Help Your Mentees Reach Their Full Potential
Without Frustration, Energy Drain, or Uncertainty

Being a great mentor shouldn’t feel like a constant struggle.

As a research team leader, you want to support your mentees in achieving higher levels of performance and independence. But mentoring often comes with challenges:

✅ Are your expectations too high—or too forgiving?
✅ Do your trainees evade standards and miss deadlines?
✅ Do you struggle to give feedback without crushing motivation?
✅ Are you spending too much time coaching individuals at the expense of your own research?

Introducing our 6-months

Research Mentoring Mastery Program

If mentoring feels overwhelming and frustrating, you’re not alone. Most research leaders were never trained in how to mentor effectively—yet great mentorship is essential for a high-performing research team.

We help PIs to create & implement low-stress research leadership and mentoring systems.

Join Us

You Need a Proven, Repeatable Mentoring System

Research Mentoring Mastery Program gives you a structured, research-backed approach to guiding your mentees—so you can lead with confidence, clarity, and impact.

💡 Support your mentees with a clear, repeatable roadmap
💡 Communicate feedback effectively—without causing defensiveness
💡 Encourage self-motivation—without being a constant cheerleader
💡 Reduce your time investment and emotional drain

Apply now

A Step-by-Step Mentoring Framework That Works

A 6-month coaching program designed to help research team leaders mentor with confidence.

STAGE 1 (First 3 months)

Build your mentoring foundation & get first results

Learn and implement a structured coaching framework with two of your mentees—building their skills while reducing your time and energy drain.
STAGE 2 (Next 3 months)

Achieve mentorship excellence & master precision coaching

Gain expertise in diagnosing problem patterns (e.g., lack of motivation, interpersonal conflict, attitude issues) and applying targeted coaching tools to transform your mentoring effectiveness.

Apply now

The Research Mentoring Mastery Program

Course + High-Achieving Community + Bi-Weekly Coaching

You don’t have to struggle through trial-and-error mentorship. With the right system, you can guide your mentees with confidence—without sacrificing your own research, time, or energy.

New Cohort starts in March 2025

You'll get:

Full access to the course for at least 1 year
Step-by-step processes to go through with your mentees
Live Group Training Calls (2x per Month) – Interactive Zoom sessions where you learn, ask questions, and practice coaching strategies. This is what creates the most value! You'll get feedback from a coach and create connections with other high-achieving academics.
On-Demand Video Training – Learn leadership concepts and coaching tools at your own pace.
Real-World Implementation – Apply what you learn immediately with two of your team members.

Workbook with training exercises

Our program is by application only to ensure it's the right fit for you and your goals.

To learn more and see if this program aligns with your needs, you can hit the "Apply to ..." button and schedule a free, no-obligation 20-minute strategy session.

It’s a casual conversation—no pressure, just a chance to explore your next steps in leadership.

Tuition $5,750*

$1,000 early-bird discount available for tuition of

$4,750 until Feb 28, 2025

*Trainee or low fund availability stipends available – just ask if this applies to you.

Funding may be available to you through your institution with startup funds,

indirects, departmental funding, training grants, private funds, or a combination.

Apply to Join Research Leadership Mastery

Proven Impact, Powerful Words

Discover how our program made a difference

Initially, I was worried about both spending the time and money on my leadership development, but the biweekly calls coupled with the content and workbook activities have proved priceless.

The workbooks allow you to think through the techniques and ideas on paper in a way that is specific to your own experiences. I also like the idea that my goals and perception of my work will change over time, so having these resources available to re-examine and interrogate again and again will be valuable for my future growth.

I had been looking for something that would give me specific strategies with examples and then walk me through the personal work that I needed to do to become a better leader and top performer, and TLIR has more than served this purpose.

In addition, the calls which connect me to this community of like-minded achievers have been essential to demonstrate some of the techniques described in the modules and workbooks. For instance, in real-time, Stefanie walked one of our TLIR colleagues through the process of handling a tough conversation she needed to have a with a postdoc; we were all able to witness how some of the strategies could play out in real-time. It was fantastic!"

