Graduate Mentorships
Program Description
Graduate mentorships provide an opportunity for graduate students to establish research groups and learn leadership skills in research. The program is intended to provide preparation for a job in academia. Research groups consist of a graduate student mentor and two undergraduate research fellows. Undergraduate fellows work intensively with the group for one summer and then continue through the school year. Graduate mentors choose who will join their research group.
Mentorships begin in the spring semester and extend through the following spring. Graduate applications for the program beginning spring 2009 are due November 28, 2008. Graduate mentors receive a half-time paid research assistantship with tuition waiver for the summer during which they participate. In addition, they can apply for UF-HHMI G.A.T.O.R. research and travel awards totaling $1000 ($500 for research, $500 for travel). The two undergraduate fellows who work with the graduate mentor are also qualified to apply for research and travel awards totaling $1000 each, raising the overall research budget for the team.
Benefits for Graduate Mentors
- Earn a half-time summer research assistantship with tuition waiver.
- Mentor two paid summer undergraduate research assistants whom you select from a large applicant pool. You can also encourage undergraduates already working with you to apply.
- Continue to work with your research assistants during the school year.
- Prepare for a faculty job by gaining experience leading and motivating a research group.
- Improve your mentoring and teaching skills.
- Transfer your knowledge and experience to the next generation of scientists.
- Promote the importance and benefits of science research.
- Develop passionate young researchers.
- Participate in mentoring workshops with your peers.
- Broaden your scientific perspective and collegial network by interacting with other research teams from diverse life sciences backgrounds.
- Become a better mentee as you experience mentoring from your advisor's perspective.
- Attend a spring course on Communicating Complexity in Science (3 credits).
- Improve your communications skills.
- Apply for $1000 in research and travel funding.
- Encourage your undergraduate assistants to apply for a total of $2000 in research and travel funding.
Who can apply?
UF-HHMI G.A.T.O.R. graduate mentorships are open to all UF graduate students with biological or biochemical interests. In general PhD students in their second or later year are preferred because they typically have a well-developed project by then, and can effectively articulate how undergraduates will be involved in their research. Mentors are chosen by a panel of UF-HHMI G.A.T.O.R. faculty advisors. Graduate student applicants must submit a letter of support from their faculty advisor.
Graduate Mentors are Expected to:
- Recruit the undergraduate fellows who will apply to work with you. The G.A.T.O.R. Program does several recruitment activities to support graduate mentors.
- Serve as the review and admissions committee for the undergraduate fellows during your first spring (prior to the summer RA). This will entail interviewing several undergraduates (click here for interview suggestions), reading undergraduate applications, and working as a committee to select undergraduates who are good matches for both the program and the individual graduate mentors who are participating. Two undergraduate fellows will be accepted to join each graduate mentor’s research group.
- Attend the first three sessions of an 8-session workshop on “Mentoring the Next Generation” during your first spring (prior to summer RA). Sessions will last 2 hours and be scheduled conveniently for the mentors. The first three sessions cover expectations of the G.A.T.O.R. Program, undergraduate project development, setting expectations for fellows, helping fellows gain independence, and development of the mentor-fellow relationship.
- Attend sessions 4-8 of the workshop on “Mentoring the Next Generation” during the summer of your RA.
- Mentor two undergraduate fellows for the summer through spring semesters. Generally speaking, the G.A.T.O.R. Program anticipates that undergraduates will participate in research projects developed by the graduate mentor as part of his or her thesis or dissertation project. However, graduate mentors can also choose to guide their students in independent research projects. In either case, undergraduate fellows should be able to work more or less independently by the end of the summer. The G.A.T.O.R. Program encourages undergraduate fellows to finish the laboratory component of their research by December so that analysis, writing, and presentation preparation can be done in the spring.
- Build a working relationship with your undergraduate fellows. Mentor/mentee relationships are based on trust and mutual respect. They are derived over time from people working together towards a common goal. In the G.A.T.O.R. Program, the common goal for undergraduate fellows and mentors is a research project that the fellow will present at a national scientific meeting. Typically, a fellow's research project is related to the mentor's thesis or dissertation research and both parties should expect to generate publishable data. Fellows should rely on the guidance of their mentors, but ultimately take responsibility for their individual projects. Mentors can promote a fellow's independence by teaching critical thinking, record keeping, and ways to find information from primary resources.
- During summer and fall, attend and participate in a weekly 1.5 hour G.A.T.O.R. Discussion Group with all UF-HHMI G.A.T.O.R. Program participants.
- Write a mini-grant proposal to the G.A.T.O.R. Program for up to $500 in research funds. Proposals are accepted during the summer and fall semesters.
- Attend a course on “Communicating Complexity in Science” during the spring semester following your summer RA. This 3 credit class meets once/week for 3 hours.
- Attend the UF Engineering and Science Fair in February, where undergraduate fellows will present their research.
- Travel to the national meeting of your choice to present research with your two undergraduate fellows. Presentations can be either poster or oral presentations and all three members of the research team are encouraged to present individually. It is preferable, but not required, that meeting attendance occurs during or soon after the mentorship. Presented research should include work that was completed during the mentorship.
Overview of graduate mentor schedule
Fall
Application and letter of support from faculty advisor due November 28, 2008 (postmark deadline).
Spring
Recruit undergraduates to work with you; serve on review and admissions committee during March and April; attend the first three sessions of an 8-session workshop on “Mentoring the Next Generation".
Summer
Attend mentoring workshop sessions 4-8; mentor 2 undergraduates; attend and participate in weekly G.A.T.O.R. Discussion Group (1 credit optional); write a mini-grant proposal to the G.A.T.O.R. Program for up to $500 in research funds. Undergraduate work commitment is 25-40 hours per week, and is flexible depending on research needs.
Fall
Mentor 2 undergraduates (undergraduate work commitment is 9-10 hours per week); attend and participate in weekly G.A.T.O.R. Discussion Group (1 credit required).
Spring
Mentor 2 undergraduates; attend semester long course on Communicating Complexity in Science (3 credits required, meets once/week); attend UF Engineering and Science Fair in February to support your fellows; make conference travel plans if this has not been done already.
Download Application Form (PDF)
Download Application Form (MS Word)
Additional Graduate Fellowship Opportunities
Opportunities specifically for underrepresented minority students
