Skip to main content

Postdoc Mentoring Plans

The National Science Foundation (NSF) requires all proposals requesting funding for postdoctoral scholars to include a Postdoctoral Researcher Mentoring Plan.

NSF 101: The postdoctoral mentoring plan

Postdoctoral Researcher Mentoring Plan Sample Template (created by Northwestern Research Development)

Training Resources:

  • Searle Center.  The Searle Center promotes high-quality teaching and learning at Northwestern by working with instructors to enhance their teaching and with undergraduates to enhance their learning. They also conduct research and evaluation on teaching and learning in higher education.
  • The Postdoc Academy is a comprehensive online and in-person program built on the National Postdoctoral Association core competencies to support skill development. Courses include “The Postdoc Academy: Succeeding as a Postdoc” and “The Postdoc Academy: Building Skills for a Successful Career.” The Postdoc Academy was developed by a team at Northwestern University, Boston University, Michigan State, and University of Wisconsin-Madison.
  • Science Communication Online Programme (SCOPE) is an introduction to effective science communication designed for STEM graduate students. This NSF-funded resources is free and created for those who don’t have access to live, in-person science communication training. Participants practice creating data visualization and forming clear rhetorical arguments while developing their speaking and presentation skills.
  • The STEAMbassador program: the NU Office of Community Education Partnerships (OCEP) runs the STEAMbassador program at NU, which helps college students discover and strengthen their STEAM interests and share those interests with youth through mentorship and creative activity. STEAMbassadors are specially trained mentors from partnering two-and four-year institutions that engage elementary and middle-school aged youth in STEAM activities such as coding music, flying drones, building machines, and writing stories in online and face-to-face informal learning spaces.
  • National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN) - part of the Diversity Program Consortium (DPC), a trans-NIH program funded by the NIH Common Fund and administered by NIGMS. NRMN is developing a national network of mentors and mentees from all biomedical disciplines relevant to the NIH mission to provide mentorship, professional development, mentor/mentee training, networking and resources to individuals from the undergraduate to early career faculty levels.
  • Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER) - offers customized research mentor training workshops led by CIMER Master Facilitators. CIMER’s training is based on the Entering Mentoring curriculum, developed by Dr. Pfund and the Entering Research curriculum, developed by Dr. Janet Branchaw.