ViMLoC Research Mentorship Program (on-demand)
Description: The Research Mentorship Program is for Canadian BPOC (Black or People of Color) librarians seeking mentorship for research, scholarship, or publication needs. Mentees participating in this program will be guided by established librarians who have experience with various areas of research including research methodologies, writing and publishing in peer-reviewed journals, developing data management plans, and writing grant applications. Additionally, mentees will develop personal networking connections, which will not only provide support and mentorship, but may open doors to new opportunities and collaborations.
The expected commitment for the mentoring period is approximately 8 -10 hours over a two-month period. The mentoring pair may choose to continue their time beyond this initial period, at their discretion.
The research mentors in this program will make meaningful contributions by supporting their BPOC colleagues, sharing their knowledge and expertise, and helping them navigate the complex landscape of their chosen topics.
Mentees in this program should have a keen interest in research. They may have already embarked on their research program or must be actively planning to do so, and have (at minimum) an idea for a research question and have completed some background reading on their topic area and relevant methodologies. Knowing the mentees’ research topics (or intended study methodology) and needs at the application stage will help the program administrators identify the most suitable mentor who could provide support and guidance in their research process.
Mentee eligibility: Mentees must be a BPOC librarian in Canada, and hold an MLIS or equivalent. Priority will be given to those who require research for a tenure or promotion portfolio but anyone is welcome to apply.
Mentor eligibility: Mentors must hold an MLIS or equivalent degree, and have no less than two years of prior research experience as evidenced by publications or other relevant outputs. Mentors should demonstrate a strong commitment to supporting and mentoring BPOC librarians, and provide a positive space (safe and open listening environment) for mentees. They should be accessible during the time commitment (8-10 hours) expected during the mentoring timeframe.
Expectations of both mentors and mentees
Applicants to the program are expected:
- To commit to the full timeframe of their session (i.e. Two months/8-10 hours) from the date that the mentoring pair are introduced;
- To keep in touch with their mentorship partner a minimum of twice per
month (by email, phone, Zoom, or other means of communication upon mutual
agreement);
Program timeline
As an on-demand program, there are no specific end dates. We will start with mentor recruitment to have an initial group of mentors. We intend to welcome applications from mentees in Summer 2026.
What happens after I apply
Mentors: Your information will be kept in a mentors database. In Summer 2026, we hope to welcome applications from mentees on an ongoing basis. When a mentee applies to this program, the program administrator will attempt to locate a mentor who has the skills and experiences that matches the mentee’s request. The most suitable mentor will receive an email providing basic details about the mentee’s request, along with a request to provide mentorship. If the mentor is available and agreeable to the request, the match will be confirmed.
Mentee: Once an application from a mentee is received, we will attempt to match the mentee with a suitable mentor within four weeks. Note that during the matching process, we will need to share some information about the mentee’s needs/topics with eligible mentors in order to ensure a suitable match.
Once a match is confirmed, an introductory email will be sent out introducing the mentoring pair to each other.
Mentors and Mentees will be expected to complete an exit survey (online) at the close of the program.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at vimlocresearchmentorship@gmail.com
Interested in being added to our mentor database? Submit your information here: https://forms.gle/CdGSh2Y5BUposyvs5
Interested in being a mentee? We are not accepting applications just yet. Check back in Summer 2026
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ViMLoC Research Mentorship Program Committee (Aditi Gupta, Maha Kumaran, Zahra Premji)
ViMLoC: Visible Minority Librarians of Canada 