CSEB MENTORSHIP PROGRAM

Welcome to the Canadian Society for Epidemiology and Biostatistics (CSEB) Mentorship Program. Our goal is to facilitate mentorship opportunities in epidemiology and biostatistics by pairing trainees and early career professionals with experienced academics and professionals for one-on-one support and guidance.
Mentees can be:
  • Graduate students (Master’s and PhD),
  • Postdoctoral fellows, or
  • Early career professionals (less than 5 years after starting their careers).
Mentors can be epidemiologists and biostatisticians working in:
  • Academic settings (e.g., as faculty at universities or colleges, as scientists at hospital research institutes) or
  • Non-academic settings (e.g., public health, industry, government).
Note: A mentee can also volunteer as a mentor. For example, Postdoctoral Fellows and Early Career Professionals might consider applying to be mentors for graduate students.

Our Goal

Our program aims to strengthen the Canadian epidemiology and biostatistics workforce by:

  • Engaging trainees and early career professionals interested in epidemiology and biostatistics in academic and non-academic settings;
  • Supporting epidemiology and biostatistics trainees and early career professionals as they navigate their training and careers; and
  • Building a strong national epidemiology and biostatistics community through virtual and in-person (e.g., at the biennial CSEB conference) networking opportunities.

BENEFITS OF PARTICIPATING IN THE CSEB MENTORSHIP PROGRAM

Benefits for mentees include opportunities to:
  • Benefit from the experience and support of mentors currently working in epidemiology or biostatistics in academic or non-academic settings,
  • Learn more about graduate training and future career options, and
  • Receive guidance about important questions and priorities.
Benefits for mentors include opportunities to:
  • Network, at a national level, with other epidemiology and biostatistics professionals, 
  • Introduce mentees to new perspectives on their research and career paths, 
  • Give back to the community by sharing your own career experiences with individuals just beginning their careers, and
  • Build and strengthen your own mentorship skills.

Program Details

The CSEB Mentorship program will run as a permanent CSEB initiative. Mentees and their mentors are generally expected to meet four times per year (i.e., every 3 months).

Application Details

You can apply to be a mentee, a mentor, or both (see above). Mentees and mentors must be active CSEB members (click here to renew your membership today!).

When you apply to be a mentee, you will be asked:

  • Your career stage (graduate student, postdoctoral fellow, early career professional).
  • Your discipline (epidemiology, biostatistics).
  • The area in which you would like mentorship (graduate studies, career path, etc.).
  • Whether there are any attributes you would prefer in a mentor (e.g., being matched to a mentor of the same gender – note that our ability to honour such requests depends on the availability of suitable mentors).

When you apply to be a mentor, you will be asked:

  • Your career stage.
  • Your discipline (epidemiology, biostatistics).
  • Your work setting (academic, government, industry).
  • Whether there are any attributes you would prefer in a mentee (e.g., being matched to a mentee in a particular sub-discipline – note that our ability to honour such requests depends on the availability of suitable mentees).

Matching Process

Matches will depend on the availability of volunteers who can be suitable matches. We will do our best to create matches based on each mentee’s priorities for mentoring (e.g., research interests, career trajectory, demographics such as gender).

Networking Opportunities

  • CSEB will hold a virtual career panel annually. Mentees and mentors are encouraged to attend.
  • We also encourage you to meet in person with your mentor/mentee at the Mentorship Breakfast at our biennial CSEB conference.
Please follow us on our website and the CSEB Twitter account (@csebsceb) for regular updates.

EXPECTATIONS OF MENTORS AND MENTEES

We ask Mentees to:
  • Contact your mentor quarterly (i.e., once every three months).
  • Work with your mentor to determine priorities for your mentorship relationship.
  • Check your email for communications from the CSEB Mentoring Program.
  • Respect the time commitment made by your mentor.
  • Reach out to us if you have any questions.
We ask Mentors to:
  • Contact your mentee quarterly (i.e., once every three months).
  • Work with your mentee to determine their mentorship priorities. These might include:
    • Providing advice related to graduate training,
    • Addressing career-related questions, or
    • Helping to introduce them to other experts in the field.
  • Check your email for communications from the CSEB Mentoring Program.
  • Respect and accept gender, racial/ethnic, disability, and other differences, and be mindful of the potential power dynamics within mentorship relationships.
  • Keep sensitive information disclosed by your mentee confidential (unless explicitly stated otherwise by your mentee).
  • Reach out to us if you have any questions.

Each mentee/mentor match will last one academic year. At the end of the year, we will email you to suggest ending the mentorship relationship and ask you to complete a brief feedback survey. Of course, you are encouraged to stay in touch with your mentor/mentee after the formal mentorship period ends.

Interested in participating?

The mentorship program runs annually from September to June, and applications for new mentee-mentor matches are due on August 31 every year.

Interested in participating as a mentee?

The applications are now closed

Interested in participating as a mentor?

The applications are now closed