Sussex Research Hive

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Hive Scholars

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Mentoring at Sussex

Get the support you need to navigate the world of academia. Whether you are an undergraduate, postgraduate or early career researcher, there are mentoring opportunities available at the university that can help you.

This post is part of a series brought to you from the Sage Students and the Research Hive Scholars, we are joining forces to explore the transition from undergraduate study to postgraduate research. We’ll be sharing blog posts & taking over @sussexlibrary Instagram for the week. #UG2PG

For students

The University has a Student Mentor Scheme to help all students with academic issues and queries. If you are struggling with a concept or anything related to your course then the student mentors will be there at set times to help you. Depending on your degree course, these are some of the things they can give you a helping hand with:

The amount of sessions offered differ from school to school, so have a look on your school below to find out the times that mentoring is available to you.  On their website they will also give you an email address where you can get in contact with them.

This Scheme is a confidential service, meaning that your personal information will not be shared. The Student Mentors are all fully trained. So, whatever stage you are at with your studies, don’t be afraid to drop in and contact them!

For Doctoral Researchers

Read the acknowledgements section of a PhD thesis and you’ll get a sense of how important the researcher-supervisor relationship is. Your supervisor is there  to provide you with advice at every stage in the planning and conduct of your research and during the writing up stage, in effect they are your research mentor. And while every supervisor will have their own style, it is important that you maintain regular contact. The supervisory relationship can present opportunities and challenges, the Doctoral School recognises this and provides a useful training on Working with your supervisor.

You can watch a recording of a Working with Your Supervisor webinar, held in March 2017:

 

Beyond your supervisor, there are loads of opportunities to meet inspiring researchers at different stages of their careers. Engaging with departmental activities and conferences  is a great way to meet researchers and academics in your field, and participating in Research Hive and Doctoral School events can help you expand your research network.

For Early Career Researchers

If you are a researcher, getting support from a mentor can be extremely helpful as you progress in your research career.  The Early Career Researcher (ECR) Mentoring Circle is a regular group mentoring session where early career research staff meet to discuss professional experiences and challenges in a supportive peer group as well as with more experienced colleagues (mentors).

mentoring quoteThe mentoring circle meets regularly and discussions focus on a different topic each session. Two academic mentors and a researcher development coach lead circle meetings and details of the topics and session dates for 2018 are available: http://www.sussex.ac.uk/staff/research/researchstaff/coachingandmentoring/mentoring

Some academic Schools have implemented one-to-one mentoring schemes for researchers and academic faculty. If you are a member of Sussex research staff and would like support in finding a mentor email researchstaffoffice@sussex.ac.uk.

Resources:

Student mentoring scheme: https://www.sussexstudent.com/news/article/buddyscheme/student-mentoring-scheme-helping-you-with-your-academic-life/

Mentoring for research staff:

http://www.sussex.ac.uk/staff/research/researchstaff/coachingandmentoring/mentoring