Creating an environment in which research and research partnerships can flourish at UNE is the primary aim of a new program being launched in late March. The Research Culture Mentor Training Program, delivered in collaboration with Manna Institute, is a structured program designed to enhance the mentorship delivered by senior UNE academic and professional staff (levels D and E).
DVC-Research Professor Chris Armstrong, who is sponsoring the program, said he hopes it will help foster a stronger research culture and increase the impact of UNE researchers.
“Mentoring is as much about the growth and development of the mentor as it is about the mentee,” Professor Armstrong said. “Mentoring relationships are incredible learning experiences. They draw on the passion and importance of the research we do later in our careers while, at the same time, enabling junior researchers to achieve their hopes and dreams.”
Over six months from March to August, senior UNE researchers can discover practical strategies for effective mentorship, ways to support early-career researchers and HDR students, and the skills needed to engage and collaborate successfully with industry partners.
“This is a framework to strengthen UNE’s research culture and success, under the Research Enterprise and Engagement Plan (REEP),” Professor Armstrong said.
UNE Professor in Clinical Exercise Physiology and Manna Institute Senior Researcher Neil Smart appreciates both how isolating it can be conducting research in a regional setting and the benefits of being a mentor. He has filled that role many times, at UNE and for colleagues via Exercise and Sport Science Australia (ESSA) and the American Heart Association, and is currently a mentor with Manna’s own successful mentoring program.
“I had a really good PhD supervisor and mentor, who encouraged me and gave me responsibility so that I could grow,” Neil remembers. “But once I finished my PhD and left his department, I felt like I was all at sea and struggled for two or three years.
“A mentor can provide a different perspective on how to approach your research. With my mentees, I try to share the breadth of my experience, providing sound, constructive advice. We talk about let-downs and setbacks. We troubleshoot and come up with Plan Bs and Cs, but these are skills that you need to learn.”
UNE’s Research Culture Mentor Training Program will see participants enjoy four two-hour face-to-face workshops (hybrid options available) and 10 short activities focussed on providing hands-on mentoring experience. Newly skilled mentors will then pair up with early and mid-career researchers, both from academic and professional staff.
“We hope this manageable format will make it easier for senior researchers to participate alongside their existing work commitments and I encourage those committed to shaping the next generation of scholars and strengthening UNE’s research ecosystem to get involved,” Professor Armstrong said. “It’s a valuable opportunity for them to grow personally and professionally.”
Register your interest today by emailing mannainstitute@une.edu.au
