The popular Flinders University Researcher Mentoring Program for Early-Career Researchers will be running again in 2026, and expressions of interest from academics across Flinders are now open.

This popular program pairs early career researchers (ECRs) with senior academics who can help develop their research careers, meeting their research aspirations and goals, and forming strategies for future academic success.

Running from March to November 2026, the program also provides an opportunity for ECRs to form a university-wide community with their fellow mentees at similar career stages (all are within eight years post-PhD). This dynamic ECR community serves as a source of support and information for the mentees during the program and beyond.

In the weeks before the program starts in March, mentees and mentors will be provided with resources to help them succeed. Each mentee–mentor pair is expected to meet regularly, and the cohort of mentees will gather for three Roundtable Workshops to discuss topics of relevance to their career stage.

Professor Raymond Chan, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) and a former mentor in the program, is pleased the program is returning for 2026.

“The program is an opportunity for early-career researchers to benefit from the support and valuable skills and knowledge of senior researchers at Flinders. This Program has served more than 310 ECRs since 2012. The feedback from the mentees has been consistently positive, highlighting improvements to their research profiles and well-being. I personally participated as a mentor in this program and found it an extremely rewarding experience,” says Professor Chan.

“The University values the ‘culture of care’ and wealth of experience that our senior academic staff bring to mentoring our early-career researchers. I strongly encourage researchers at all stages of their careers to participate in this Program, either as mentees or mentors.”

This year’s program has received excellent feedback from both mentees and mentors, as reflected in these representative quotes:

• Mentee: “It has been incredible. I am very similar to a career stage of my mentor before they made it. The parallels are uncanny and they are bringing a fresh perspective to my career.”
• Mentor: This program “reminds you that we’re part of a large community here.”
• Mentee: “I love having had the opportunity to meet a really lovely, inspiring researcher who I would have never met if not for the program.”
• Mentor: The best part of the program is “connection outside College, and feeling like I can give a little something back / pay forward the amazing mentoring I’ve been lucky to have in my career so far.”

For more information including the 2026 program overview, eligibility criteria for mentees and mentors, and the links to the Expression of Interest forms for mentees and mentors, please visit our webpage. Expressions of Interest close by COB Friday 31 October 2025.

Please contact the Program Coordinator, Dr Jen Beaudry (Manager, Researcher Training, Development and Communication) if you need any further information or clarification.