Today it is necessary to reflect on the formative processes in research. For this reason, this article summarizes the results of a study whose purpose was to build the skills in cognitive mediation, necessary to enrich and transform research training. The method was prospective, using the Delphi method. 252 national and international researchers with a long history and experience in this field, belonging to public and private universities, were consulted. Documentary review and descriptive statistical analysis were used as techniques. Among the results, it was found that cognitive mediation competencies open up space to achieve metareflection and advance in the development of complex and significant competencies in training. The training model for research that is currently applied in higher education requires a paradigm shift, which allows the development of skills relevant to the challenges that humanity presents to it, in terms of the production, socialization and dissemination of knowledge. In conclusion, the contributions of this study help to generate guidelines and strategies aimed at structuring a training plan, based on the development of investigative skills supported by cognitive mediation processes for young researchers.