About the programme
The mentoring programme for talented scientists will start again at the beginning of October 2026 with separate workshops for mentors and mentees in which information will be given about, among other things, the programme, possible topics, the roles of the mentor and the mentee and practical matters of the programme. In the first two weeks of November, intake interviews will take place in which we will discuss your personal goals and your wishes with regard to your mentor.
Mentors and mentees rated the programme with 4.2 and 4.0 respectively on a five-point scale. A summary of the evaluation can be found here.
Quotes by mentees:
- "My mentor has helped me to become proactive and to think about what I want in my career. He has helped me to become more confident by making a plan together with concrete steps. I have made considerable progress in one year of mentoring and I now feel so much more empowered."
- "Help with sculpting a narrative cv for applications and tips for prioritizing multiple work engagements, without threatening work/life balance."
Quotes by mentors:
- "I could help a younger colleague on a temporary contract, originating from outside The Netherlands with getting to understand Dutch academic culture. What is done and what is not done."
- "Overcoming career obstacles depends on more than just formal requirements. There is an important component that has to do with confidence, experience, and overcoming psychological challenges, that is best approached through individual coaching."
Topics of discussion
Each mentee will have approx. 5 discussions with his/her mentor. In these discussions, mentee and mentor will cover various topics related to organizing the scientific career of the mentee. For example:
- Visibility in the academic world and networking
- Strategic choices
- Acquisition of external funding for your research
- Prioritizing (research, education and management)
- How to control your career
- Work/life balance
For whom?
The programme is intended for Dutch and English-speaking assistant professors and postdocs. Depending on their specific questions and needs, they will be matched with an excellent experienced scientist (professor or associate professor) of another faculty. Thus, the match between mentor and mentee will in principle cross the boundaries of faculties. In a period of about 10 months, mentor and mentee will have approx. 5 discussions. You as a mentee are motivated and have a clear development question. For the mentor, seniority, motivation and coaching skills are important.
About the trainers
The workshop for mentors will be given by Erik de Haan, director of the Ashridge's Center for Coaching and professor of Organisation Development at the VU. The workshops and intake interviews with the mentees will be held by Karin Wiegman and Liselotte de Back (HR Advisors SBE).
Practical information
The faculties will decide whether to participate in the programme or not. Should you be interested in participating as a mentee, please contact the HR Advisor of your faculty or the head of your department. The faculty is responsible for the ultimate selection of the mentees. The (candidate) mentors will be approached by on or behalf of the dean of their faculty.
The time investment is approx. 10 hours (participation workshop, intake and 5 discussions). This does not include preparation for the 5 meetings with your mentor.
Registration for the program is open until Monday, 14 September 2026.
Costs
As a compensation for programme costs, we ask mentees for a contribution of € 30. This contribution is automatically charged to your department.
Contact
Would you like to learn more about the mentoring programme for talented scientists? Please contact the HR Advisor of your faculty or Carin Maas.