Mentor programme for postdocs

Structure and c​ontent of the programme

The coming round of the mentor programme runs from 1 May 2025 to the end of March 2026. During this period, it is recommended that the mentor and mentee have six to ten meetings.

Mentorship pairs are put together by consultant Lisa Ott   based on individual mentee needs and mentor experience and knowledge. It is important to ensure a certain organisational distance between the mentee and mentor, and that they are not well acquainted before the mentorship is established. It is a requirement that mentees participate in a half-day course on the mentor-mentee roles (week 10 and 11). The course is conducted by Lisa Ott who has extensive experience with mentoring in general and for UCPH.

New mentors can sign up for a half-day course or have an individual meeting with Lisa Ott (week 11).   

Please note that we cannot guarantee that there are mentors to all who register as the programme requires a good match.  

What´s in it for you?

Quote experienced mentor Professor Nicole Schmitt, Department of Biomedical Sciences: “You may ask yourself how you should find time in your busy schedule for being a mentor? A very relevant question - what's in it for me? Actually a lot. I am a regular mentor in the UCPH programme for assistant professors. Seeing the workplace through the eyes of the mentees made me reflect on my own leadership approaches and gave me other perspectives on UCPH as an organization. Realizing that my questions helped the mentees to develop was very rewarding, both as a professional and as a person. We attend many meetings - these ones really have an impact."​

Quote Assistant Professor Walden Emil Bjørn-Yoshimoto, Department of Biomedical Sciences:  
As mentor: “Being a mentor in the UCPH program has been an incredibly enriching experience. The process of supporting early-career researchers allowed me to better understand the evolving challenges they face and to reflect on my own professional journey. Mentorship is not about having all the answers but about listening, asking the right questions, and witnessing the mentee’s progress. This has been a very valuable learning experience for me as a mentor, and something that helps and supports my professional role outside of the mentorship program as well. To me, it has been a very meaningful way to give back to the next generation of researchers and (hopefully) contribute, in some small way, to their career development – whether by better strategizing their career path, navigating life around their career, or something in between.

As mentee: “As a postdoc, the mentorship program provided a rare opportunity to step back and focus on my personal and professional development. Through my mentor’s guidance and ability to ask many of the questions I didn’t know I needed to ask myself, I (eventually) gained clarity on navigating challenges in academia and exploring diverse career paths, as well as balancing my private life with my career aspirations. The conversations were both inspiring and practical. The practical parts are certainly easier, and the “inspirational” is where a mentor can really shine. Mine certainly did, and while the practical advice has been extremely valuable at the time, to this day I continue to reflect on some of these less practical sessions we have had. This experience not only supported my growth but also reminded me that the challenges and uncertainties we face are often shared — and surmountable.”

Sign-up here no later than 19 February 2025

Sign up as mentee

Sign up as mentor

Read more about the Mentor program for postdocs  at Lisa Ott´s website

Selection criteria – for mentees

In case there are too many applicants we need to select only 40 mentees out of the total number of applicants by using the selection criteria below.

Find your own mentor