Research staff 

The 2025 run of the IoO/EI mentoring scheme is nearing its end and is set to be again a very positive experience to all who participated. We’d like to take this opportunity to thank our mentors for their commitments and would like to now begin the recruitment for the 2026 session. 

The process in brief:

The IoO/EI mentoring scheme is managed jointly between the IoO and the Ear Institute and provides mentoring for research staff (from post-upgrade PhD students to Professors). You can join the scheme as a mentee or a mentor, or both. Mentoring is normally for one year, with a minimum of 3 meetings. After registering their interest, mentees and mentors will be invited for a training session.

Training is mandatory for all new mentees and new mentors, and will be in person on the 24th November 2025, 2-3 pm at the Institute of Ophthalmology. Please make sure you block the date in your calendar as the training will not be recorded. Following training, mentee/mentor pairing will be done by the mentoring team, with the option of changing after the first “chemistry” session.

If you would like to become a mentor or mentee, or both, please respond to this email with:

- your full name,

- your current position,

- which lab you are working in,

- whether you are applying as a potential mentor, mentee, or both,

- a brief description of what you would like a mentor to help you with (e.g. finding a postdoc, academic career, moving to industry…), or what you think you can help with as a mentor (if you are applying to be a mentor).

 If you are interested, please reply to this email by the 23th October. 

 If you are new to mentoring and just discovered that there is a mentoring scheme for you at the IoO & Ear Institute, then please read on!

Mentoring provides one-to-one independent support to guide you in your career development, building confidence and communication skills, and establishing connections and networks that will help you further your career. The joint mentoring scheme has been running for the last 2-years and the feedback we have received so far suggests that it has been a great success. The scheme is targeted at research staff (from post-upgade PhD students to academic staff). It has proven not only useful to those that have been involved, but on many occasions has also been a decisive help in facilitating a career move (finding a postdoc, getting a lecturer position or a job in pharma). Our mentors all receive formal training and most of them have been with us since the start of the scheme and have an extensive record of mentoring and supporting early career staff. We are also training new mentors every year and we would like to encourage new lecturers, fellows and senior postdocs to register for the scheme. Mentoring is now formally recognised as part of the appraisal and promotion process.

 If you have been a mentee previously and would like to reapply (e.g. change of circumstances or continuing need), please feel free to do so as per details above.

 Questions? Feel free to contact any member of the mentoring Team!

 

The IoO/EI Mentoring Team:

 

PhD students 

For PhD students, we offer a buddy scheme. All new students are automatically paired with a second-year student. This is a less formal set-up than mentoring. Buddies are there to guide you through the start of your PhD and help you with any difficulties you may come across with the work or balancing the PhD with life. For info, please contact Mike Bowl, Jack Martin.