Graduate students and postdocs play crucial roles on Bass Connections teams, mentoring undergraduate students as well as fellow graduate students, providing direction to the team at key junctures and serving as role models.

Through the Bass Connections Award for Outstanding Mentorship, we invite the Bass Connections community to recognize graduate students and postdocs who have made tremendous contributions to the success of their team and positively shaped team members’ experiences.

Nominations should be submitted using our nomination form by March 6 at 5:00 p.m.

An exemplary Bass Connections mentor is someone who:

• Creates a supportive environment for research and scholarship by fostering mutual respect and demonstrating sincere interest in the well-being of teammates
• Promotes the success of project team members’ research and learning by monitoring progress and offering honest, constructive feedback
• Develops the internal community and working relationships of their project team, and identifies and addresses problems in a thoughtful, respectful manner
• Maintains accessibility by providing open lines of communication
• Encourages interdisciplinary learning by helping teammates create connections across disciplines
• Commits to advancing students’ professional development and connects teammates with information, resources or networks to support their individual growth
• Is a role model for others with a record of excellence in research and teaching

Nomination Information

To submit a nomination, please complete the nomination form by March 6 at 5:00 p.m.

Any 2019-2020 Bass Connections team member (student or faculty) may nominate any graduate student or postdoc participating on a 2019-2020 Bass Connections project team. Each nomination must include at least one statement of support from an undergraduate student. If you, the primary nominator, are an undergraduate, then an additional student recommendation is optional.

Please note that these are the minimum requirements for a complete nomination. In past years, the most successful nominations have included statements of support from multiple student team members and at least one team leader. Statements of support should include evidence and concrete examples of how the nominee has been an exemplary mentor.

Please also note that individuals who have previously received this award are not eligible to receive it again.

Award Selection

The winner of this award will receive a monetary prize and will be selected from a pool of up to five finalists. The selection committee for this award will include members of the Bass Connections Faculty and Student Advisory Councils and program staff. Finalists will be contacted by March 27.

Please contact Meghan O’Neil, Assistant Director, Bass Connections, at mmo12@duke.edu with any questions.

Learn More

• Read about last year’s mentorship award winners.
• Apply for a Bass Connections Student Research Award by March 6.
• See what the 2019 Student Research Award recipients are doing.