Mentorship Programme

The Mentorship Programme for Young Researchers and Innovators (YRIs) aims to create a platform of shared knowledge and professional development, connecting seasoned experts with the emerging talents in the realm of research and innovation. This initiative offers an opportunity for accomplished researchers to lend their expertise and provide guidance to the next generation of YRIs.

This Mentorship Programme is highlighted in the Memorandum of Understanding to fulfil different Action objectives, such as:

Objective 9. Support the future leadership of Early Career Investigators (ECIs).
Objective 10. Support the research in Inclusiveness Target Countries (ITCs) and Near-Neighbour Countries (NNCs).

The Mentorship Programme incorporates two types of activities:

Mentorship by experienced researchers
Webinars to advise and guide YRIs in their research and career paths

Mentors

Each mentor will provide mentorship to a cohort of up to 5 mentees. Interested mentees can apply until 20 September 2023. Mentors will be assigned by 25 September.

Application closed

Dr Carlo Botrugno (webpage)

The working plan of the mentorship foresees 3 stages. The first one will start with a welcoming meeting with all YRIs to get to know each other, start to build our relationship and sketch out their expectations from my role as well as to illustrate my experience and thus clarify to them in what and how I can be helpful. In the second stage, YRsS will have the opportunity to request and schedule individual or collective meetings for specific issues on one or more aspects that are of a concern to them. In the third stage, a final meeting will be scheduled before the closing to collect critical feedback on their experience and assess their overall satisfaction with the mentorship.

Dr Anto Čartolovni (webpage) – A mentorship program in desk research as a precondition for grant applications

Desk research as a precondition for grant applications. Provide YRIs with a basic literature search and review to provide good theoretical foundations for writing a good grant application. Moreover, this mentorship will equip each mentee with the necessary skills to perform a scoping review providing a comprehensive overview of the researched topic. Through individually scheduled online meetings for three months, I will offer peer-peer tutoring on the basic steps in Scoping literature review for young scholars. During this mentoring time, we will discuss how to use the literature review results as a starting point for a grant application.

Prof Nicolas Sklavos (webpage)

I will be available for providing services when requested by one of the mentees with the following objectives:

Mentoring services for a) goodbrother activities, b) related research activities of the mentees, c) for preparing possible R&D proposals, d) any other kind of related services upon request.
Available online meetings with mentees.
Providing advices, giving directions through experiences.
Enrich mentees knowledge.
Expand mentees horizons.

Dr Agusti Solanas (webpage)

I will coordinate with the mentees to provide advice when requested by any of them. The main topics that can be addressed are the following (although others could be suggested by mentees):

Dealing with EU Calls (requirements and main outcomes)
How to build a successful consortium for EU projects
Governance of EU projects
Capacity building and skills improvement
How to prepare review papers
Organisational tips for your PhD Thesis

Dr Susanna Spinsante (webpage) – Mentorship on gender-related issues for YRIs in research and innovation on the Action topics

The mentor will be available for providing advice (upon agreement on the schedule) or support when needed by one or more mentees, on the following items:

Advices/suggestions to think about gender-related considerations/aspects in research activities regarding the Action topics;
The added value of a gender-related approach to research and innovation and how to leverage it, particularly in the fields related to the Action topics;
Tools and ways to cope with gender-related bias in the workplace/research context;
Gender aspects in research proposals (e.g. Horizon 2020 and related calls).