MENTOR APPLICATION

Welcome to an opportunity to make a lasting impact on the next generation of geoscientists! We invite research pairs to join our year-long program as mentors for the Undergraduate Twinning program. This is your chance to engage talented undergraduate students in meaningful projects, while contributing to their academic and professional development.

Mentor pairs consist of a Project Director (one who submits the mentor application) and a Twin Mentor (one who will co-advise the intern). Throughout the program, the relative contribution of the Project Director and the Twin Mentor will be at the mentors’ discretion.

Why Mentor Twinning Interns?

1. Inspire Future Leaders: Your and your Twin Mentor’s guidance can foster a passion for research, encourage critical thinking, and inspire these young minds to pursue advanced degrees and careers in geoscience. Interns are introduced to different mentors and a mode of scientific collaboration that closely mimics real-world experiences.
2. Showcase Your Research: Utilize this opportunity to advance your own research agenda. Collaborate with motivated and talented students to make progress on your projects, achieving research milestones with fresh perspectives and enthusiasm.
3. Professional Development for Interns: Your mentorship will not only contribute to academic growth but also equip interns with essential skills for their future careers. The experience gained during your project will empower them to present their work at the Twinning symposium, write a short paper summarizing their work, and present at a professional conference, providing exposure to the broader scientific community.

What Does Mentoring Entail?

• Introduce and guide intern through the research process.
• Meet regularly with intern to ensure research and program goals are progressing.
• Foster a collaborative and inclusive research environment.
• Encourage critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Help intern understand the broader culture of science, graduate school and career paths, as well as the responsibilities of scientists and ethical dilemmas they face. 
• Help intern prepare for program deliverables (presentation at Twinning symposium, short contribution, and presenting their work at a professional conference).
• Organize with your Twin Mentor an in-person visit for your student, whether that be conducting fieldwork or a visit to one of the mentors’ institutions.

How to Get Involved

If you are passionate about mentoring the next generation of geoscientists and have a well-defined undergraduate research project and research partner (Twin Mentor), we encourage you to apply as a mentor for the Twinning program. Your expertise and guidance will leave a lasting impact on these aspiring geoscientists, contributing to the advancement of subduction zone and hazards science and fostering a more inclusive scientific community.

Eligibility

• Project Director has a well-defined, year-long, undergraduate research project.
• Project Director has a research partner (Twin Mentor) who is willing to co-mentor the student.
  • If you do not have a Twin Mentor, please still apply and we will help you find a Twin Mentor!
• Both mentors must be at an institution in the United States.
  • You have a Twin Mentor at an institution outside of the United States, but within North America, an exception may be considered. Please contact GEI Program Manager Shannon Fasola if this is the case. Students will receive up to ~$2450 towards an in-person visit. Therefore, it is not feasible to have a mentor overseas due to increased travel expenses.

Types of Projects

In-Person Project

For in-person projects, the mentors request that the intern be at one of their institutions. In-person projects are only available to students at either of your institutions.

If you prefer an in-person project, please ensure that there is a pool of interested students to advertise to at your institutions. The GEI Program Manager will reach out after your application is submitted to discuss advertisement for your project.

Remote Project

For remote projects, the mentor pair is willing to mentor a student from an institution other than either of their own. We assume a potential intern would be able to work remotely on the research project throughout the academic year. During the summer, the intern will visit one or both of the mentors for a period of time as they continue working on their research project.

Remote projects are advertised nationwide. For the inaugural Twinning Program, we had a large interest from students in the remote projects. Therefore, we hope to receive more applications for remote projects this year.