Professional development guidance for institutions
This page provides guidance on the professional development, career advice and mentoring that we require host institutions to provide for MRC fellows.
Review of performance and development
It is important that host institutions give MRC fellows a clear understanding of their role and responsibilities and the expectations of the institution at the beginning of their fellowship. Fellows should also be given regular feedback on their performance and a regular review of their developmental needs and career development opportunities.
We recommend a process of annual performance and development review, carried out by the sponsor or another senior member of the host department. The process should include agreeing objectives for the fellow and their team and monitoring progress against them. The institution is also responsible for ensuring that the fellow carries out appropriate annual performance and development review for research staff under their direct supervision.
Institutions may use either an existing framework of skills and assessment criteria or develop and implement a new one specifically for MRC fellows and the staff employed on fellowships.
Career development advice
Institutions should ensure that all MRC intermediate and senior fellows are given timely advice on future career opportunities both within and outside the host institution. In particular, all fellows should have a career development review approximately 2 years before the end of the fellowship and receive clear advice on whether there are any prospects of ongoing or permanent employment within the host institution after the end of the fellowship.
Mentoring
The MRC requires all host institutions to ensure that all intermediate and senior MRC fellows are given access to mentoring for the duration of the fellowship.
Success in academic disciplines depends not only on a strong research track record but also on making the right career choices. Having made the right choice, moving upward through the profession often involves career ‘step changes’. In addition to scientific expertise, these often require new personal skills in order to cope effectively with greater professional autonomy and responsibility.
Mentoring is an established way of helping academic and clinical researchers to establish their careers. The purpose is to provide informed advice and counsel to enable individual researchers to realise their full potential and thus to make a valuable contribution to quality research in the UK. A mentor is not a supervisor/sponsor, but a “wise and trusted professional friend” - typically a senior figure from outside the host department with whom to discuss career aims, problems and development.
Further information
Useful books on mentoring:
- “Implementing Mentoring Schemes- a practical guide to successful programmes” Nadine Klasen and David Clutterbuck.
- Techniques for Coaching and mentoring, David Clutterbuck and David Megginson
- “Advisor, teacher, role model friend- on being a mentor to students in science and engineering” National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine
- “A Practical Guide to Mentoring: Play an Active and Worthwhile Part in the Development of Others, and Improve Your Own Skills in the Process” David Kay and Roger Hinds
Websites with examples of schemes and guidance:
- Academy of Medical Sciences scheme for clinicians moving into research
- Leicester University scheme for new faculty members
- University of Cambridge Mentoring for induction
- Imperial College mentoring scheme for women post-docs/early career academic staff (PDF)
- North-west universities mentoring scheme for women academics