The purpose of our PGR peer mentoring programme is to help you settle into PGR life by pairing you with a mentor who can answer any questions you have at the start of your PhD.
We know that starting doctoral research can be overwhelming, and you may need a helping hand from a postgraduate research (PGR) mentor who is further along in their doctoral journey.
All of the mentors have specifically applied to be part of this scheme and have received mentoring training from our Professional Development team prior to being matched with their mentee.
Once we have closed applications, the team will begin the process of matching. We try as much as possible to match PGRs on the basis of their requested preferences - i.e. matching on the basis of school/faculty, types of support you require and areas the mentor has said they would feel comfortable with providing guidance on, your preferred format (online/in-person) etc.
It may not always be possible to get a perfect match, but last year we were able to match all mentees to mentors. You will be notified as soon as possible after applications close on who you have been matched with, or indeed, if it has not been possible to match you at that time. In this event, we may signpost you to other mentoring or buddying schemes, or if you are willing to wait, we will prioritise matching you in the next round.
Once you have been matched, please reach out to your mentor to organise your first meeting. You should aim to get in contact with your mentor within 5 working days of being matched.
Once you have made contact with your mentor, you should agree when and when your first meeting will take place.
You may change your mind about participating in the programme. If so, please let us know so that we can reallocate your mentor to a different mentee.
Across a minimum of 3 sessions with your mentor, you should expect to gain information, advice and guidance about various elements of settling into PGR life, including:
- Early tasks for new researchers (i.e. using PGR manager, completing your academic needs analysis)
- Settling into the University of Southampton as a PGR (i.e. key services and how to access them)
- Career aspirations
- Types of training you can access
- Getting organised and striking a work/life balance
- Navigating elements of the supervisory relationship
- Opportunities for teaching and other employment for PGRs
- Communities and societies at Southampton
During these sessions, you should expect your mentor to:
- Actively engage with the types of topics you wish to discuss, and signpost you to other relevant services or contacts if the topic fall outside of their remit as a mentor
- Take an interest in your early progress as a PGR
- Collaborate with you in determining a feasible outline for your mentoring meetings
- Act with discretion regarding information that you disclose to them, and vice versa
We hope that through the mentoring programme, you will feel empowered and feel a sense of belonging to the PGR community right at the start of your doctoral journey.
We want the mentoring relationship to be productive and enjoyable. In order for that to happen, you as the mentee should consider the following:
- It is important to reach out to your mentor once they have been assigned: they will be expecting to hear from you. If you have changed your mind about participating in the scheme, please get in touch so that your mentor may be reallocated as soon as possible.
- Respect the boundaries of the mentoring relationship: your mentor is there to provide you with information, advice and guidance pertaining to starting a doctorate. They are not a counsellor, nor are they a specialist in a University service. They may signpost you to an appropriate individual or service if they are not equipped to address a query or concern that you have.
- Respect your mentor’s time: your mentor has volunteered to undertake this role and give up their time to do so. They will of course have their own research and other responsibilities alongside their mentoring role, so please be mindful of this when you schedule meetings and communicate with your mentor outside of organised sessions. Please do not cancel or rearrange your meetings at short notice, unless it is completely unavoidable (i.e. illness, caring responsibilities).
- Be proactive in setting topics and expectations for meetings: the mentoring relationship should be collaborative. It is very useful for your mentor to have a clear idea of the sorts of topics you would like to cover in the sessions, prior to the meetings themselves. Collaborate with your mentor in organising
the sessions together, so that you both get the most out of the time.
You should aim to meet with your mentor monthly for between 3-6 sessions. Previous feedback has found that the more mentoring sessions occur, the more useful the mentees found the programme.
If the mentoring relationship is particularly productive, and if it is mutually agreed with your mentor, it can continue past the 6 sessions.
You will receive an email 6 weeks after being matched with your mentor with a short survey attached, and we would be grateful if you would complete it. This is also an opportunity for you to address any issues or ask any questions that you may have been putting off.
You are encouraged to email us at any time throughout the programme if you encounter any challenges with the mentoring relationship.
At the end of the programme – 6 months after being matched with your mentor – you be asked to fill out an end of programme evaluation. This really helps to inform our approach to the programme, so your contribution is invaluable!
If after completing the programme as a mentee, you would like to become a mentor, you are very welcome to apply in the next academic year. However, you may undertake the mentoring training at any point during your time as a mentee - you do not have to wait. All the dates of upcoming mentor training will be bookable via PGR Manager.