The BRIDGE Mentorship Initiative is based on the BRIDGE guidelines for good epidemiological practice in epidemiology. The pilot programme has been initiated in partnership with Institute of Tropical Medicine in Belgium. Our goal is for the initiative to bring researchers conducting epidemiological studies around the globe together.

Recent developments in research integrity led by researchers in the Global South have placed fairness and equity at the centre of a renewed understanding of research integrity. Mentoring in general, and reverse mentoring in particular, are promising strategies to promote this type of ‘inclusive’ understanding of research integrity which encompasses fairness, equity and diversity.

Pairing mentors and mentees from diverse cultural and geographical backgrounds can contribute to a more reflexive approach to science. By encouraging open dialogue between research partners, mentoring can help partners understand each other’s perspectives and appreciate the non-intended consequences of their actions.

The four objectives of the mentorship initiative are:

• To equip epidemiologists with skills so they can become BRIDGE mentors
• To offer mentorship opportunities to researchers embarking on an epidemiological study
• To create a support network of researchers committed to research fairness and integrity and promote the exchange of best practices to deal with dilemmas related to research integrity and fairness in global health epidemiology
• To create platforms to promote life-long learning and constructive dialogue as a means tocreate working cultures conducive for research integrity and fairness

About the programme

The BRIDGE mentorship initiative will consist of a short introductory training modality for mentors and mentees on the basics of mentoring and research integrity. Furthermore, the programme will recruit and pair mentors and mentees and facilitate a one-year programme. This will include one-to-one exchanges between mentors and mentees based on a specific study (brought forward by the mentee) and following the steps and chronological order of the six BRIDGE standards.

After a year, mentors and mentees will be invited to join a long-term BRIDGE community of practice to continue exchanges and dialogue on research integrity and fairness matters.

With these activities, we hope that the epidemiologists who joined the programme will be equipped to recognize research integrity and research fairness dilemmas in their professional life and will be able to find resources to deal with them. While the one-to-one mentoring will represent more intense moments of exchange on a specific study, the community of practice aims to promote life-long learning, dialogue and exchanges among peers. Our goal is that this type of approach can transform working cultures and and create professional environments conducive to achieve the highest levels of scientific conduct.

How to get involved?

The BRIDGE mentorship initiative is currently being piloted with a small number of mentors and mentees. We are developing procedures and web-infrastructure as part of this pilot . Everything we develop will be open-source and free to re-use by organisations willing and able to host future rounds of mentoring.

For more information on how you can host a round of mentoring in your network please contact one of our advisors below.