Recent developments in research integrity led by Global South researchers have placed research fairness and equity at the centre of a renewed understanding of research integrity. Mentoring is often proposed as a strategy to enhance research integrity and reduce misconduct. While mentoring is traditionally seen as an exchange of knowledge and skills from more senior to more junior professionals, “reverse mentoring” could also be relevant for research integrity. The BRIDGE guidelines for good epidemiological practice can be a useful tool to support a mentoring process for global health epidemiologists by framing conversations on integrity and fairness throughout a study’s life cycle. Taking these considerations into account, we have developed a mentoring programme for global health epidemiologists based on the BRIDGE guidelines.

The aim of the BRIDGE mentorship initiative is to promote research integrity and fairness in global health epidemiological studies. The specific objectives are:
1. To equip epidemiologists with skills to act as mentors on research integrity and fairness
2. To offer mentorship opportunities to researchers embarking on an epidemiological study
3. To create a support network of researchers committed to research fairness and integrity and to promote exchanges of best practices to deal with dilemmas related to research integrity and fairness in global health epidemiology
4. To create platforms to promote life-long learning and constructive dialogue as a means to create working cultures conducive for research integrity and fairness

The core of the BRIDGE mentorship initiative is the creation of one-on-one matches between mentors and mentees and the facilitation of structured exchanges between them throughout a one-year implementation of an epidemiological study. We envisage the initiative to be implemented as a series of mentoring rounds organised by different organising committees with overall guidance and oversight by the BRIDGE steering committee. After mentors and mentees have completed a one-year mentoring round, they will be invited to join the BRIDGE community of practice, an online platform that facilitates long-term collaborative learning and knowledge sharing.