Resources for Labs and Mentors
Building a culture of belonging and success
AGeS is committed to expanding meaningful, sustainable, and successful participation in geochronology. We can collectively help members of our community thrive by building a culture of belonging and success. Individuals succeed when they are part of a safe community in which expectations are transparent. Whether you are a mentor on an AGeS funded project, a member of a lab that is hosting an AGeS-Grad awardee, leading a geochronology community effort, or are a graduate student forming new collaborations, we encourage you to thoughtfully build, support, and participate in an inclusive research culture.
Inclusive Practices for Mentors:
- Develop Mentorship Plans
- Allow opportunity for both Mentor and Mentee to set expectations and revise plans as needed
- Outline benefits to both Mentee and Mentor
- Determine a meeting frequency and communication plan
- Codes of Conduct in the lab or field
- Identify and define appropriate and inappropriate behaviors
- Describe a plan for the ethical treatment of people, land, and data
- Outline disciplinary action and reporting for conduct violations
- Build in mechanisms for continued re-evaluation of the effectiveness of the Code of Conduct and opportunities for its revision
- Communication and Support Strategies
- Openly and safely discuss racism and other identity-based hostilities and their impacts on mentee/participants experiences in science
- Determine how and how often will you communicate with your mentor/mentee
- Build community and cohorts for early career success
- Invite lab visitors to research group meetings
- Craft near-peer and peer mentorship relationships
- Provide opportunities for socializing and team building. Some or all of these social events should be alcohol-free.
- Regularly check in on project progress and ask how you can help
- Provide Key Information Early
- Plan ahead and be prepared
- Ensure project or lab expectations are clear and transparent
- Provide lab protocols, example budgets, relevant literature, etc.
AGeS-Labs are encouraged to:
- Discuss projects with AGeS-Grad applicants regarding the project feasibility, timeline, and budget
- Provide guidelines for what is expected before visiting the lab
- Help students find low-cost ways to participate (e.g., recommend cheaper places to stay, shared transportation, etc.)
- Provide protocols for lab work and data interpretation
- Stay involved as agreed upon with AGeS-Grad awardee and follow up after the lab visit
- Invite AGeS-Grad awardees to group meetings during their visit and introduce them to other members (student, postdoc, researchers) of the lab
- Help the AGeS-Grad awardee build their geochronology network, toolkit, and community
- Incorporate BAJEDI principles into the laboratory practices