Become a mentor
As a mentor in the BRIDGE programme you have a unique opportunity to start or consolidate a collaboration between a basic biomedical and a clinical research or life science industry environment. Recruitment of an excellent BRIDGE fellow allows you to bridge the two and create a translational environment.
Method #1: Become a mentor with a predefined postdoc candidate in mind
If you have a postdoc candidate in mind for your future BRIDGE collaboration you do no not have to sign up by 30 November 2022. Instead, you can start focusing on developing the BRIDGE application together with your postdoc candidate and submit your application by 28 February 2023.
Include mentor CV's (templates under 'Become a mentor') in the application.
Please note, we strongly encourage Mentor Teams to get a preapproval of the mentor constellation in due time before call closure by sending an enquiry w/mentor CV's (no project synopsis needed) to: bridge@sund.ku.dk.
Participation of a mentor from the life science industry is highly encouraged, if relevant.
Method #2: Become a mentor without a predefined postdoc in mind
To become a mentor without a predefined postdoc candidate, you have to register with at least one other mentor; one mentor representing a basic biomedical science environment at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences. The other mentor representing a clinically oriented environment at a hospital in the Capital Region of Denmark or Region Zealand or in the life science industry.
You register by submitting the Mentor CV template for all mentors involved and a project synopsis template for mentors to bridge@sund.ku.dk by 30 November 2022 (templates under 'Become a mentor').
The presentations including the mentor CVs and project synopsis will published on the BRIDGE website from 15 December 2022 to assist your team in attracting an excellent postdoc candidate. The CV and the project synopsis enable potential fellows to identify and contact relevant Mentor Teams for an initial dialogue about opportunities for future BRIDGE collaboration. In case of interest from multiple postdoc candidates, the Mentor Team decides which candidate to apply with.
Participation of a mentor from the life science industry is highly encouraged, if relevant.
One mentor must represent a basic biomedical science environment at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, UCPH. The other mentor must represent a clinically oriented environment at a hospital in the Capital Region of Denmark or Region Zealand or be from the life science industry. Involvement of extra mentors from either academia, the clinical or life science industry environments is indeed possible, if relevant.
Each Mentor Team must present themselves and the scientific framework for a translational research project.
Mentor Teams for method #2 must provide the following:
- One CV per mentor (please use our template)
- Project synopsis (please use our template)
Documents are simply forwarded to bridge@sund.ku.dk. The mentor team will be publish on our website as an open mentor team in mid-December 2022.
Mentor Teams for method #1 must provide the following:
- One CV per mentor (please use our template)
Documents should be forwarded to bridge@sund.ku.dk for pre-approval of the mentor team, as well as included in Part 3 of the application.
Mentors from a basic biomedical science environment must be at the level of Associate Professor or Professor with at least a 50% appointment at the Faculty.
Mentors from a clinical oriented environment must be have the following qualifications:
Approved titles
- Clinical Professor (in Danish: Klinisk professor)
- Clinical Research Associate Professor (in Danish: Klinisk forskningslektor)
Conditionally approved titles
- Clinical associate professor (in Danish: Klinisk lektor (A-B-C))
- Postgraduate clinical associate professor (in Danish: Postgraduat klinisk lektor)
- Occupied in a research relevant position in healthcare or life science industry (in Danish: Forskningsrelevant beskæftigelse på hospitaler eller i life science industri)
- PhD or doctorate, or equivalent
- Must be research active
- Relevant employment
Mentors from Statens Serum Institut (SSI), Danish Cancer Society (Kræftens Bekæmpelse), and Steno Diabetes Center are eligible as clinical and/or industry/supplementary mentors.
To be eligible as mentor within the BRIDGE programme, you must commit to:
- Availability, commitment and networking: Being a committed, available and motivational mentor who strives for the developing the fellow’s scientific skills and supporting the career trajectory of the fellow, along with networking with peers in the Mentor Team’s scientific environments
- Courses and teaching obligations: The BRIDGE fellow is obliged to attend a comprehensive course programme, which constitute 20% of their position, and should therefore not be imposed teaching obligation during their fellowship.
- Project development: Co-develop Part 1 of the application in collaboration with the candidate
- Running costs: Provide the running costs for the two-year period of the research project. BRIDGE funds the salary for the fellow and per annum (DKK 50,000 per year)
- Parental leave: The centre or department of the basic mentor must cover expenses in connection to maternity or paternity leave, excluding the Danish parental allowances (barselsdagpenge, refusion) covered by the state
- Self-evaluation: Complete a self-evaluation of your efforts as a BRIDGE mentor
- Mentor-mentee agreement: Signing a ‘mentor-mentee agreement’ to secure fruitful mentoring
- Participate in the following activities: If invited, the (1) appointment interview along with the second mentor in the Mentor Team and candidate with a five-minute presentation on TBA May 2023 – prior to the candidate’s appointment interview, (2) Two three-party meetings with the entire Mentor Team and the fellow prior to the fellow's submission of, respectively, the Mid-term Progress Report and the Final Progress Report, (3) the first day of the BRIDGE Boot Camp, TBA September 2023, (4) when invited, Academic Afternoons, and (5) the BRIDGE Graduation Ceremony.
Mutual expectations for collaboration
For me as the mentor I think my most important task is to be supportive throughout the process of the project we develop together.
Before signing up as a mentor in BRIDGE, you should consider what you are able to offer the fellow.
During the initial dialogue with a postdoc candidate, you should align all parties' expectations concerning availability and support e.g. frequency of meetings, the format of the meetings, the degree of daily/weekly feedback and support offered etc.
You should also consider how to create an optimistic atmosphere that inspires the fellow, how to celebrate success, guide on career trajectories and utilise the knowledge deriving from the Academic Curriculum. You should also reflect upon how to show enthusiasm, respect and sensitivity in the collaboration with the fellow.