Mentoring Changes due to an Unproductive Partnership

A. Responsibilities of former and new research mentors A mentorship change may be necessary based on irreconcilable differences or incompatibility between the research mentor(s) and mentee – whether based on scientific, academic, or personal issues – such that the mentoring partnership is no longer productive. In such cases, there are two possible outcomes that affect the role(s) of former and new mentors:

i) The mentee ceases to work on the former project. If no data, protocols, or code from the former research mentor’s laboratory is to be published, included in a thesis, or publically reported in any way, the former mentor no longer has responsibility for the mentee’s publication or reporting activities. If data, protocols, or code generated by the mentee in former mentor’s laboratory is to be published, the former mentor must document in writing (as part of the transition plan) that the former mentee will gain (co)authorship in accordance with ISMMS’s policy on authorship. If data, protocols, or code generated by the mentee in the former mentor’s laboratory is to be included in their PhD thesis, the former mentor and mentee must document inwriting such inclusion as part of the transition plan, and such an agreement must be approved by the Senior Associate Dean for PhD Programs, and recorded electronically in the student’s file. If the former mentor does not agree that the former mentee’s work is worthy of publication, including in the former mentee’s thesis, the dispute must be referred to, and handled by, the departmental Chair, similar to other authorship disputes.

ii) The mentee continues their research project in the laboratory of a new mentor. The former research mentor must approve in writing (and record electronically in the student’s file) the mentee’s continuation of a project originated in their laboratory. The new mentor assumes all the training responsibilities of any PhD mentor in research, academic progress, career development, etc. Continuation of the mentee’s research project must be accompanied by details of financial costs for experiments and publications, as well as plans for authorship, data sharing, and data usage, as would be part of any formal research collaboration. Such details must be included in the transition plan, approved by the Senior Associate Dean for PhD Programs, and recorded electronically in the student’s file. In addition, if any data, protocols, or code derived by the mentee in the former mentor’s laboratory is to be included in the PhD thesis, written permission for such inclusion must be provided from the former mentor prior to submission of the thesis. Such permission should be sought by the chair of the thesis advisory committee, and forwarded to the Senior Associate Dean for PhD Programs. If the former mentor does not agree that the mentee’s work is worthy of publication or inclusion in the former mentee’s thesis, the dispute must be referred to, and handled by, the departmental Chair, similar to other authorship disputes.

iii) The student opts to change their laboratory and start a new PhD research project with a new research mentor, project, and/or MTA. This scenario will require the same rotation, laboratory declaration, and research mentor selection procedures that would be applicable to a new student. If the research mentor departs during the student’s first year, and the new mentor is willing to take the student as a mentee immediately, then this can occur with the new mentor assuming financial and training responsibilities for the student. If new rotations are required, the student will receive a 3-month window of support from the GSBS to pursue these rotations prior to selecting a new laboratory. Procedures for the latter scenario can be found in Chapter 2, Funding Package and Direct Compensation. The student must submit a new laboratory declaration form electronically to the Manager of PhD programs in Biomedical Sciences and Neuroscience to document any changes in the mentoring team.

B. Responsibilities of the mentee If changes to the mentoring team are a result of unresolved disputes, the mentee will be responsible to continue their studies as outlined in the agreed mentoring plan. The overall academic responsibilities will remain those imposed by the GSBS and the MTA. Depending on the post-dispute agreement, in cases where the student is continuing the same research project in a different laboratory, the mentee, through the new mentor, may be required to communicate research results to the former research mentor. In all situations, mentees must abide by publication and data use rules under which their research was performed; this may affect plans for publication, thesis writing, and data reporting into public databases and at scientific meetings. If the former mentor agrees to publication or presentation of data, protocols, or code derived by the mentee while they were in the former mentor’s laboratory, permission from the former mentor must be obtained in writing and forwarded to the Senior Associate Dean for PhD programs and the Manager of PhD Programs, who will record such permission electronically in the student’s file.

C. Responsibilities of the MTA director and thesis advisory committee interactions with research mentor(s) and mentee (including thesis proposal and thesis defense exams) If changes to the mentoring team are a result of unresolved disputes, the new MTA and/or thesis advisory committees continue to assume the same roles as otherwise set forth in this Handbook in ensuring the completion of the academic requirements of the PhD as outlined above for changes induced by mentor relocation.