Peer mentoring to support learning in the life sciences

We present a pair of case studies of undergraduate peer mentoring schemes in schools of life science to support student transition and reduce demographic awarding gaps. The first, PEMENTOS (PEer MEntoring TO Succeed), was piloted at Royal Holloway University of London to ease the transition to university for students from Black and Global Majority (BGM) backgrounds by fostering belonging and informal knowledge-sharing. The second, Kingston University's Academic Peer Mentoring Programme, was an institution-wide initiative offering flexible, department-led models of academic and psychosocial support. Evaluation of PEMENTOS showed increased mentee confidence, engagement and academic performance, with narrowing first-year grade gaps between BGM and White students. Mentees at Kingston, as shown by an analysis of their results across the university and in the Pharmaceutical Science course in particular, demonstrated greater pass and progression rates, with large gains among BTEC-qualified and commuting students. Both programmes also yielded developmental benefits for mentors. These case studies suggest that peer mentoring programmes can enhance undergraduate student success and inclusion in the life sciences. Key shared features - a high level of programme structure, alongside mentor training and compensation - may be particularly important.