Siobhan Craige

Assistant Professor Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise at Virginia Tech

Apply now

Stefanie is an amazing coach who has profoundly and positively impacted the way I work, think, and care for myself and others.

I first met Stefanie shortly after getting tenure and feeling conflicted about what I truly wanted to do next in my life and career. I was proud of having attained tenure, but I had created a life where I kept putting off fun until I had reached major milestones. This created a lot of stress, low energy and loss of confidence in my own abilities to keep up.

In just 6 months of working with her, I feel confident in my abilities—not because I know exactly how to handle every challenge, but because I know I’m capable of overcoming them thanks to all the ideas/tools she has shared with me.

For the first time in my career, I feel confident, independent, and the leader that I always wanted to be."

Tanya Garcia

Associate Professor of Biostatistics,

UNC Chapel Hill

Led by Those Who’ve Walked the Path

Your trainers are seasoned researchers leading teams in academia

Dr. Stefanie Robel

Stefanie grew up in Berlin, Germany...

... and completed a Ph.D. in Neuroscience in Munich before she permanently relocated to the US.

She became a personal development and leadership nerd during her postdoctoral training, initially to increase her competitiveness and later because she realized that she could use these strategies and tools to create a happier, balanced life AND increase her levels of success.

She started her independent research program in 2016, built a thriving research team, and brought in more than $6M in funding during her first two years on the tenure track. She meanwhile earned tenure and moved institutions to take her research and institutional leadership to the next level.

Stefanie started Team Leadership In Research in 2019 leveraging her life coaching skills and the experience she had gained as head coach in another business. Team Leadership In Research systematizes leadership knowledge and management approaches specifically for research teams to help team leaders achieve success and fulfillment.

Her big mission is to change the academic culture from negativity and chronic stress to one where people express their unique brilliance AND live a fun, joyful, happy life by bringing leadership training along with positivity to her community.

Dr. Kendra Sewall

Kendra grew up in rural Maine and always excelled in academics…

… and pleasing other people. She completed a Ph.D. in animal behavior at UC Davis and secured fellowships to complete postdoctoral training at UNC Chapel Hill and Duke Universities. She also optimized herself as a person, completing marathons and triathlons in parallel with research. She developed her growth mindset and built an integrative research program in ecology, behavior, and neuroendocrinology.

She started her independent research program while coping with a significant health and happiness challenge in 2013. After securing an NSF Career Award during her second pregnancy in her pre-tenure period, she realized her approach wasn’t sustainable. In fact, she wasn’t sure what her true motivation was, anymore. Applying an evidence-based approach and research skills to the new problem of redefining how to be an academic, she learned about leadership and management through reading and trainings, "culminating in taking all of Stefanie's Team Leadership In Research courses. This initiated a desire in coaching other academics and help them gain more confidence and control of their careers and lives.

Are You the Right Fit for
Research Mentoring Mastery?

Designed for Faculty and Advanced Postdocs who Want to Create Truly Great Teams within Academia.

This is for:

✅ Those who tend to identify as "go getters"; transformational mentoring takes work.
✅ Those willing to look deeply at themselves.
✅ Those driven by curiosity and a willingness to take an active approach to mentoring.
✅ Those with realistic expectations and a desire to work with their team. This is not a 6-month quick fix magic bullet.
✅ Those ready to IMPLEMENT (and not just acquire more knowledge). You already have your degree (or three...). It’s time to implement. Applied knowledge is the key to success with leadership. That’s why I offer--and recommend--coaching.

This is NOT for:

❌ Those who have discovered that they have a pattern of playing the victim. While this program could still potentially be a fit for you, have to commit to transforming your perception.
❌ Those looking for a quick fix or a magic bullet.
❌ Those who deny the reality of their job or who are struggling to deal.
❌ Those not willing to really dive into looking at themselves.

