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.
Developing and implementing effective mentoring practices is necessary in order 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. The principles, best practices and list of resources are designed to assist all faculty serving in formal or informal roles as mentors and mentees.
Mentoring Relationships and Programs
Faculty mentoring takes place in multiple forms, including one-on-one relationships between individuals and group-based mentoring, and includes the mentoring of faculty colleagues, postdoctoral trainees and students.
The Office of the Provost offers small group mentoring for department chairs and early career faculty through the Provost's Small Group Faculty Mentoring Program. This innovative program, offered since 2020, was designed by a faculty committee chaired by Kenzie Cameron, Professor of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine.
Mentoring Training at Northwestern
Northwestern encourages all faculty to advance their mentoring practices through training sessions available at the university. The following training program has been designed to align with the four Foundational Principles of Mentoring Practice and evidence-based best practices.
| Program Title |
Advancing Mentoring Excellence at Northwestern
|
| Sponsor Unit |
Office of the Provost |
| Audience |
All Northwestern faculty, including those not appointed to training grants. All faculty are strongly encouraged to participate in this workshop series. |
| Program Goals/Scope |
Develop skills as a mentor, primarily to graduate students and postdoctoral trainees. |
| Program Length |
Five core sessions are required to earn a Mentoring Excellence Certificate. |
| NIH Requirements |
Successful completion of the five core sessions required to earn a certificate will fulfill the NIH training grant requirements for mentor training. Learn more about the NIH training requirements and how the University reports completion at the Training Grants Support Office. |
| Program Location and Modality |
90-minute in-person and synchronous virtual workshops. In-person workshops are offered in Chicago and Evanston. |
| Program Frequency |
Required core sessions offered annually. Elective topics will vary annually. |
| Program Format |
Small group work, case studies, short lecture-style learning, and expert-led guidance. Each session has case studies available for both lab-based STEM faculty and non-lab-based faculty across all disciplines. |
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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.
Completion of the NUCATS Mentor Training Certificate Program also fulfills NIH requirements for faculty mentors on T32 and other training grants. Faculty are intended to complete either the Provost Office series or the NUCATS series, and to attend additional mentoring training sessions every few years on advanced/additional topics.
Review the 2025-26 schedule and register for workshop sessions.