[staff-physics-and-astronomy-HL-UHD-UD] Thirteenth edition of the mentoring programme for talented scientists

[Colvin, K.S. (Karin)]

Dear all,

At the beginning of October 2024, the thirteenth edition of the mentoring programme for talented scientists will start. In this programme an experienced scientist (professor or associate professor) accompanies a talented, motivated scientist (assistant professor or postdoc of another faculty) in finding their way in the academic world. In a period of about 10 months, mentor and mentee have 5 conversations with each other about shaping the mentee's academic career.

Possible discussion topics for the mentorship are:
•                     Visibility in the academic world and networking
•                     Strategic choices
•                     Acquiring external research funding
•                     Prioritisation (research, education, and management)
•                     Giving direction to your career
•                     Work-life balance

The mentoring programme starts with workshops for mentors and mentees, these will take place 'live' at the VU.
In the workshop for mentees, information is given about the programme, possible topics of discussion and the roles of the mentor and mentee. Mentees are stimulated to think about their learning goals and how to get the most out of the conversations with their mentor. The subsequent intake interviews with mentees are aimed at focusing on the developmental question and to see which mentor would be the best fit.
Mentors scientific and support staff will jointly receive a workshop by Erik de Haan, director of the Ashridge’s Center for Coaching and professor of Organisation Development & coaching at the VU. The first part consists of supervision based on practical questions or case histories and is intended for mentors with experience. The supervision will only take place if there are enough applications (minimum 6). The second part is for all mentors and deals with the mentor-mentee relationship, expectation management and the different mentoring roles. Both parts are taught in English.

For mentees, it is important to be motivated and having a clear developmental question. For the mentor seniority, motivation and coaching skills are important.


The planning of the mentoring programme 2024-2025 is:
 Activity
Date
Location
Workshop mentees
(Lidy Stassen & Veronique Bremers)
Tuesday 8 October 2024
9.00-10.45 hours (Dutch)
11.15-13.00 hours (English)
VU
Workshop mentors
(Erik de Haan)

(language of communication: English)
Wednesday 9 October 2024
12.30-14.45 supervision for experienced mentors
15.00-18.00 Introductory workshop/enhancement of expertise for new and experienced mentors
VU
Intake interviews mentees (Lidy Stassen & Veronique Bremers)
Monday 14 up to and including Friday 18 October 2024
VU
E-mail matching to mentors/mentees
Monday 28 up to and including Thursday 31 October 2024

Interview series mentor-mentee
November 2024 – December 2025
VU or online (to be determined jointly by mentee and mentor)
Follow-up e-mail to mentors and mentees
January 2025

Evaluation
February 2026


Mentors and mentees rated the programme with 4.3 and 4.7 respectively on a five-point scale.

Quotes by mentees:
·                     “Various creative examples of how to create more impact with my research.”
·                     “Helping me with strategy, making choices, dealing with non-functional collaborations.”
·                     “To be strategic with my decisions, to be careful with what I promise I will do, to evaluate my real capabilities.”

Quotes by mentors:
·                     “Help new international staff to better integrate and understand the system.”
·                     “It provides an opportunity for explicit reflection that would otherwise not happen, and it provides an external point of view that might be usefully different from the local culture/customs/habits.”
·                     “By providing encouragement and support by making mentees aware of career planning.”

In AdValvas of February 2017<https://assets.vu.nl/d8b6f1f5-816c-005b-1dc1-e363dd7ce9a5/39711232-6d24-4e87-b297-a2490cea7231/Mentoraat%20WP%20Artikel%20Ad%20Valvas.pdf> and October 2019<https://assets.vu.nl/d8b6f1f5-816c-005b-1dc1-e363dd7ce9a5/b30045e0-76be-48a6-8569-27b7fbfa605f/Mentoraat%20WP%20Artikel%20AdValvas%20oktober%202019.pdf> you can read extensive articles about the WP mentorship (Dutch only).

More information about mentoring can be found on the vu.nl<http://vu.nl/> page Mentoring programme for talented scientists<https://vu.nl/en/employee/career-guidance-and-coaching/mentoring-programme-for-talented-scientists>.

Please let me know by end of August if you are interested in the programme.

Thank you in advance!

Kind regards,

Karin Colvin

Assistent Afdelingsmanager, Natuur- en Sterrenkunde
Faculteit der Bètawetenschappen
[Logo]

Werkdagen: Mo, Tu, We, Th, Fr | T +31 20 59 81872 | k.s.colvin at vu.nl<mailto:k.s.colvin at vu.nl>
Postadres: De Boelelaan 1105, 1081 HV Amsterdam
Bezoeksadres: W&N T106 | E-mail disclaimer<https://vu.nl/en/about-vu/more-about/about-the-vu-website> | www.vu.nl<https://vu.nl/en/>

[Facebook]<https://www.facebook.com/vuamsterdam/>    [Instagram] <https://www.instagram.com/physicsastron_/>     [LinkedIn] <https://www.linkedin.com/in/physics-and-astronomy-860301282/>     [cid:image005.png at 01DABD96.974CAE60] <https://twitter.com/PhysicsAstron_>     [YouTube] <https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtzhxK1RnkrC7pj3C8Ohcx89CkghBeAvF>


-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://listserver.vu.nl/pipermail/senior-staff-physics-and-astronomy/attachments/20240613/9d7b8577/attachment-0001.html>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image001.png
Type: image/png
Size: 9093 bytes
Desc: image001.png
URL: <https://listserver.vu.nl/pipermail/senior-staff-physics-and-astronomy/attachments/20240613/9d7b8577/attachment-0006.png>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image002.png
Type: image/png
Size: 453 bytes
Desc: image002.png
URL: <https://listserver.vu.nl/pipermail/senior-staff-physics-and-astronomy/attachments/20240613/9d7b8577/attachment-0007.png>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image003.png
Type: image/png
Size: 541 bytes
Desc: image003.png
URL: <https://listserver.vu.nl/pipermail/senior-staff-physics-and-astronomy/attachments/20240613/9d7b8577/attachment-0008.png>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image004.png
Type: image/png
Size: 522 bytes
Desc: image004.png
URL: <https://listserver.vu.nl/pipermail/senior-staff-physics-and-astronomy/attachments/20240613/9d7b8577/attachment-0009.png>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image005.png
Type: image/png
Size: 1314 bytes
Desc: image005.png
URL: <https://listserver.vu.nl/pipermail/senior-staff-physics-and-astronomy/attachments/20240613/9d7b8577/attachment-0010.png>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image006.png
Type: image/png
Size: 484 bytes
Desc: image006.png
URL: <https://listserver.vu.nl/pipermail/senior-staff-physics-and-astronomy/attachments/20240613/9d7b8577/attachment-0011.png>