Early-Career Mentoring Scheme

The scheme welcomes the altruistic input of experienced colleagues from across the disciplines and nations represented by CNCSI. While English operates as the most common lingua franca, we will endeavour to work constructively across languages wherever possible.

This may include, for example:

• academic or trade book proposals
• article submissions and responding to peer review feedback 
• CV design
• job interview advice
• bids for research fellowships and grants
• research proposals
• pitches for special issues of journals
• planning events and public engagement
• understanding the academic system in different countries
• working with non-academic partners
• working with the media
  
  

The scheme operates as follows:

1) Mentors offering support

Colleagues with approximately five or more years of experience post-viva are encouraged to contact the scheme moderator (Hannah Scott – hannah.scott@newcastle.ac.uk) to be added to a closed database of mentors.

The details to send should include:

• a biographical note or link to a professional webpage 
• any areas for which that they particularly wish/do not wish to provide support
• a preferred contact email address
  
  

When a call for support is received by the moderator, they will contact all suitably-experienced mentors (via email in blind carbon-copy) to ask for availability. Details of mentors will never be handed to prospective mentees directly. Anyone who would like to take up this call can reply to the list moderator to accept the project, and then contact the mentee directly. 

The mentor may choose how often and when they are able to offer their time and support. Note that this is not intended to initiate a longer-term mentoring relationship. 

2) Mentees seeking support

Early-career academics should direct their request for support to the scheme moderator (Hannah Scott – hannah.scott@newcastle.ac.uk) with brief details about their mentoring needs (e.g. advice for postdoc proposal in Canada on political history). This should be accompanied by a brief academic biography or link to a departmental/professional webpage. 

The moderator will then identify any mentors on the database with relevant experience and email them to check their availability. If a match is found, the available mentor will then contact the mentee directly via email to provide support. Please note that this is not intended to build into a longer-term mentoring relationship with the mentor – it aims to tackle a one-off request for a standalone issue.