By Karen Rivedal, Office of Research & Scholarship
In a new commentary published in the Council on Undergraduate Research’s journal, Scholarship and Practice of Undergraduate Research, UW–Madison Interim Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning and Associate Professor of Kinesiology Janet Branchaw and Wisconsin Center for Education Research (WCER) Deputy Drector Christine Pfund make an evidence-based case for strengthening mentorship ecosystems to improve undergraduate research experiences and student outcomes.
Their commentary offers a roadmap for institutions to elevate undergraduate research through intentional mentoring practices. The central message of their research is clear: mentor–student relationships are not a side note in effective research — they’re the backbone of it, for good or bad.
“Mentors can play a vital role in shaping student outcomes,” said Pfund, a nationally recognized career expert in mentoring who directs the WCER-based Center for the Improvement of Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER). “Mentors can teach technical skills, offer career advice, and provide emotional support. But effective mentorship takes training.”
Branchaw, a nationally recognized expert in mentee training, member of the Council of Undergraduate Research, and former director of the Wisconsin Institute for Science Education and Community Engagement (WISCIENCE), notes, “Students’ perceptions of mentor effectiveness impact their perception of their own abilities and performance in research. Mentors and mentees may not innately understand how to navigate mentor–student relationships effectively, but these skills can be learned.”
Both sides benefit from stronger mentor–student partnerships
A trove of free, research-based resources developed by CIMER and WISCIENCE stands ready to address that need. CIMER serves as a national dissemination and training hub in research mentor and mentee education. Investigators at WISCIENCE and CIMER conduct research to develop and nationally test tools and trainings that support undergraduate research learning experiences.
“Undergraduate research experiences can be transformative,” the researchers’ commentary noted. “There is mounting evidence that students benefit in many ways, including increased graduation rates and retention, increased sense of belonging, greater self-efficacy, and the development of higher-order learning.”
But these gains are largely dependent on the quality of mentorship that students receive, especially for mentees from underrepresented backgrounds. Research has shown that mentor-led undergraduate research experiences don’t serve as a springboard for student success unless mentors have certain core competencies.
“Mentorship takes skill, time, effort, resources, and dedicated individuals who should be adequately trained, recognized, and valued,” the authors wrote, as part of the commentary’s call for cultural change in how institutions approach educating undergraduate researchers.
Research shows that mentors trained in eight key competencies — including aligning expectations, fostering independence, and promoting cultural awareness — are more effective in helping student mentees thrive. Importantly, studies show that the training of mentors increases the likelihood that they’ll use mentorship agreements, experience personal fulfillment, and gain fresh perspectives on their research.
Research also shows that mentor–mentee relationships are complex and unique, shaped by personalities, backgrounds, and shared goals. Although no two partnerships are identical, Branchaw and Pfund have learned over 20 years of collaborating on research that all mentors and students can learn how to build trust, communicate effectively, and support each other’s growth.
Training is key for mentors and mentees
To guide student learning, Branchaw and her colleagues — Amanda Butz, WISCIENCE evaluation and research director, and Joseph Ayoob, associate professor in the department of computational and systems biology at the University of Pittsburgh — developed the Comprehensive Researcher Development Framework, which outlines 79 core outcomes across eight areas, from subject knowledge and research management skills to research communication and career readiness. These outcomes are framed to guide students and mentors in co-shaping meaningful research experiences.
“The mentor–student relationship plays an important role in supporting students to achieve core learning outcomes,” Branchaw said. “When the expected outcomes are transparent and students feel supported and understood, they’re more likely to persist in research and believe in their abilities.”
Supporting these efforts are WISCIENCE’s foundational Entering Research curriculum for mentees and companion Entering Research Learning Assessment tool, and CIMER’s Entering Mentoring curriculum and companion Mentoring Competency Assessment tool. Together, these curricula and assessment tools help mentors and mentees successfully navigate their partnerships.
The tools are freely available for use by undergraduate research offices, training program directors, and academic departments that aspire to build strong mentorship ecosystems, supporting their efforts to:
- Incorporate evidence-based curricula into training programs.
- Use validated assessment tools to track student and mentor development.
- Host workshops and institutes to train mentors and mentees and support program design.
- Offer structured programs like course-based undergraduate research experiences to expand access to research and help students build confidence.
- Foster inclusive environments that recognize and reward mentorship, encouraging an academic culture that values it as a scholarly practice.
“By investing in these components, institutions can create academic ecosystems in which undergraduate research thrives,” said Pfund.
Learn more about WISCIENCE and CIMER resources and training programs at cimerproject.org.