CDS Mentorship Program

CDS is pleased to announce the third round of our mentorship program. The CDS Mentorship Program pairs mentees (e.g., RAs, students, postdocs, early career faculty) with more senior CDS members to provide mentees with valuable insights, guidance and advice on topics of interest to those mentees.

Who can be a mentee?

Anyone who is a lab manager/RA, undergraduate or graduate student, post-doc or junior faculty. This opportunity is open to all regardless of whether or not they are a member of CDS. There are no restrictions on where mentees are geographically located or the institution where they are based. The mentee will be asked to indicate the topic for which they are seeking mentorship (e.g., a research topic, writing a grant, applying to industry jobs, work-life balance, etc). Mentees at the graduate student, postdoc, and faculty level are also encouraged to serve as mentors for more junior mentees.

Who can be a mentor?

Anyone who has some expertise in Cognitive Development and is the right fit for a mentee’s interests can be a mentor. There are no restrictions on where mentors are geographically located or the institution (or field) where they work. Academics and members of industry, for example, can both be appropriate mentors depending on the need. In many cases mentees can also be mentors. For example, a graduate student might be a mentee that is paired with a postdoc or faculty, but could also serve as a mentor to an undergraduate or lab manager.

What is the time commitment and length of the mentorship?

The length of the formal mentoring relationship is just under one year, commencing in May 2025 and ending in April 2026, but the partnership may continue informally thereafter (see timeline below). It is expected that the mentee and mentor will meet a minimum of quarterly (and a maximum of monthly) over the course of the year for at least one hour. Pairs may arrange to meet more frequently at their own discretion. Mentor and mentee decide on the format of their interactions (emails, virtual meetings, etc.).

What is the application and matching process?

Mentees are required to fill out a brief survey to initiate the matching process. The survey asks for basic information about the mentee, as well as what type of mentorship would be valuable to the mentee. Mentees and mentors are matched based upon the mentee’s needs and the mentor’s expertise. The mentee’s interest in learning from the mentor and the mentor’s enthusiasm to serve are the primary requirements for the success of a mentoring relationship.

Is there an orientation or training for mentors or mentees?

At the outset of the mentorship program, mentors and mentees will be asked to view a brief kick off video to familiarize themselves with the program expectations and will schedule their first virtual meeting with one another. A mid-point check-in survey will be provided in October to assess how the program is going and identify areas that may be improved to help support the mentor-mentee connection. Mentee-mentor pairs will meet one-on-one and determine their mentoring plan. They will establish expectations around goals, frequency of meetings, communication and other elements.

Timeline

March 1st, 2025 – Mentee requests open
March 2nd, 2025 – Mentor call opens
March 31st, 2025 – Mentee requests close
Early April 2025 – Mentor requests close
Mid April 2025 – Mentee-mentor matching
Late April 2025 – Information about kick-off meeting for mentors and mentees
May 2025 – April 2026 – Ongoing mentorship activities
October 2025 – Mid-point check-in survey
April 2026 – Formal conclusion of mentorship relationship
April 2026 – Closing event (optional) at the CDS Conference in Montreal, Canada
May 2026 – Mentorship program closing survey