By the end of the first three years after their doctorates, many postdoctoral candidates will decide that they are looking for a professorship or a permanent leadership position in research or academia and may already be on the verge of their first professorial appointment and require encouragement and advice for the next career step. Junior professors, junior research group leaders and tenure track professors have already made considerable progress in their academic careers and have successfully completed an appointment or application procedure and may now wish to receive support in fulfilling their numerous, in some cases new, tasks.

The programme ‘Progressio. Successful development in academic leadership’ is aimed at female researchers* who are at a crucial point in their professional development – some of them on the verge of reaching the top and others who are already there but have not quite found a solid footing.

An experienced mentor can help mentees to build confidence in their own decisions and find their way. One-to-one mentoring partnerships last for twelve months and form the driving force of professional development at this stage. Mentoring partnerships must be carefully prepared and are orientated entirely to the needs of the mentee. Therefore, the mentees themselves select the mentor who is suitable for them. They will be supported by the vice president and the coordinator during the process of contacting them.

The mentoring partnership is complemented by a supporting programme that allows the mentees to reflect on the individual mentoring partnership and personal development with their peers and a professional coach. The supporting programme includes a preparatory workshop, a kick-off workshop, an interim workshop and a final workshop, as well as the opportunity to take part in individual coaching sessions with the trainer.

In addition, workshops, discussion evenings or lectures, which are organized according to the wishes of the mentees, offer the opportunity to acquire complementary interdisciplinary knowledge and to network with one another.

Both mentors and mentees receive a certificate at the end of the mentoring programme.

The programme coordinator will be happy to assist prospective mentors with questions and advice.

*This refers to all persons who identify as female researchers. This explicitly includes trans*, inter* and non-binary people who identify as female. Female researchers with a disability will be given priority in the application procedures. The term ‘mentor’ also refers to all people who want to take on this task, regardless of their gender identity.