Call for Mentors

Call for Mentors OPEN

22.4.2026

Charles University invites experienced professionals to join the Mentoring Programme for Postdoctoral Researchers as mentors.

This year, we particularly welcome applicants from private companies and public institutions.

The aim of the Mentoring Programme is to support the career development of postdoctoral researchers through the sharing of informal practices and expert knowledge with more senior colleagues.

The Mentoring Programme focuses on:

• Providing tools for the smooth career development of postdocs. It helps to effectively overcome obstacles and resolve career path dilemmas.

• Supporting equal opportunities and promoting cultural and institutional changes at Charles University, with an emphasis on supporting women in science and research.

Mentees in this programme are Ph.D. holders with a maximum of eight years of experience post-Ph.D. and are currently Charles University employees.

Expected Benefits of the Mentoring Programme:

• For mentees: Help in identifying and achieving career goals, access to new networks and information, and better work-life balance.

• For mentors: Improvement of mentoring skills, adoption of a supportive culture in working with young scientists and gaining new communication and leadership skills.

• For Charles University: Supporting women in science and research, introducing new career development practices for young scientists, and reducing gender segregation in mid- and high-level university management positions.

What exactly does mentoring offer to participants in the programme? Get inspired by the stories of mentor–mentee pairs from previous years, which you can find here.

Requirements for Mentors:

• Experience: Mentors can come from academic institutions (both domestic and international) or non-academic environments (companies, government institutions, non-profit organizations, etc.).

• Academic sector: Experienced researchers with at least eight years of experience in science and research after obtaining their Ph.D.

• Non-academic sector: Mentors from the private sector and public sector (outside academia): At least 8 years of experience, for mentors from non-academic environments a Ph.D. degree is not required.

• Minimal Professional Distance: The mentor must not be an employee of the same department or institute as the mentee to ensure independence and objectivity of advice.

• Time Commitment: It is expected that there will be at least five meetings between the mentee and mentor over the course of one year (in person/online). We expect each meeting to last approximately 1 hour.

• Pro bono: The Mentoring Programme for Postdoctoral researchers at Charles University does not provide financial compensation for the time spent as a mentor. Participation in the programme is on a voluntary basis.

Why Become a Mentor?

• Positive Impact: The opportunity to share your knowledge and experience to support young scientists in their careers.

• Networking: Expand your professional network and gain new contacts.

• Personal Development: Develop mentoring skills and gain new perspectives.

Time schedule:

Call for mentors open	Until 31st August, 2026
Preparation of the Call for mentees	1st September–13th October, 2026
Call for mentees open	14th October–7th December 2026
Matching Mentee-Mentor pairs	8th December 2026–31st January 2027
Start of the mentoring cycle, meetings	1st February 2027
End of the mentoring cycle	31st December 2027

How to Apply:

If you meet the requirements and are interested in becoming a mentor, please fill out the application form here: CALL FOR MENTORS - APPLICATION Year 2026/2027

Application Deadline: 31st August 2026

For questions, please contact Eliška Chrásková at eliska.chraskova@ruk.cuni.cz or Eva Janů at eva.janu@ruk.cuni.cz with the subject line "Call for mentors."

We look forward to your participation and contribution to the success of this programme and the development of our postdocs!

N.B. Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.