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Mentoring Excellence

Northwestern supports the cultivation of a community of individuals dedicated to excellence in mentoring and who help others become effective mentors and mentees at Northwestern University.

Effective mentoring practices are necessary to build a welcoming, supportive community; to attract, retain and develop talented scholars; and to contribute to an institutional culture that prioritizes well-being and scholarly growth.

At Northwestern, faculty mentorship work should be guided by four core Foundational Principles of Mentoring Practice: intentional, welcoming, relational and holistic. These principles were developed by the Provost’s Office Mentoring Council, composed of faculty from across the schools. 

Advancing Mentoring Excellence Faculty Mentoring Training Program

The Office of the Provost encourages all faculty to advance their mentoring practices through training sessions available at the Northwestern. The Advancing Mentoring Excellence program has been designed to align with the four Foundational Principles of Mentoring Practice and evidence-based best practices. Faculty participants will learn new tools and practices from faculty facilitators with mentoring expertise and discuss case scenarios with peers. Faculty can earn a Certificate of Mentoring Excellence by attending all five core sessions, offered both in Evanston and in Chicago.  

Register online for the 2026-2027 Advancing Mentoring Excellence program.

NIH Training Grant Mentor Training Requirements 

Completion of Advancing Mentoring Excellence five core sessions leading to the Certificate fulfills NIH requirements for faculty mentors on T32 and other training grants. See the Training Grants Support Office for more information. 

Faculty on training grants are intended to complete either the Provost Office Advancing Mentoring Excellence series or can attend the NUCATS Mentor Development Series.

NUCATS Mentor Development Series: Cultivating Effective Mentoring Skills

Northwestern University Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (NUCATS) also offers mentoring training for faculty who hold appointments in the Feinberg School of Medicine and faculty in other colleges if they are engaged in biomedical research. This program is designed to develop skills as a mentor, primarily for mentoring early career faculty in the medical school.