Building a culture of belonging and success (Grad mentors, DiG and TRaCE awardees and Host Labs)
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 and Labs:
- 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-DiG mentors are encouraged to:
- Develop cohorts of geochronology student researchers
- Set clear and reasonable expectations with student input
- Revisit project design and ask for student feedback
- Incorporate BAJEDI principles into the recruitment, selection, and retention of participants
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
Example Mentorship Plan:
Example Codes of Conduct:
- UNR Department of Geological Sciences and Engineering
- CSU Northridge Department of Geological Sciences