Research Mentor
The India Research Corps is a platform where a network of researchers, mentors, skilled specialists, & grassroots organisations come together. It provides a forum where the people who ask the questions and those who answer them are in conversation.
A good IRC question is one where the answer will result in action. That action can be in the form of shaping policy, local practices, programme design, etc. Mentors are integral to moving the needle in this regard, as they come with significant technical knowledge and an understanding of what client organisations require in terms of actionable insights. They are expected to provide consistent guidance and feedback as the research scholar(s) assigned to them study precedents; prepare the methodology; undertake the research; and analyse, synthesise, and report the findings of their work.
Who can mentor India Research Scholars?
Academics, subject matter experts, and seasoned practitioners working in our focus areas of water, environment, land, and livelihoods can work with the India Research Corps to mentor research scholars. If you are looking to contribute your technical expertise and sectoral insights to rigorous and actionable research, sign up to be a mentor with IRC today.
Workflow Description
Get to know the scholar you will mentor – Once a research scholar is screened and matched to a research question by the IRC team, we assign them to a mentor. This assignment will depend on the alignment between the research question and the mentor’s own expertise and interest.
Understand the client’s ask – The mentor, client, and the IRC team come together at the start of the research process to discuss the must-have and good-to-have aspects of the research question that the scholar will be working on. The mentor takes this opportunity to understand the client’s ask from this engagement, and how best they can guide the scholar to achieve the required result over their period of engagement.
Vet scholar’s research plan – After the research scholar is matched to a question, they present their research design, which the mentor vets and provides feedback on to improve upon it.
Provide guidance on research design and methodology – The mentor meets the scholar at a regular cadence to provide higher-order inputs for their literature review, research methodology, data collection plan, etc. The IRC team works with the mentor to ensure that the scholar incorporate this feedback in their workflow.
Review research outputs – The mentor reviews and provides feedback on the scholar’s inception report, final report, and capstone presentation before they are shared with the client.