One-to-one mentoring

For one year, the doctoral candidate (mentee) teams up with an experienced female professor of her own choice (mentor). This one-to-one relationship is voluntary and takes place outside relationships of dependence (e.g., outside of supervisors or professional dissertation advisors).

Searching for a mentor
As a mentee, you have the opportunity to choose your own mentor. Eligible candidates are experienced female professors from universities and research institutions who

  • are located in NRW (or in another location up to a maximum of 200 km away),
  • work in a similar field as you, or
  • hold a professional position that you could envision for yourself.

Since the choice of mentor is extremely important for the mentoring relationship that follows, a workshop is held to help clarify what one expects of the mentor and to develop a concrete notion that serves as the basis for seeking the ideal mentor. The program coordinator will help you find a suitable mentor. She establishes the initial contact with the potential mentor and, as a neutral authority, moderates the process of becoming acquainted and finalizing a decision. This ensures that after the initial meeting, both parties can decide on their own about whether to work together.

Mentoring meetings

The mentoring pairs work in regularly held meetings on various questions and topics related to the career situation and development of the mentees. The pairs themselves decide on the specific contents of the meetings and how often they are held. At the start, an interval of 4-6 weeks between meetings is recommended. As the mentoring program progresses, the intervals can become longer, and issues can also be resolved via phone calls or emails.

  • Career orientation for the mentee
  • Expanding your qualification profile
  • Specific situations about decisions or problems
  • Sharing experience
  • Relating the implicit rules of scientific work
  • Combining family and career
  • Ways to increase the mentee's visibility in the scientific community

Before the mentee and mentor begin their tandem work, the project coordinator prepares them for their tasks and roles. Please note that mentoring by no means involves doctoral supervision, and specific subject-related issues are avoided in the discussions as much as possible.

Further information: