We recognise the importance of mentoring for staff development; mentoring activities 91̽»¨ mentees in achieving their personal and career goals and provide mentors with an opportunity to share their experience and contribute to the Department of Physics' 91̽»¨ive environment. Our programmes are run by a Mentoring Coordinator, Jenny Woods (mentoring@physics.ox.ac.uk) and overseen by the Department of Physics’ Associate Head of ED&I, Professor Sonia Antoranz Contera.
Coaching and mentoring for academic staff
Academic staff can access both coaching and mentoring 91̽»¨. Coaching is provided through the 91̽»¨â€™s People and Organisational Development (POD) team, who have fully-qualified staff coaches to draw upon. Further details are available on the . Mentoring can be accessed through the Department of Physics where a team of academic and other staff mentors are available. Matches to suitable mentors are made using MentorNet and further details of the ethos and operation of the programme can be found in the Mentoring for Academics Handbook. If you would like to seek a mentor in the Department of Physics, please contact mentoring@physics.ox.ac.uk for additional guidance as well as a MentorNet account.
Mentoring for postdocs
Informal peer mentoring of incoming postdocs by more experienced postdocs is available to assist new research staff in establishing themselves in the Department of Physics. Peer mentors will be assigned to postdocs through their sub-department on arrival. Informal mentors can also be requested at any later point in your career. If you would like an informal peer mentor, please contact your Sub-Department Administrator and the Mentoring Coordinator. Formal mentoring of postdocs is also available, provided by academics and other Department of Physics staff. Mentors can discuss topics such as career development, research problems and work-life balance, and help develop plans of action to address these. Matches to suitable mentors are made using MentorNet.
Further details of both informal and formal mentoring for postdocs can be found in the Mentoring for Postdocs Handbook. If you would like to participate in either strand, please contact the Mentoring Coordinator who will provide you with additional guidance. If you are a postdoc and interested in becoming a peer mentor yourself, see the Short Guide for Peer Mentors. Please contact your Sub-Department Administrator and the Mentoring Coordinator who will provide further information and guidance to 91̽»¨ you in taking up this role.
Mentoring for professional services staff
Professional services staff can draw upon the scheme which matches staff with mentors from across the 91̽»¨.
Physics Thrive
Physics mentors with a particular interest in 91̽»¨ing well-being and good mental health form the network. They can be matched with through MentorNet, using the search keyword 'Thrive', or contacted directly.
Other 91̽»¨
A useful resource list for information, guidance and advice on topics such as induction, training and well-being can be found here: Beyond Mentoring: Information, Training and Support.