Purpose of the PhD Mentoring Program

The Cluster is committed to supporting the scientific, professional, and personal development of its PhD students. To complement scientific supervision, the Cluster offers a mentoring program that provides access to independent advice, career guidance, and broader professional perspectives.

Mentoring is intended to support career development, professional growth, networking, and navigating academic and non-academic career paths. It is distinct from scientific supervision and project management.

Participation in the mentoring program is strongly encouraged for newly recruited PhD students. Advanced PhD students may alternatively use the existing mentoring opportunities provided by their home institutions.

Mentoring for PhD Students

Mentor Selection

PhD students are expected to identify a mentor within the first three months of their appointment. Students have two options:

Option 1: TAC-Based Mentoring

Students may designate one of their Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC) members as their mentor. The selected TAC member may be a Cluster Key Researcher or another researcher from outside the Cluster serving on the TAC. In this model, mentoring discussions may take place during or alongside the annual TAC meetings, reducing administrative burden and integrating mentoring into the existing doctoral training structure.

Option 2: Mentor from the Cluster

Students may select a mentor from the Cluster’s key researchers—someone with whom they are not directly collaborating. This option may be particularly valuable for students seeking broader career guidance, interdisciplinary perspectives, or confidential advice outside their immediate research environment.

Recommended Frequency

• At least one mentoring discussion per year
• Ideally aligned with the annual TAC meeting
• Additional meetings may be arranged as needed

Suggested Discussion Topics

Mentoring meetings should focus on the broader development of the student rather than day-to-day experimental work. Possible topics include:

• Scientific development and independence
• Long-term research goals
• Career planning inside or outside academia
• Networking and collaborations
• Conference participation and visibility
• Fellowship and grant applications
• Leadership and communication skills
• Work-life balance and wellbeing
• Navigating challenges and setbacks
• Professional opportunities within the Cluster

Students are encouraged to prepare an agenda in advance and identify specific topics they would like to discuss. More detalied structure of topics are avalailable here.

Responsibilities of the Student

The mentee is expected to:

• Initiate contact with the mentor
• Schedule meetings
• Prepare discussion topics
• Reflect on career goals and development needs
• Follow up on agreed action points

Responsibilities of the Mentor

The mentor is expected to:

• Provide an independent perspective
• Share professional experience and career insights
• Support the student’s professional development
• Maintain confidentiality
• Serve as a trusted advisor rather than a scientific supervisor

Principles of the Mentoring Program

The mentoring relationship should be based on mutual respect, confidentiality, open communication, voluntary participation, and independence from formal supervision.

Mentoring is not intended to replace scientific supervision, performance evaluation, conflict-resolution procedures, or institutional support services. Rather, it provides an additional source of guidance and professional development.

Documentation

The Training Unit Coordinator maintains a record of mentor assignments and mentoring participation. Mentees are asked to report:

• Mentor name during the first Periodic Report
• Date(s) of (planned) mentoring meetings during Periodic Reports

No confidential details of discussions will be collected.

Contact

Questions regarding the mentoring program may be directed to the Training Unit Coordinator (margit.katalin.szigeti@univie.ac.at).