SIL’s new mentorship program offers the chance to students and early careers limnologists to be mentored by experienced scientists within the SIL international community that are willing to guide and advise them for up to three years (timeline to be agreed upon by the mentor and mentee based on their needs).
Â
Goals of the program:
• to support capacity building and knowledge transfer in developing countries
• to encourage and support limnology researchers
• to foster international collaborations and increase international networks
• to increase continual engagement within SIL members in order to foster a dynamic international community
Â
Mission:
The program is related to SIL’s mission of “promoting excellence in studying and managing inland waters and addressing global issues through the fostering of interdisciplinary approaches and the transfer of knowledge“, and especially to our strategic focus 1 and 4:
• to foster and support international scientific networks of freshwater research
• to empower researchers of tomorrow and facilitate knowledge-transfer to promote limnology to a wider audience
Â
Mentor
Criteria to become a mentor:
• SIL member or be willing to become a SIL member
• Academic or governmental researcher in limnology and related fields holding a PhD for at least 5 years
• Interest in supporting researchers in developing countries
• Financially capable of paying SIL fees of the mentee
   – For students: 15 USD / 3 years
   – For Early Careers: 23.40 USD / year
Responsibilities of the mentor:
• supports the scientific development of the mentee
• provides general feedback on drafts of manuscripts or conference contributions
• discusses career options of the mentee
• is available for (virtual) meetings
• helps networking of the mentee during jointly attended meetings
• pays SIL fees for the mentee such that the mentee can benefit from all SIL programs
How to become a mentor:
• Fill out this form and mention if:
  – You have already agreed to be a mentor for a specific mentee
  – You do not know who you want to mentor
• Wait for SIL to contact you with a suggestion of mentee
• Agree on the proposed mentee
• Sign an engagement proposal alongside your new mentee
• Pay for your mentee’s SIL membership
• Start the mentoring!
Â
Mentee
Criteria to become a mentee:
• Early career researcher, PhD or master student
• Affiliated with a limnology research institution in a developing country*
* Gross Domestic Products (Gross National Incomes) per capita of US 25,000 or lower (based on the most recent World Bank list).
Responsibilities of the mentee:
• defines areas and topics for which feedback and input from the mentor is needed
• responds to comments and suggestions by the mentor
• is available for (virtual) meetings
• engages in SIL activities when needed such as content creation for our social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube (regarding your experience in this program, and other content regarding your research if needed)
• becomes your country-specific link between your national limnology society (if you have one) and SIL, meaning you can be called up to pass over SIL communications to your national society
• write a short (1000 words) final report on the activities between mentee and mentor once the mentorship is over
• is available to answer further questions concerning the mentorship program – if needed- via emails or virtual calls with the Mentorship Program Committee
How to become a mentee:
• Fill out this form and mention if:
  – You already have asked someone to mentor you and they have agreed
  – You would like to ask someone specifically but haven’t done it yet
• You do not know who you want as a mentor
• Wait for SIL to contact you with a suggestion of mentor
• Sign an engagement proposal alongside your new mentor
Â
Evaluation
The program will be reviewed on an ongoing basis with comments from both mentors and mentees in order to iterate the process to best answer the program’s goals.
Â
Contact information
If you need further information, please contact the responsible of the program, Inés O’Farrell at ines(et)ege.fcen.uba.ar
Â
To become a mentor:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeBUEJDtOmx_IZpbOf5S4aLR1sVbischBLG-JwSRfVt0YflAQ/viewform?usp=sf_link
Â
To become a mentee:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdyKlqdaoIHFAAmjcHwQO3NOMpTVK-CXJwntLtj3-pO-NHMyQ/viewform?usp=sf_link
Â
To download the ‘Mentor-Mentee agreement’ please click here.
