How to Become a Mentor through the Mentor Fellow Program
The Mentor Fellow Program prepares experienced ATE professionals to support faculty developing NSF ATE proposals. Through guided training and shadowing, fellows build mentoring skills while giving back to the ATE community.
Experience working within the NSF ATE community of programs and funded projects
Experience writing or significantly contributing to the preparation of at least two successful ATE proposals
Three to five years of involvement with implementing an ATE center and/or project
Expectations
Availability to begin a Mentor Fellows Internship with the start of the new calendar year
Consistent shadowing of assigned Mentor for at least nine months, but no more than ten months during workshops (in person) and during work sessions with mentee teams (held virtually and typically no more than twice a month)
As appropriate, make contributions to mentoring of mentee teams in collaboration with assigned Mentor
Active participation during two Mentor Connect workshops: Winter Workshop (typically held one of the last two weeks in January or first week in February) and Summer Workshop (typically held in July in conjunction with theHigh Impact Technology Exchange (HI-TEC) Conference)
Evaluation input provided via focus groups, interviews, and/or surveys throughout the Mentor Fellows internship
Attendance or viewing/review of all technical assistance webinars and tutorials
Follow Mentor-Connect guidelines for participation, expense reimbursement, and stipend request
Shadow a mentor at work with each of his/her mentee teams for at least thirty-six hours
Participate in at least thirty-six hours shadowing a Mentor at work with each of his/her mentee teams
Attend the three-day Mentor-Connect Winter Workshop
Attend the one-day Mentor-Connect Summer Workshop (participation in associatedHI-TEC Conferenceencouraged but optional)
Attend Mentor-Connect technical assistance webinars (typically two or three live broadcast webinars per year); webinars last not more than an hour and a half
Review available Mentor-Connect webinar tutorials in lieu of or in addition to webinars
Benefits
Eligibility to serve as a Mentor-Connect Mentor
A stipend of $1,500 for successful completion of the Mentor Fellows Internship
Travel reimbursement to attend two Mentor-Connect workshops
In-depth proposal development instruction and review experience that enhances grant-writing, leadership, and mentoring skills
A unique opportunity to give back to the ATE community
Development of a broader colleague network within the ATE Community
Additional Notes
The timing for engagement with Mentor-Connect as a Mentor is dependent on the number of new Mentors needed in a given year.
Returning Mentors are generally given priority when filling Mentor positions each year. However, a systematic rotation of Mentors to other Mentor-Connect mentoring opportunities along with natural attrition creates openings each year.
An average of three individuals are selected each year as Mentor Fellows (number may fluctuate depending on the anticipated needs of the Mentor-Connect project).
Part 1
Apply to be a Mentor Fellow (Deadline by the first Friday of November each year)
The pathway to becoming a Mentor-Connect Mentor is to successfully complete a Mentor Fellows “internship.”The Mentor Fellows internship is an activity of the Mentor-Connect: Leadership Development and Outreach for ATE project. The internship prepares new Mentors to help new-to-ATE college faculty learn to prepare competitive ATE grant proposals and grow as leaders. Individuals with grant writing and project implementation experience with the National Science Foundation Advanced Technological Education (NSF ATE) Program may apply to become a Mentor Fellow.
Part 2
Important: All applicants are required to submit his or her CV/resume and a recommendation/reference letter from an ATE PI or Co-PI familiar with the applicant’s work to mentor-connect@fdtc.edu
Download the PDF of the “Mentor Fellows” application. Using the PDF of the electronic application as a guide, complete your responses to the questions. If needed, transfer your responses to Part 1, “Mentor Fellows,” electronic application.
*Note: The electronic application cannot be saved and must be completed once started.
2. Complete
Complete Part 1 of the “Mentor Fellows,” electronic application.