EU-LIFE Pathfinder Mentorship Programme for Postdoctoral Women - factsheet

EU-LIFE Pathfinder Mentorship Programme for Postdoctoral Women ORGANISERS & MENTORS GOALS Support women postdocs on their paths to independence and professional development. Provide EU-LIFE women postdocs with access to a pool of experienced mentors across 17 institutes. Place a focus on the challenges women may encounter in their careers and potential solutions. “We are absolutely thrilled to launch the EU-LIFE Pathfinder Mentorship Programme for Postdoctoral Women. Despite many advances, the gender gap still widens as women progress on the career ladder. We hope this offer will support our female postdocs to boost their career prospects in a range of professional options and benefit the EU-LIFE scientific community as a whole.” Dörthe Nickel International Relations Officer at Institut Curie Co-Chair of the EU-LIFE GEDI WG The EU-LIFE Pathfinder Mentorship Programme for Postdoctoral Women is organised by the EU-LIFE Gender Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Working Group (GEDI WG). It follows up the success of the LIBRA Career Development Compass, a European Commission funded project conceived by members of EU-LIFE with the aim to develop and implement gender equality plans in research institutes. 44 MENTORS BASED IN 15 COUNTRIES The EU-LIFE Pathfinder Mentorship Programme for Postdoctoral Women is addressed to female postdocs of EU-LIFE institutes and brings together over 40 mentors based in 15 different countries, who generously offer to share their experience and support their early-career peers. Build an engaged and collaborative network of mentor-scientists across EU-LIFE institutes. Provide EU-LIFE senior staff with training opportunities for mentoring at the European level. Provide a platform for science managers/PIs to share their knowledge with postdocs. © EU-LIFE 2025 - https://eu-life.eu/ “Having a mentor has never been more important. The world is changing so fast that the advice our parents could give often doesn’t fully apply anymore. But having a mentor — someone who has already walked the path you aspire to — can help you find your way, avoid unnecessary detours, and focus on what truly matters. Saskia Lippens, thank you for your honesty and inspiration. Our conversations have completely reshaped how I see my potential, both professionally and personally. This experience has given me so much energy, motivation, and most importantly, the reassurance that what society might have told me was impossible is, in fact, possible — because someone before me had the courage to try and succeed. Agnes Uhereczky, I truly appreciate our insightful discussions, and I can’t wait to continue and build on them when we meet next time. And of course, a huge thank you to EU-LIFE for making this incredible journey possible. Spoiler alert: Even greater things will come from this mentorship “combo”!” “So, here’s a plot twist: I’m supposed to be the mentor, but I think Danica has secretly been mentoring me too. Through our interactions I’ve gained fresh perspectives and was reminded that learning is a lifelong adventure. Thank you so much, Danica Drpic, you rock! Thanks, Danica and Agnes Uhereczky (she/her) for the great discussion during this visit. Thank you EU-LIFE for making this possible!“ “We had one of the richest and most inspiring conversations about the ideal researcher norm, women in science, the challenge of having children and pursuing a career in academia and science, and the importance of mentoring and mentors.” From left to right: Agnes Uhereczky, Danica Drpic and Saskia Lippens © Agnes Uhereczky Danica Drpic Project Scientist in the Miriam Unterlass Lab at CeMM Mentee of the EU-LIFE Pathfinder Mentorship Programme Saskia Lippens Deputy Technology Director at VIB Mentor of the EU-LIFE Pathfinder Programme Agnes Uhereczky Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer at VIB Member of the EU-LIFE GEDI WG As the GEDI Working Group representative, she joined the mentee during the visit to VIB, helping make the experience smooth and welcoming.