Fermi Mentoring Program (MP)

Key Terms in the Fermi Mentoring Program (MP)

Mentee: A graduate student or postdoc in the LAT Collaboration or GBM Team who seeks mentoring support.
Mentor: A PhD-holder in the LAT Collaboration or GBM Team who offers guidance and shares experience with a student or postdoc. Mentors do not replace research advisors.
MP Organizing Committee (MP Org): Volunteer committee overseeing mentor–mentee pairing and program implementation.

Fermi Mentoring Program Description

Goals of the program

Create an effective mentoring structure by thoughtfully matching mentors and mentees and supporting their interactions through training and resources.
Foster strong and lasting mentor–mentee relationships that support professional growth, encourage open communication, and promote integration within the LAT Collaboration and GBM Team.
Share resources and facilitate guidance to help identify and remove personal and professional barriers to success.

Motivation

Effective and early mentoring plays a key role in student and postdoc success, satisfaction, and retention.
Fostering a welcoming environment supports current junior members and helps new members feel invited and connected from the start.
New junior members typically join the LAT Collaboration or GBM Team through research advising, but no formal mentoring expectations or training were initially built into this model—highlighting the need for a complementary mentoring structure.

Program structure

The Fermi MP Program is organized and operated by a volunteer-based Mentoring Program (MP) Organizing Committee. Members typically serve for at least one mentoring cycle.

MP Organizing Committee Roles

Operational – Mentor and mentee recruitment, selection, matching, and coordination of training activities.
Administrative – Program planning, communication, review, and expansion.

Mentor/Mentee Recruitment

Mentee Recruitment:

When a new student or postdoc joins the LAT Collaboration or GBM Team, the relevant leadership notifies the MP Organizing Committee, which then reaches out to welcome and inform the new member.
Research supervisors are encouraged to promote the Fermi Mentoring Program to their students and postdocs.
The MP Organizing Committee presents updates and welcomes new members at LAT Collaboration Meetings, with GBM Team members invited to attend these presentations.

Mentor Recruitment:

Mentor recruitment takes place once a year, typically during the period between the spring and autumn LAT Collaboration Meetings.

Mentor/Mentee Matching

Matching is based on questionnaire responses from mentees and mentors, with preferences weighted to best align interests and needs
Key matching criteria include topics of interest (e.g. research, career, outreach), shared team membership or affiliation (LAT or GBM), shared identity (e.g., gender, ethnicity), preferred communication language, time zone compatibility, and desired meeting frequency.
Questionnaires are typically distributed annually. Re-matching or new pairings during a mentoring cycle are possible upon expressed interest.
An optional informal (virtual) chat may be offered to help clarify preferences and ensure the best possible match, especially if questionnaire respondents feel that predefined options do not fully represent their needs.

Mentor/Mentee Expectations

Training

Annual training is required for all mentors and mentees, regardless of prior experience.
Equivalent training completed within the past year may be accepted upon approval by the MP Organizing Committee.
Training sessions are conducted online.

Time Commitment

The mentoring cycle begins shortly after the Fall LAT Collaboration Meeting and lasts for about one academic year, typically ending before the summer break.
Mentor and mentee pairs are expected to meet at least six times during the cycle, with meetings lasting about one hour each. Scheduling can be flexible to accommodate vacations and availability.
Re-matching with a new mentor after each cycle is encouraged unless both parties wish to continue.

Setting the expectations

In the first meeting, mentors and mentees establish clear goals, agree on a meeting schedule, and sign a mentoring agreement.
Guiding questions are provided to help structure this conversation.

Feedback

After each meeting, both mentor and mentee are expected to complete a brief feedback form.
A final program evaluation is collected at the end of the cycle.
Feedback can be used to request support from the MP Organizing Committee if needed.

Confidentiality

All conversations are confidential unless the mentee or mentor agrees otherwise or disclosure is required by law or policy.