Research News
The Helmholtz Association’s mentoring program, entitled “In Führung gehen” (“Taking the Lead”) prepares women for leadership positions. Photo: Helmholtz/Ausserhofer
20 to 21 September 2010, Berlin
National Mentoring Conference for the Scientific Community, Industry and Society
The Helmholtz mentoring program “In Führung gehen”
Contact: Dr. Birgit Gaiser, birgit.gaiser(at)helmholtz.de
A comprehensive article on the mentoring programs of non-university research organisations, written by Dr. Birgit Gaiser, Anke Hübenthal and Katharina Sauter, appeared in the journal Wissenschaftsmanagement, volume 4 , 2010 (July/August).
Weblinks:
Fisher, Anne, 2007. Being a mentor could boost your own career. Link: www.helmholtz.de/fisher-mentoring
She figures, Statistics and Indicators on Gender Equality in Science, European Commission, 2009. Link: www.helmholtz.de/she-figures-2009
Mentoring in Research
Mentoring emerged in the United States as a formal counterpart to old boys’ networks, originally to promote underprivileged groups of people. Now there are mentoring programs for a wide variety of target groups. They have also been introduced by non-university research institutions in an effort to provide targeted support for young scientists and administrators. The programs established by the Helmholtz Association, the Max Planck Society and the Fraunhofer Society aim to increase the proportion of women in leadership positions in the scientific and business sectors.
The three mentoring programs have several basic features in common. Centrally co-ordinated, they contribute to strengthening the internal ties among the institutes and centres within each research organisation. But cross-organisational integration is also facilitated since the three organisations cooperate intensively. This integration enhances the programs’ appeal for the male and female mentors who are recruited from the ranks of university professors and leaders in the scientific and business communities.
Since the previous special offerings for this diverse target group – including the individual coaching events offered by the Helmholtz Association and the Fraunhofer Society – have been limited, the three research organisations are planning a joint training workshop for men and women mentors in December 2010.
