Mentoring

The PERCAT Cross-Disciplinary Mentoring Scheme is aimed at providing mentorship to postdoctoral and early-career researchers within the Colleges of EPS and LES who are in need of support in any area of their career, giving them the opportunity to discuss career paths with a mentor who is a senior researcher or an academic.

This may include but is not limited to targeted mentorship on:

  1. Career opportunities inside and outside academia and routes for progression.
  2. Strategies in applying for Fellowships/Grants and guidance on interviewing. (Please note the scheme is not designed to provide support or collaboration on specific fellowship or funding applications).
  3. General wellbeing and mental health.

The scheme is cross-disciplinary and for the most part mentees will be matched with a mentor from a different school or college, within EPS and LES.

Expressions of interest for the 2021-22 round of the PERCAT Cross-Disciplinary Mentoring Scheme are now closed.

Aims of Scheme: 

  1. To provide impartial support in a positive, nurturing environment for mentor and mentee. 
  2. To promote taking charge of career development through a structured scheme. 
  3. To maximise chances of success in a set career goal.

Eligibility:

  1. Mentees for this pilot mentorship scheme need to be employed as a researcher at the University. This includes postdoctoral researcher and those who hold fellowships but who do not have a permanent contract of employment, but does not include PhD students and/or academic staff (those employed on a permanent contract at lecturer level or above). If interested, please complete the attached EOI form.
  2. Mentees’ contracts of employment at the University should cover the whole period of the scheme.
  3. Mentors can be senior researchers (2+ yrs experience) and academic staff at all levels. If interested, please complete the attached EOI form.

Commitment:

The scheme will run over a 6-month period starting in December 2021 / January 2022 with the expectation of a minimum of 3 face-to-face sessions each lasting no longer than 90 mins. However mentors and mentees have the flexibility to agree the frequency and duration of meetings between themselves, providing the overall time commitment is met and that meetings take place at least once every two months.

Light-touch evaluation during the mentoring relationship will ensure the relationship is developing successfully with more in-depth feedback expected at the end of the scheme. 

Training:

There will be separate 1 hour training sessions for prospective mentees and mentors.

Benefits: 

Mentoring offers a great opportunity for mentors and mentees to share ideas, expand networks, improve interpersonal skills and gain confidence, enthusiasm and inspiration. While the mentee can focus on their career development, mentors can increase their professional status, improve leadership and supervisory skills, and enhance self-reflection.  

Future rounds

We intend to repeat the cross-disciplinary mentoring scheme on an annual basis.