Effects of a Women's Mentoring Workshop on Career Outcomes in Political Science, United States, 2018-2025

Mentoring programs are widely assumed to benefit women's advancement in professional settings, including political science. However, causal evidence is scarce. The research team conducted a randomized evaluation of APSA's flagship women's mentoring program for PhDs, the most rigorous evaluation in political science to date. The program consists of a workshop followed by periodic small group meetings. The research team randomized applicants to the program or a control group. The researchers administered surveys pretreatment, immediately after the workshop, and 2-7 years after, and collected CV and publications data at each wave. The program was positively rated by participants, and increased a sense of belonging in the profession at year 2, but otherwise had null effects. The results hold when accounting for treatment uptake and strength, for various cohorts and time frames, and on a range of attitudes, behaviors, and publication metrics. More comprehensive reforms may be needed to make a long-term difference for women in academia.