Broadening Biomedical Research Workforce Participation through Culturally Responsive Mentoring

The Broadening Biomedical Research Workforce Participation through Culturally Responsive Mentoring conference was held in Fort Worth, Texas, in January 2025, during National Mentoring Month. Effective and culturally responsive mentorship has been noted to support recruitment, engagement, and persistence in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine (STEMM) fields, as well as biomedical research. The conference enabled a space to gather, learn, and discuss evidence-based and evidence-informed approaches for conducting mentoring using asset-based and culturally responsive approaches, as well as efforts towards institutionalization of mentorship, to enhance participation in the biomedical workforce and train the next generation of scientists. Over 170 nationwide individuals attended, including students, mentors, mentees, leaders, staff/administrators, and community members. A human-AI collaborative analysis of session transcripts was used to identify conference themes and actionable strategies. The findings collectively indicate that embedding mentorship into institutional culture, values, policies & practices, using asset-based approaches, integrating mentorship education and community of practices, and leveraging in-person & virtual mentorship fosters sustainable change in STEMM and biomedical research. Building on these insights, the article summarizes key discussion points and provides actions, strategies, and resources to promote asset-based, culturally responsive mentorship relationships and the institutionalization of mentorship.