Connected Everything supports Early Career Researchers in many ways.  We are exploring new ways to do this through a pilot mentoring programme.  We envisage that within the Connected Everything network we can match mentees to mentors for a period of 12-18 months.  The relationship will be confidential and the duration and frequency of meetings will be directed by the mentee, but will not exceed more than 8 meetings during the first 12 months. After a mentor / mentee match has been made, Connected Everything will check in with both parties to ensure the relationship is working.  At the end of the first 12 months both mentee and mentor will be asked to complete a short evaluation form to help Connected Everything improve the programme. Details of mentee / mentor conversations will remain confidential and not shared unless there is a perceived risk to either party.

Mentee experience:

“I have been very pleased with how the mentoring scheme went since Jan 2021 and I feel that I benefited greatly from each meeting with my mentor, Jonathan. We discussed work-related issues and my career development plan. I also received the suggestion from my mentor on academic job application and working responsibilities of established academics. The advice received was always constructive, and as such I found it incredibly helpful.  Since starting the mentorship scheme, I have taken my first lectureship. I am certain that I would not have applied for my current role if we had not started our mentorship sessions.

In addition to professional knowledge and experience, we have been collaborating on research and exploring opportunities of grants in cyber security and e-health. The knowledge and strategies I learned has enabled me to investigate my research topics in different perspectives and helped me to go further on my academic achievements, career development and future promotion.” – Dr Yang Lu: (https://www.yorksj.ac.uk/our-staff/staff-profiles/yang-lu-.php)

Please complete the form below to request a mentor. It will take about 10 minutes to fill out. The information you provide will be used only by Connected Everything to register you onto a mentoring matching database, and then for mentor to mentee matching purposes.

Mentoring Programme Application Form

Applications from under-represented groups are encouraged. We ask that everyone participating in a Connected Everything activity complete an EDI monitoring form. This data will be held anonymously.  This form will be sent separately on receipt of your application.

We hope to support 10 Early Career Researchers in this programme and we will make the mentee / mentor matches on a first come, first served basis. To help you consider if a mentor would be useful, this checklist suggests some areas (but not all!) that you may benefit from discussing with a mentor.

For more information about the pilot mentoring programme, email debra.fearnshaw@nottingham.ac.uk