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- UROP Mentorship Tips & Resources
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UROP Mentorship Tips & Resources
—By Melissa Martin-Greene, Program Coordinator, UROP
The tips and resources provided in this feature have been compiled over the past year based on UROP staff experiences and discussions during our Facilitating Effective Research (FER) series hosted in collaboration with Dr. Janet Rankin, Associate Director of MIT’s Teaching and Learning Laboratory.
Facilitating Effective Research (FER) is a multi-faceted program to help graduate students and others who work with UROP students become more effective research mentors. The sessions are offered on a quarterly basis and information on academic year 2008-2009 sessions will be announced in September.
While these tips and resources are by no means exhaustive, we hope that they will assist you and your lab as you work with your UROP students. We also plan to augment these resources as we continue to offer the FER sessions and welcome any additional tips or feedback to help us improve these resources and/or make them more accessible to others who serve as research mentors.
Top Tips for UROP Mentors
To help your UROP understand his/her role in the lab and expectations, be sure to address critical issues at the beginning of the UROP to avoid surprises down the line. Consider the following:
- Don’t assume prior knowledge. Evaluate your student’s background, relevant classes, etc. Review important protocols and model procedures to ensure understanding.
- Define what the research is about and put the student’s project in context. Explain how their work/project relates to other work in the field. Provide background reading or suggest articles that help the student learn and solidify concepts and contexts.
- Explain supervision responsibilities, including who approves weekly timesheets, if a paid UROP, and any grade award requirements if for credit). Be sure to specify who will provide supervision if you are away or if the student needs additional assistance.
- Find out how many classes they are taking and how many other activities/jobs they plan to pursue that term. Set schedules that work for you both. A key can be avoiding having key deliverables due at the mid or end of term, as students may become overwhelmed by class work/exams.
- Develop a realistic plan for your students. Set specific due dates, goals, deliverables, etc. Outline expectations. Put the student’s role into context, define the commitment, deliverables, and expectations, but be prepared to reevaluate as the term progresses.
- Have students write a personal project timeline that they adjust mid-semester and meet with them often to review progress. Consider using the student’s UROP proposal as a blueprint for the term and continually check-in on their progress and needs.
- Meet regularly and reevaluate plans/deliverables as needed. Streamline meetings by clearly defining what you expect to accomplish and what the student might do to prepare.
- Involve the student in lab/group meetings so that they can get a sense of the overall research environment and their role within it. Group meetings are also a great way for students to connect with the faculty advisor and interface with the other researchers in the lab,
- If research is not progressing as expected or the student is not showing up for lab as expected, ask your faculty advisor for advice or consult UROP staff earlier rather than later. Delaying a conversation about lack of progress can be frustrating for all involved and there may be other factors at play that warrant additional resources and support.
- Evaluate each other at the mid-term. Set a meeting with your students and evaluate project progress, both their contributions and what they may need from you.
- Define the factors your lab uses to determine authorship credit, should publications result from UROP projects.
- Clarify who retains custody of primary, original data; be it gathered in the field or in the laboratory.
- Be specific about goals, meeting agendas, etc. and if meeting to discuss project progress be sure to clarify what you expect the student to have prepared in advance for the discussion.
- Provide active feedback on the UROP and the student’s research and check in with your students about what they need from you.
- Share your experiences, knowledge, and advice. Students may have questions about graduate school, etc. and seek your advice. Be supportive and open to a dialog.
- Maintain active communication throughout the UROP. Be available and responsive. Let your students know your schedule, how best to reach you, and hours that you are available for consultation, especially if the project involves some independent work. Be sure to respond to their queries promptly, so they feel heard and appreciated.
- Both you and your UROP should evaluate the project at the end of the term, not only project progress, but also the student’s contribution and your role as supervisor. UROP requires end of term evaluations from both students and their mentors, considering meeting to share your feedback with each other
Resources for UROP Mentors
Below are references to resources that may prove useful in your work with UROP students.
UROP Online Resources
Referral Resources for Students
- Student Support Services: Free confidential counseling for all issues, support for special groups. Learn more at: http://mit.edu/counsel/www/.
- MIT Medical: Offers a single, centralized source for all student health care needs, including comprehensive health insurance, care and treatment at the on-campus medical center, referral to outside specialists and facilities, and an extensive roster of health promotion programs. Learn more at: http://mit.edu/medical/.
- Student Services Center: The Student Services Center in 11-120 offers one-stop information from Student Financial Services, Student Employment, and the Registrar's Office. Their website has extensive detail about financial aid, billing and payment, and student employment. Learn more at: http://web.mit.edu/sfs/.
- International Students Office: Advice on travel and other immigration issues, processing of required forms, and a host program. The ISO encourages international students to see one of their counselors by appointment, in order to allow enough time for careful attention to complex issues. Learn more at: http://web.mit.edu/iso/.
- Disabilities Services Office: The DSO seeks to ensure that students with disabilities receive equal access to all Institute programs and services. Some students may be reluctant to contact the DSO, especially about "invisible" conditions like learning disabilities; DSO staff can help you work with such students. Learn more at: http://web.mit.edu/dso/www/.
Helpful Articles
- Ten Time-Saving Tips for Undergraduate Research Mentors. Coker, Jeffrey Scott; Davies, Eric. Published in the Journal of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Education, v35 p110-112 2006.
- The Knowledge, Skill, and Ability Requirements for Teamwork: Implications for Human Resource Management. Michael J. Stevens & Michael A. Campion J. of Management 20(2) 503-530 (1994).
- Corporate Structure in the Classroom: A Model for Teaching Engineering Design. Ken Collier, Jerry Hatfield, Steven Howell, Debra Larson & Greg Thomas American Society for Engineering Education - Frontiers in Education Conference (1995).
- Teamwork Quality and the Success of Innovative Projects: A Theoretical Concept and Empirical Evidence. Martin Hoegl & Hans Georg Gemuenden Organizational Science 12(4) 435-499 (2001).
- The Experience and Evolution of Trust: Implications for Cooperation and Teamwork. Gareth R. Jones & Jennifer M. George. The Academy of Management Review 23(3) 531-546 (1998).
- How To Mentor Undergraduate Researchers by Carolyn Ash Merkel, California Institute of Technology and Shenda M. Baker, Harvey Mudd College. From: the Council on Undergraduate Research. See http://www.cur.org/Publications/Howtoseries.html#4 for details.
When in doubt or needing advice about your interactions with UROPs, feel free to contact UROP Staff, Room 7-104, x3-7306, urop@mit.edu. For additional advice on teaching and learning, consult TLL staff, tll@mit.edu.
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