Apply before 15th May 2023

Arqus Mentoring Programme for Early-Stage Researchers

The Arqus Alliance invites doctoral and postdoctoral researchers to apply for the second edition of its International Mentoring Programme for Early-Stage Researchers.

The 9-month Arqus Mentoring Programme for Early-Stage Researchers will be launched in October 2023. The aim of this Programme is to support the establishment of sustainable mentoring relationships between early career researchers and established researchers across the Arqus partner universities.

It is designed for doctoral candidates and early postdocs who are interested in professional support during the first stages of their academic careers.

If you are interested in a mentoring relationship with an established researcher and would like to participate in career-oriented training by international experts, please apply by 15h May 2023.

Further details on the Programme, the eligibility criteria, and the application form can be found below:

Key aspects of the Programme

  • Mentees will be matched with a mentor from another Arqus university after they have been selected for participation.
  • Mentor and mentee meet for a minimum of four (virtual) sessions over the course of nine months.
  • An in-person visit of the mentee at the mentor’s home institution is highly encouraged, but not mandatory. Information about funding opportunities will be provided.
  • Mentees will take part in four one-and-a-half-hour online training sessions offering input and opportunity for exchange on how to better navigate academia and how to respond to common challenges (see programme below).
  • To ensure a clear focus on strategic (personal) decisions and/or further career steps of interdisciplinary researchers, guiding materials will be provided.
  • Mentors will have the opportunity to participate in regular mentor’s lounges.
  • An in-person kick-off meeting on 5th and 6th October 5th in Graz will give mentees the opportunity to connect and exchange experiences (funding for travel and accommodation will be available, participation in this meeting is part of the programme).

Target groups and elegibility criteria

The target groups for this mentoring programme are:

  • Persons who are registered as doctoral candidates/PhD students at one of the Arqus Universities and who are in the later stages of their doctoral studies.
  • Persons who are employed as postdoctoral researchers (in their first or second year of their post-doc) at one of the Arqus Universities at the time of the application.

Participants commit to stay with the Mentoring Programme for the duration of nine months, as well as to participate in the group sessions.

The selection will be made by each Arqus university locally. Two participants (one pre- and one post-doc) will be chosen per university.

How to apply

The deadline for the application is Monday, 15th May 2023.

Please use this application form for mentees. The application form must be signed by the applicant (e-signature if possible) and sent to doctoral-academy@uni-graz.at. Applicants will be informed about the outcome of the selection until the end of June at the latest.

The trainer and host for both mentees and mentors is Dr Yasmin Dolak-Struss, who is a systemic coach, trainer and facilitator. She has been supporting researchers on European funding programmes and career development for more than 16 years and has a background as a researcher in the field of biomathematics. She will facilitate the in-person kick-off as well as all online training sessions for the mentees, and host the regular mentor’s lounges.

Programme and Dates (all times are CET)

  • Thursday 5th to Friday 6th October 2023 (in person)

Physical Kick-Off meeting in Graz
A 2-day event in Graz (Austria) to get to know the other mentees, exchange experiences and build a group rapport. It will include group work and exercises, as well as networking opportunities.

  • Wednesday 8th November 2023 – 14:00-15:30

Online Training Session on “Mental Health and Well-being” by Ângela da Costa Maia (Doctoral College at the University of Minho)
Ângela da Costa Maia holds a PhD in Clinical Psychology and a habilitation in Applied Psychology. In this session, she will offer a discussion space on the major challenges and stressors when conducting doctoral and post-doctoral research and how they can affect personal well-being. She will provide her expertise on how to care for one’s (mental) health and commit to healthy choices.

  • Wednesday 17th January 2024 – 14:00-15:30

Online Training Session on “Secrets of Academia” by Dr Gerald Lind (Doctoral Academy at the University of Graz)
Academic careers are not only based on excellent research. Successful researchers are also aware of academia’s much less visible social dimension. In this context, Gerald Lind will give insight into the social and rarely shared aspects of the rules of academic life.

  • Wednesday 6th March 2024 – 14:00-15:30

Online Peer Group Session and Exchange of Experiences
A check-in with the group to discuss the status of the mentoring relationships, and discover if there are any shared issues or struggles and to exchange on common topics that are being discussed.

  • Thursday 16th May 2024 – 14:00-15:30

Online Training Session on “International Funding Landscapes” by Dr Yasmin Dolak-Struss
Based on her extensive experience in supporting Researchers in European funding programmes, Yasmin Dolak-Struss will give insight into funding possibilities and procedures.

  • Tuesday 18th June 2024 – 14:00-15:30

Final Online Meeting and Evaluation
Last meeting with all the mentees to discuss the experiences and outcomes of the mentoring programme, to reflect on benefits and challenges as well as wishes and suggestions.

Overview of Dates

  • In-Person Kick-Off: 5th-6th October 2023 (Thu-Fri).
  • First Online Session: 8th November 2023 (Wed) Mental Health and Well-Being.
  • Second Online Session: 17th January 2024 (Wed) Secrets of Academia.
  • Third Online Session: 6th March 2024 (Wed) Group Check-in.
  • Fourth Online Session: 16th May 2024 (Thu) International Funding Landscape.
  • Final Online Meeting: 18th June 2024 (Tue) Check-In and Wrap-Up.
Call published on 25 Apr 2023
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