Apply to Join Research Leadership Mastery

Frequently asked questions

Here are a few answers to our most common questions

Q: Do you have a payment plan?

A: Yes! You can pay in full or make monthly payments.
Q: How much time will I need for the program?

A: The course modules are dripped out bi-weekly to help you pace yourself. You can expect to spend 1-2 hours for each lesson, plus an additional 30-60 minutes for your practical assignment. You can take as much time as you need in order to implement the content with your mentees. We encourage you to only apply if you are ready to commit at least 2-3h/ week to the program.
Q: Is there an in person component to the program?

A: The program is completely virtual.
Q: How is this program different from others out there?

A: Your university may provide workshops or even a leadership or lab management course. We and some of our clients have taken a few of those. While those programs certainly don't hurt, they often do not provide support over a sufficient period of time to help you shift how you lead and manage. You simply do not get enough practice and feedback. Importantly, you need to look at the quality of information that you receive. Are these programs providing guidance based on experience, anecdotal evidence, and opinions? While this is certainly a better starting point than figuring it out without any input, the advice received in this way may not be the most adequate approach to getting your desired result. It may not be in alignment with your values or your authentic leadership style. We build our programs based on as much evidence for effectiveness as possible. We also draw from a wide variety of leadership and management frameworks to make sure you get systems in place that represent your authentic leadership and get you the results that you are after.
Q: Will there be a later course start?

A: While we plan to run the program again, there won't be another round until 2026. This is entirely dependent on the availability of our trainers who also have jobs in academia.

Q: What funds can I use to pay for the program?

A: Most of our clients use institutional funds (start-up or departmental funds, training grants) to pay for the program. Occasionally, clients decide to invest in themselves using their personal funds. Payment plans are an option.
Q: I can ask any question on New/ Midcareer PI Slack or Twitter. Is this program going to give me any additional value?

A: New PI Slack, Midcareer PI Slack, Twitter and similar are certainly great resources to have access to for 1) getting questions answered, 2) getting examples and templates for all kinds of SOPs and 3) a sense of community. As with any responsible use of information retrieved from social media, ask yourself what the accuracy and strength of evidence for the suggested approach is. Aside from this, some people find the constant chatter on Twitter or Slack distracting or overwhelming or have a hard time figuring out which one of the suggested approaches to go with. On some of these channels, the messaging can feel negative and discouraging. Research Management Mastery is a small group program with not more than 15 participants focused on implementation of management strategies that are tailored to your needs. This is facilitated by trainers with in-depth knowledge of management tools and strategies. One lovely side effect of being part of a small group of people with aligned interests over the period of 6 months is that you will form a tightknit and supportive mastermind. It is not often during our busy adult lives that we get the opportunity to meet and build friendships with people outside of our immediate work environment. The Team Leadership In Research programs provide this opportunity.
Q: Is there a discount for future research team leaders?

A: There are limited trainee spots available at a discounted tuition for each cohort if instiututional funds are not available to pay. Please submit an application and inquire about availability
Q: Is there a bundle price for all GLIA-Leadership programs?

A: There is, it's called Research Leadership Hub. You can get more information here.

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You don’t have to struggle through trial-and-error mentorship. With the right system, you can guide your mentees with confidence—without sacrificing your own research, time, or energy.

New Cohort starts in March 2025

Initially, I was worried about both spending the time and money on my leadership development, but the biweekly calls coupled with the content and workbook activities have proved priceless.

Stefanie is an amazing coach who has profoundly and positively impacted the way I work, think, and care for myself and others.

Dr. Stefanie Robel Stefanie grew up in Berlin, Germany...

Dr. Kendra Sewall Kendra grew up in rural Maine and always excelled in academics…

Dr. Stefanie Robel

Stefanie grew up in Berlin, Germany...

Dr. Kendra Sewall

Kendra grew up in rural Maine and always excelled in academics…