you tailor your approach to the individual needs of your mentees? What do you do when you can’t help?

Pavlidis: I tailor my mentoring by giving them space to shape the agenda, the pace, and the focus of our meetings. I believe this flexibility is important because mentoring works best when it feels genuine rather than forced. When a mentee is going through a research or personal setback, I try to listen carefully, help them put the situation in perspective, and remind them that setbacks are part of any meaningful path. When the issue goes beyond my own expertise, I do not hesitate to consult colleagues—in an anonymized way and with respect for the mentee’s privacy. I have not felt the need to draw a strict line around what I can provide, but I am always honest if I do not know something and I follow up after seeking the right support.

Moore: I get them thinking about their ultimate goals and dreams, and then we work backward to see what they need to accomplish to get there. While some students may be well versed in research or have a clear idea of what career they want, others are navigating college as a first-generation student and need a bit more coaching through the unspoken rules. For international students, connecting mentees with one another to create supportive, out-of-the-lab communities is especially valuable. Over time, you will get a better sense of when a student needs more time in the nest or is needlessly dragging their feet, often because they are nervous to move forward. Sometimes this calls for a one-on-one meeting to go over motivation and time management. Other times it’s a sign that this field might not be the right fit. If that’s the case, connecting the student to another mentor in an area they have expressed interest in might be beneficial for all.

Spyreli: Approaching the mentoring relationship with an open mind and respect for your mentee’s cultural background is always a good start. Additionally, familiarizing students with aspects that may be different in their own countries—for example, norms for communicating with supervisors—goes a long way. Equally, there have been many occasions where I felt I am not in the right place to provide advice or that I would be stepping on their supervisor’s toes. In these situations, drawing a line is the responsible thing to do.

Walston: I make sure to ask each student about their previous experience and find out their individual interests so I can tailor opportunities. I always allow my students to reschedule our meetings or shift times around if their other responsibilities are taking more of their time—but I make sure it is known and understood that this is still a class for them.

Ito: The heart of good mentoring is simple but powerful: Listen carefully and ask the right questions. The goal is to spark reflection, not to hand out ready-made answers. Try to offer mentees a fresh angle that pushes them to think beyond the immediate issue. What’s really causing it, and how can they tackle it in a way that leads to a lasting solution? Most of the time, they already hold the answers. That kind of self-reflection will build confidence and create deeper, longer lasting growth in mentees.

Q: What aspects do you enjoy most when supervising or mentoring junior peers? What challenges and tensions have you run into?

Walston: My absolute favorite moments are when the students understand the material and feel comfortable enough to start asking their own questions. Then, keeping in touch with former mentees reminds me how far I have come as a scientist. One particular challenge is when a mentee really wants to be a scientist, but they struggle to find time within their schedule. In the past, I have offered help with time management or tried to provide some accommodations, but ultimately I must be able to trust that they can complete the work. I have also found that if students start their own projects too early, it can be too intimidating and lead to a lot of unnecessary roadblocks. By first spending considerable time shadowing me to see how I think, ask questions, and address my own roadblocks, they are better prepared for their own endeavors in the lab.

Bonnell: There are many times in graduate school that feel like the end of the world—an important experiment fails in a way that doesn’t make sense, another lab scoops your thesis project, you find out your protein of interest doesn’t do anything interesting. I love seeing mentees succeed after these types of setbacks. For me, striking the balance between my own needs and those of my mentees was difficult to get right at first. But oftentimes it was as simple as me saying that I just needed to focus on my own work and referring them to someone else who could help in the meantime. You probably are not the only mentor that mentee has, so spread the responsibilities when needed.

Pavlidis: What I enjoy most in mentoring is seeing junior peers become more confident in expressing their views and making thoughtful, informed decisions. One student came to realize during our conversations that their wish to quit was driven more by external pressures than by a true personal choice, and eventually chose to stay on the academic path. Another junior peer with a strong academic profile and ambitious career plans decided to give more space to personal life and family. I found the two mentoring experiences equally meaningful, because mentoring is about helping each person identify the path that fits them best. What I still find more challenging nowadays is navigating human interactions. It is often a delicate balance between courtesy, honesty, and knowing how much one can endure without losing oneself. Often, there also is the awkwardness of the initial meetings, when both sides are still getting to know each other and trust has not yet been established. Another challenge is finding the right balance between being supportive and allowing the mentee to shape the process in their own way. I also need to be mindful of my own limits in time and energy. But often, the conversations give something back to me as well, so the relationship feels more balanced rather than conflicting.

Moore: When interacting with students or staff who are at an earlier career stage than you, always try to see the world through your younger eyes. You didn’t know the rules. You sometimes asked the wrong questions or made inappropriate assumptions. Forgive these missteps just like your mentors forgave yours. But while one should be warm and open around mentees, you may also be their supervisor, so be purposeful in forging professional boundaries. I personally do not hang out with mentees outside of the office to keep these boundaries clear and transparent to the mentees as well as to the senior lab members. I see mentoring as essential to my career development. But many institutions do not reward efforts beyond research. As a junior mentor, be sure to balance your own responsibilities and your own mentor’s expectations with your dedication to your mentees.

Q: How have you benefited from your supervising and mentoring experiences?

Pavlidis: Mentoring others has helped me become a better listener and a more thoughtful communicator, because mentoring requires me to understand not only what someone says, but also what they may be hesitating to share. It has strengthened my professional skills and broadened my perspective on both career and life choices. Some mentees also remain active in the field and become part of a strong network built on shared values and ethics.

Ito: Mentoring experiences pushed me to reflect deeply on my own career path. I discovered how much I enjoy helping others reach their broader goals.

Walston: Having mentees helps me increase my body of work while offering them a chance to be a co-author on my papers. An added benefit has been having them write letters of recommendation for me from a student’s perspective when needed.

Bonnell: Now that I’ve left academia for the biotech industry, the greatest benefit has been in my ability to form strong working relationships and communicate effectively in a cross-functional environment. Many former mentees and mentors have also become great friends, and I enjoy keeping up, even if once a year, with their next stages of life. You never know when someone can connect you with your next job or an interesting opportunity.

Spyreli: Being a mentor offers great opportunities to reflect on your own experiences, including the challenges you have overcome. This reflection can build confidence in your own abilities and in your capacity to support others through similar challenges. In a few cases, my mentees had a clear idea of what they wanted to do in the future, and interacting with them opened my mind to ways of thinking that I had not previously considered.  

Moore: As a research mentor, you are forced to push against the edges of your own understanding to offer a clear explanation to a knowledgeable yet inexperienced student. I also have had the chance to explain things to skeptical students and get out of my ideological echo chamber. But most importantly, I think being a mentor makes me a better person—more understanding, patient, thoughtful, introspective, empathetic, and kind.

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