Shaping mentoring (Professor Claire Gorrara)

Developing a dynamic and diverse mentoring programme is our goal. Our priority is to serve the needs of the FLFs and Innovators who are part of the Network. Experienced in overseeing the development of mentoring schemes, our mentoring lead, Professor Claire Gorrara, envisions a mentoring scheme that is values-led and responsive to the needs of you, the Future Leaders Fellows and Innovators, during your time on the programme.

‘Mentoring is mentee-driven and matched to mentee goals, interests, values and aspirations.’

Professor Claire Gorrara
FLF Development Network, Research Culture Academic Lead

Our first port of call to develop the mentoring scheme was to obtain your feedback on what you wanted from mentoring during the March 2021 Research Encounter.

What does mentoring mean to you?

You are a varied community of researchers working across academia and industry and, as such, provided us with insights into a range of wants and needs that are feeding into the recruitment of mentors and the mentee-mentor matching process. You have told us that you are looking for mentors who will support and challenge you, and bring new and diverse perspectives on topics that include:

• Experience outside your current field/industry;
• Understanding others’ aims and values;
• International experiences and perspectives
• Guidance on strategic and long-term goals;
• Insight into more senior careers;
• Confidence and assertiveness;
• Coaching on managing relationships and difficult conversations;
• Opportunities for professional development and career planning;
• Encouragement and provision of a safe place to articulate challenges and concerns;
• Reflective feedback.

If you weren’t able to join the event, there is a recording in the video library on the FLF Development Network website – log in to access the Research Encounter Day 2 recording.

We have also been doing 30-minute Drop-in Sessions, with the next being on Monday 10th May. Here, you can provide us with your feedback on what you want from a mentor. Again, please log in and visit the Mentoring Drop-Session event page on the website to register to come along.

Inspired by the information you have shared with us, we continue to develop the mentee–mentor matching criteria with a values-led approach and your requirements at the forefront.

Reaching out to colleagues and associates, we have gathered lessons learnt on the experience of being a mentee and a mentor. We are looking to best practice from mentoring schemes across the UK, some of which colleagues from the FLF Development Network have been involved in developing and delivering. We will ensure our mentoring programme is personalised and agile, based on tried-and-tested pairing models pioneered by consortium partners. We are expanding the existing mentor pool with our own extensive, global contacts and will provide orientation sessions where you will meet your mentors.

Look out for more information on the mentoring scheme in the mentoring section of the website.

If you have any queries or questions on the mentoring scheme, please contact us: mentoring@flfdevnet.com.