Ten simple rules for establishing a mentorship programme

PLoS Comput Biol. 2022 May 12;18(5):e1010015. doi: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1010015. eCollection 2022 May.

Abstract

In recent years, a wide variety of mentorship programmes targeting issues that cannot be addressed through traditional teaching and learning methods alone have been developed. Mentoring plays significant roles in the growth and development of both mentors and mentees, and the positive impacts of mentoring have been well documented. Mentorship programmes are therefore increasingly being implemented in a wide variety of fields by organisations, academic institutes, businesses, and governments. While there is a growing body of literature on mentoring and mentorship programmes, gaining a clear overview of the field is often challenging. In this article, we therefore provide a concise summary of recommendations to consider when designing and establishing mentorship programmes. These recommendations are based on the collective knowledge and experiences of 4 different emerging and established mentorship programmes and can be adapted across various mentorship settings or contexts.

Publication types

  • Editorial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Academies and Institutes
  • Humans
  • Mentoring*
  • Mentors*

Grants and funding

ESCALATOR is a project of SADiLaR funded through the South African Department of Science and Innovation. Open Life Science has been made possible in part by a grant from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative DAF, an advised fund of Silicon Valley Community Foundation. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.