EARMA Mentorship Scheme
Empowering the next generation of research managers
About the Programme
The EARMA Mentorship Scheme is a tailored initiative for members of EARMA, conceived with the vision of instilling a culture of perpetual learning, meaningful networking, and the exchange of best practices. It's a realm where our community members can navigate the pathways of professional growth, under the guidance of experienced mentors.
Purpose of the programme
- Life-long learning: Create avenues for continual learning and professional growth among EARMA members.
- Networking and best practices exchange: Build a robust platform for networking and sharing invaluable best practices.
- Mentorship for new professionals: Extend a nurturing hand to emerging professionals in research management, providing them with the support needed to thrive.
Goals and objectives
Goals:
- Professional advancement: Accelerate professional growth, nurturing a culture of excellence.
- Sustainable learning environment: Cultivate an enduring learning and mentoring ethos.
- Global networking: Expand the scope of international collaborations and partnerships.
Objectives:
- Knowledge sharing: Establish a structured framework for knowledge transfer, enriching the community with shared experiences.
- Skill development: Tailor activities to address specific skill development needs, fostering hands-on learning.
- Community building: Fortify professional relationships and engagement within EARMA, nurturing a supportive community.
- Feedback and continuous improvement: Initiate robust feedback mechanisms to refine and enhance the program continually.
Join our pilot programme
The EARMA Mentorship Scheme pilot was launched October 30, 2023. The scheme is designed to support early career stage colleagues who are new to research management. This will be facilitated through targeted, regular and informal discussions on pre-determined (or pre-defined) topics proposed by mentees. Topics will be agreed with more senior or experienced colleagues who will perform the mentoring role. The entire process will be conducted within a confidential and professional environment.
EARMA believes mentoring is essential for personal and professional development, knowledge sharing, and the overall growth and success of individuals and their organisations. It provides a structured and supportive environment for learning, guidance, and collaboration, contributing to the development of competent and confident professionals.
As part of the pilot, we are seeking to appoint a total of twenty participants: ten to act as mentors and ten to act as mentees. We aim to create ten pairs of participants using the criteria set out below. Each pair will work together to develop their individual activity plan, outlining their ambitions for the duration of the programme.
Apply to be a mentor or mentee
Apply: Complete this form
Deadline for applications: December 1, 2023
Please note that submitting an application is an acknowledgment that you have read and agree to the EARMA Mentorship Scheme’s Code of Conduct.
Pairing Criteria
Mentors and mentees will be paired under the following criteria:
- Number of years in the profession.
- Topic(s) of expertise (mentor).
- Topic(s) for desired personal development (mentee).
- EARMA will place an emphasis on international pairings.
- Mentors should have a minimum of five years’ experience in research management.
- Both mentors and mentees should be members of EARMA for at least one year.
Programme activities
Activity plan: Mentor/mentee pairs will spend the first meetings discussing and defining their activity plan, describing their ambitions for the mentoring process. EARMA does not need to keep a copy of these plans. However, these documents could be beneficial for the pilot’s final report.
Kick-off: The programme will commence with an in-person kick-off seminar in Brussels, Belgium, for the participants. In the seminar, EARMA will present the structure and expectations of the scheme, introduce participants to key documents and processes, and offer guidance to mentors and mentees to ensure professional mentoring.
Meetings: The kick-off will be the only in-person meeting supported by EARMA (for a maximum of 20 participants plus trainers), all subsequent meetings can be digital or in-person as practically feasible and desired by the pair. EARMA recommends that the pair organise monthly meetings, each with a pre-agreed agenda or specified topic for discussion. The mentee should normally take responsibility for scheduling meetings and agreeing the agenda for each meeting.
Visits: EARMA encourages each pair to organise an in-person visit at some point during the programme. The direction of this exchange can be determined at the discretion of each pair. Since there is no reimbursement available from EARMA, this visit is entirely optional but strongly recommended for the benefit of the mentoring process. Participants may wish to seek funding support for such exchange visits, either from their own institutions or by applying for external funding, for example staff exchange funding via Erasmus+.
EARMA Conference Mentorship Lunch: A special lunch will take place at the EARMA Conference in Odense, Denmark, April 23 -25, 2024, for the EARMA Mentorship Scheme participants joined by the programme’s management committee. Participation is encouraged but not mandatory.
Reporting: After one year, EARMA will review the scheme to prepare for the next intake of mentors and mentees. This will be conducted by the EARMA Mentorship Scheme management committee for consideration by the EARMA Board.
Reporting and assessment
As this initiative is currently in the pilot phase, there will be a certain amount of reporting and assessment required for participation in the EARMA Mentorship Scheme. This will allow the scheme’s management committee to evaluate the success of the programme and incorporate improvements where necessary.
Get in touch
For queries regarding the EARMA Mentorship Scheme, please contact us via email to earma@earma.org where a member of our customer care team will provide you with the information that you need.
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