Mentoring in Research |  | Support a graduate student... |
|  |  | Supporting a graduate student means more than providing financial resources. New students must be instructed both in the technical aspects of research and in appropriate experimental design and data interpretation. This research methodology instruction may be provided by the mentor or through formal coursework. In her role as a mentor, the faculty member should consider explaining to new graduate students the process by which research is funded. This will help them understand the grant proposal submission process. It will also emphasize the importance of rigorous experimental design and data analysis. In addition, she should work to develop a relationship with her graduate students beyond that of research supervisor. This may include starting research meetings with a short "check in" on how the student is doing in general, an occasional lunchtime meeting, or other format that allows for conversation beyond the immediate activities in the laboratory.