Research life doesn't
come with a manual.
GradLab Compass gives programs a ready-made foundation for mentorship, onboarding, and career support — and gives trainees and mentors practical tools for the human side of research: unclear expectations, invisible work, capacity, and career uncertainty.
Give your program a shared foundation
Consistent mentorship across labs, stronger onboarding, and career support that meets training-grant expectations — without building materials from scratch.
Explore program solutions → For Individual ResearchersStart with the problem in front of you
Trainees and mentors: read one habit, use one tool, and turn vague stress into a clearer next step.
Explore habits & tools →Mentorship and research-life support your program can actually standardize.
Built for graduate programs, postdoc offices, training grants, labs, and research centers.
A shared starting point
Give every incoming trainee and mentor the same clear language for expectations, capacity, and progress — so nothing stays hidden.
Better conversations, less guesswork
Structured prompts and paired trainee/mentor perspectives that make mentoring more consistent across labs and PIs.
Support the requirements you're already accountable for
Career development, mentoring, and well-being materials that map to training-grant expectations and help quieter trainees stay on track.
Who is GradLab Compass for?
The same tested materials, whether you adopt them as a program or use them on your own.
For Trainees
Navigate expectations, burnout, mentorship, and more with practical tools made for the realities of research life.
Explore research-life habits →For Mentors
Support trainees with better conversations, lighter admin, and approaches that build confidence and growth.
Explore paired perspectives →For Programs
Use curated resources as a shared foundation for onboarding, mentoring, and career support — so quieter trainees aren't overlooked and expectations don't stay hidden.
Explore program use cases →See the quality for yourself.
A sample of the habits your trainees and mentors would use. Small habits, big impact.
Make It Safe To Say "I Don't Know" Early
For mentors who want trainees to flag confusion sooner instead of silently struggling. Make "I don't know yet" a normal, low-stakes thing to say — so problems surface before they compound.
Read more →
Stop Borrowing Timelines
For trainees who feel behind because they're comparing their progress to someone else’s path. Notice comparison early, reset expectations, and define progress by the work in front of you.
Read more →
Managing Expectations Before They Manage You
For labs, programs, and teams where hidden assumptions create unnecessary stress. Make standards, timelines, and responsibilities visible before confusion becomes conflict.
Feeling behind, overloaded, or unsure what to ask for? Start here.
Five printable tools to help you see where you actually are, protect your energy, and walk into your next mentor conversation with a clear ask — instead of vague stress.
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Running a program? Email us for the program sample pack →