A new multi-year study suggests that biomedical science faculty can significantly improve how they mentor graduate students, especially those from historically underrepresented racial and ethnic groups—if mentors are given the right kind of training.
The study tested different doses of a previously validated program called Culturally Aware Mentoring (CAM), designed to help faculty better understand how race, culture, and identity shape research mentoring relationships. The researchers behind the study, IDS Chair Angela Byars-Winston, Stephanie House, Remi Jones, Sylvia Hurtado, You-Geon Lee, Ellyssa Eiring, and Richard McGee, followed 787 faculty mentors in the biomedical sciences across 33 research-intensive U.S. universities for one year. Dr. Byars-Winston says, “We wanted to know if cultural awareness training is effective over time, how effective are different doses of training, and what makes cultural awareness training “stick” with participants.” She and her team found that CAM led to lasting changes in mentors’ confidence, skills, and day-to-day behaviors—even a year after training.
Science and technology fields have long struggled with racial inequalities. Some of these inequalities have been particularly notable in areas including graduate training and pathways to academic careers. Many faculty mentors have said they feel “ill-equipped” to discuss how racism and inequality affect students’ experiences in labs and classrooms.1 These gaps in understanding can undermine the persistence of students from historically underrepresented groups in biomedical fields.
Using a rigorous cluster-randomized comparative trial—essentially a study where groups of people rather than individuals are randomized to receive different treatments, the researchers tested three versions of CAM: a self-paced online module only, the original full facilitated workshop delivered in three sessions (9hrs), and a new shorter facilitated workshop delivered in two sessions (6hrs). While all versions produced positive effects, the longer workshop had the strongest and most durable impact, especially in boosting mentors’ confidence to engage in difficult conversations about race and ethnicity. Notably, the trainings, even the facilitated workshops, were delivered virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic, demonstrating that online formats can still produce meaningful change.
Qualitative interviews with study participants offer insights about why the program worked. Faculty said it helped them recognize blind spots and experiment with new mentoring approaches. In particular, the structured self-reflection and introspection, combined with open discussion among peers and guidance from expert facilitators were helpful. Many reported becoming more proactive in asking about students’ experiences, addressing identity-related challenges, and adapting their mentoring styles.
The researchers argue that improving culturally aware mentorship is not just a matter of good intentions, but of professional development grounded in evidence. By helping faculty develop greater confidence and skills around mentoring, this program improves the persistence of graduate students from underrepresented groups and builds a more inclusive and resilient biomedical research workforce.
- Miller-Kleinhenz, J. M. et al. Let’s talk about race: changing the conversations around race in academia. Communications Biology 4, 1–6 (2021).