FORTHEM facilitates active collaboration among partner universities with interdisciplinary events and opportunities, involving the whole academic community: researchers at different career stages, professors and students. FORTHEM is particularly engaged in fostering the employability of researchers and as such it offers the opportunity to develop new competence and identifying new research areas.  In December 2024, FORTHEM Alliance will launch a peer mentoring programme for researchers at different stages of their career. The programme fosters interdisciplinary research and facilitates the matchmaking between mentors and mentees via online meetings combined with physical mobility.

Who can apply?

Mentors: Early-Stage Researchers and Experienced Researchers (including post-Docs). 

Mentees: PhD students, Early-Stage Researchers, (including post-Docs). 

Why?

As a mentor, you will help your mentees navigate in research and showing different development options, not limited to the academic field, but also to the work-like balance or personal experience. In this sense, the mentee will have the opportunity to get new knowledge and learning from your experience. You will propose topics for discussion and set your own objectives.

As a mentee, you will find a guidance and explore with your mentor different development options, not limited to the academic field, but also to the work-like balance or personal experience.  You will have the opportunity to get new knowledge and learning from the mentors’ experience. You will propose topics for discussion and set your own objectives.

We will provide for you a certification attesting your participation in the project and, if required, an Open Badge attesting your competences and activities.

Other incentives will be conceived according to the internal police of your university, which you can conctact for more information.

How?

You will interact with other researchers, through the individual mentoring or being part of a group where one or more experienced researchers interact with less experienced researchers, exchanging experiences and providing career advice. The basis for interactions is confidentiality. 

Groups will be made up of a minimum of one mentor and one mentee and a max of two mentors and 5 mentees.

What is expected from mentors and mentees?

Mentors are not meant to be supervisors, rather counsellors or learning facilitators. They offer support for the common sharing of experiences within the group, initiate interdisciplinary discussion, and can shed light on academic career development based on their own experiences. 

No prior-to-meeting preparation is expected from mentors. They do not have to prepare materials of activities for the meetings but simply act as meeting coordinators in practice.  

Mentors might be asked to be speakers of specific training sessions for mentees. 

Mentees will set their objectives with the mentor, and they will schedule their meetings.  They are in charge for the prior-to-meeting, in terms of setting the content of the meeting.  

As part of a group, you have to participate in the meetings and trainings taking place during the period of the Mentoring, approximately one per month (up to the group decision), for the duration of the programme (one year since the matchmaking). 

Mandatory activities to obtain the final certificate 

You have to attend: 

• at least 4 meetings during the year, 

• participation to the bootcamp and to the trainings provided 

Preliminary schedule:

• One-year online mentoring (October 2025 – October 2026) 

• Bootcamp (April or May 2026, in presence or online) 

How to apply?

Experienced researchers, Early-stage researchers, including Post-docs can apply for being mentors. 

Ph.D. students and Early-stage researchers (including Post-docs) can apply for being mentees. 

Only 36 mentees will be selected. 

The mentors will be selected only if they could be matched with at least one mentees, depending of the macro-area of research. 

The selection will be carried out taking into account the motivation letter, CV and previous experiences as mentor.  

After the selection, mentors will be briefed on the program and the metholodogy, for better supporting the mentees in their career. 

Appliaction deadline

Sign up by filling out this form by  September 25th, 2025