Call for mentees: Heyrovský Institute opens a pilot mentoring programme for 2026/2027

At the Heyrovský Institute, we understand mentoring as targeted, long-term support designed to help early-career researchers systematically develop their potential, build professional confidence, and navigate both the academic and commercial sectors more effectively.

Programme objectives

to support the professional development of doctoral and postdoctoral researchers;
to facilitate the early stages of a scientific career and help participants clarify their future direction;
to assist early-career researchers in identifying their career objectives and defining concrete steps towards achieving them;
to facilitate networking and support mentees’ involvement in the national and international scientific community;
to encourage the mutual sharing of experience among programme participants.

Who can enroll

The programme is intended for early-career researchers undertaking doctoral studies or at the postdoctoral stage who are seeking collaboration and guidance from more experienced senior colleagues in their own or a related field. Ideally, mentors should be based at a different institution, either in the Czech Republic or abroad, than the one where the mentee is studying or working.

How the mentoring programme works

The aim of the programme is to establish a high-quality and meaningful mentoring system with clearly defined rules, a time frame, objectives, and expected outcomes. We want mentoring to be not a random or ad hoc activity, but a carefully designed process that provides mentees with lasting support.

The programme will be implemented in several stages:

collection of applications from mentors and mentees;
analysis and categorisation of applications;
matching mentors with mentees based on their needs and preferences;
approval of the proposed pairs by both mentors and mentees;
implementation of the mentoring programme;
final evaluation of the pilot year.

Time commitment

The mentoring programme is planned to run for ten months. During this period, at least 5 meetings should take place between the mentee and their mentor, either in person, online, or a combination of both. In-person meetings are the preferred format.

The programme will begin with an introductory workshop, during which the coordinator will present the programme's structure and the conditions for participation to the mentees. The meeting will also clarify initial expectations, define the main objectives mentees would like to achieve through mentoring, and prepare an individual mentoring plan.

Mentees will also be connected and supported through informal meetings, which will provide space to share good practice, offer mutual support, and jointly explore questions related to their career objectives and future direction. These meetings will take place at the beginning and at the end of the mentoring programme.