Charles University Mentoring Programme for Early Career Researchers - Postdocs

Charles University is pleased to announce the launch of the second cycle of its Mentoring Programme and invites early-career researchers (such as assistant professors and postdocs) to participate as mentees.

Please read this document before submitting your application:

The goal of this programme is to support the career development of early-career researchers through the sharing of informal practices and specialized knowledge from more experienced colleagues.

The programme is coordinated by the Postdoctoral Hub

The Mentoring Programme is focused on:

• Providing tools for the smooth career development of early-career researchers. It assists in effectively overcoming obstacles and addressing career-related dilemmas.

• Supporting equal opportunities and fostering cultural and institutional change at Charles University, with an emphasis on advancing women in science and research.

Mentees are early-career researchers (both women and men) in the initial stages of their careers who meet the specified criteria (see below). Applicants are welcome regardless of their preferred career path in research—whether they plan to pursue habilitation or are considering a future outside academia.

Maximum of 30 mentor-mentee pairs will be created. Each pair is expected to meet at least five times during the programme cycle.

Mentee Requirements:

• Experience Level: Researchers with up to eight years of experience in research after obtaining their Ph.D. This period can be extended for maternity or parental leave or long-term sickness. This call is not intended for Ph.D. students.

• Employment at Charles University: Mentees must be Charles University employees at the start of the mentoring cycle (February 1st, 2026).

• Professional Distance: Mentees should not work in the same department or institute as their mentor to ensure unbiased guidance.

• Time Commitment: It is expected that each mentor-mentee pair will meet at least five times during the programme cycle.

Selection of mentees

Mentees will be selected based on a call for applications. If the mentoring programme administrator receives more than 30 applications, selection will be based on the following criteria:

• Gender (priority will be given to female researchers, with half of the slots reserved for them)

• Interdisciplinary mentoring pairs

• Intersectoral mentoring pairs

Special consideration will be given to applications that address topics such as parenting, mobility, and planned career paths outside academia.

Your Future Mentors

The mentoring programme coordinator offers a selection of 59 mentors across various scientific disciplines. You can view the list of mentors here. Choose from researchers across academia, as well as the private and public sectors. If you are planning to continue in academia, you may select senior researchers from Charles University, other Czech institutions, or prestigious foreign universities. You can specify up to three preferred mentors.

If you are particularly interested in the topic of work–life balance and are unsure whether your preferred mentor is willing to discuss family related topics, please make sure you answer yes in the question number 20 in the application form. We will make sure to reflect this fact during matching.

Matching Mentees and Mentors

Matching will be based on the preferences of mentees indicated in their applications, where they can select a mentor from the provided list. If multiple mentees express interest in connecting with the same mentor, the final decision will rest with the mentor.

Both mentors and mentees must maintain a "minimum professional distance." This means that the mentor should not be employed in the same department or institute as the mentee.

Before the start of the mentoring meetings, both the mentee and the mentor will need to approve the proposed match.

Expected Benefits for Mentees

• Identifying and achieving preferred career goals of early-career researchers through the acquisition of informal information and access to new networks (networking).

• Informed decisions regarding the enhancement of competencies that facilitate advancement in their chosen career paths.

• Informed decisions related to balancing personal and professional life.

Program Timeline

How to Apply

If you meet the requirements and are interested, please fill out the application form.

Application deadline: December 10th, 2025

For questions, contact the Mentoring programme coordinators with the subject line "Call for mentees."

We look forward to receiving your applications!

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.