Mentorship programme for early career female researchers

Overview

Mentoring has been identified as a key component to research capacity strengthening and in developing researchers in health. While many different definitions and understanding of mentorship exist, there is agreement that mentorship is not the same as supervision and requires a series of characteristics, both in the relationship and in the mentors. Evidence suggests that formal mentorship programmes can be beneficial for both mentees and mentors, as long as the relationship is based on positive values. Building on the positive experience from the pilot programme, this scaled programme will continue to focus primarily on females and address some of the gendered challenges that women face in the workplace and in their professional development. The scaled-up programme will also provide tools for peer mentoring among the new cohort of mentees and including past cohorts of mentees. This formal mentorship programme will be embedded within the existing network of the HRP Alliance partners. Ultimately, these programme aims to support the transition of early-career scholars to independent researcher, through investment in career development, independent research, and personal development, as well as institutional development by strengthening their human resources.