Those who seek to broaden the representation of minorities and women in the research professions increasingly look to mentoring to help achieve that goal. Traditionally, white trainees are more likely than minority trainees to have a mentor, and men are more likely than women to have a mentor. Correcting this imbalance is a logical step, given the significance that mentoring has in career development, and the importance of maximizing the potential of all members of the scientific community.

The Outer Circle: Women in the Scientific Community (edited by Harriet Zuckerman, Jonathan R. Cole, and John T. Bruer [W.W. Norton & Company, New York, 1991]) explores the reasons that women, in general, may not have been as productive in scientific careers as men. Research tracking the accomplishments and tenure outcomes of assistant professors at two universities is described by Mary Frank Fox: "To the extent that women are excluded from collegial channels and collaborative opportunities, their productivity can suffer."[11] In one study, it was found that only 25% of the women, compared with 52% of the men, had co-authored papers with senior professors. Furthermore, a significantly larger percentage of those who had collaborated were promoted, compared with those who had not collaborated. In a second study, it was found that collegial interactions - specifically, collaboration in co-authoring and mentoring relationships - related to both productivity and promotion rates.

Discussing another study of career processes in science, Fox concludes, "... collaboration with a mentor affects pre-doctoral productivity and job placement, which, in turn, influence later productivity. But the mentor also influences productivity independent of these indirect effects. For those who collaborate with a mentor, the mentor continues to affect the student's productivity." Mentoring socializes a trainee into the culture of science and initiates a young scientist into the scientific community. Historically, women and minorities have been excluded from this process, which has obviously limited their possibilities "to do research, to publish, to be cited - to show the crucial marks of productivity in science."

Many programs have been developed to correct the imbalance in mentoring opportunities. For example, Harvard Medical School created the Office for Diversity and Community Partnership, to promote increased recruitment and the retention and promotion of underrepresented minority faculty, and to oversee all diversity activities involving Harvard Medical School faculty, trainees, students, and staff. The inaugural issue of Mentations, the newsletter of the office, contains an announcement of the first annual Harvard Medical School Award for Excellence in Mentoring.[12] In addition to recognizing the importance of mentoring through an award, this office also conducts programs on mentoring and handles requests for assistance and information about mentoring.

The Association for Women in Science[13] began a mentoring project in 1990, with the ultimate goal of increasing the number of women who attain bachelor's degrees and advanced degrees in science and engineering and achieve successful careers as science and engineering professionals. It was designed to integrate female students into the scientific community by helping them identify and overcome the obstacles that prevent them from continuing in science. In addition, MentorNet[14] - a mentoring network for women in engineering and science, states as its mission "to further women's progress in scientific and technical fields through the use of a dynamic, technology-supported mentoring program; and to advance women and society, and enhance engineering and related sciences, by promoting a diversified, expanded and talented workforce." MentorNet seeks to achieve this by providing students with mentoring to enhance their presence in fields where they remain underrepresented, and to facilitate their entry into scientific and technical careers.