Bringing mentors and mentees together

Generally, the IUPS mentoring program drives home three strategic priorities:

  • Enhance local and global collaboration in promoting biomedical, integrative, and translational research in physiological sciences
  • Recognize excellence in research in physiological sciences
  • Inspire the next generation of physiologists across the world

New: a physiology education mentoring program for early career physiologists in Africa

This new mentoring program with a focus on physiology education will be introduced at the inaugural meeting of the East African Society of Physiological Sciences (EASPS) in Tanzania on November 29 – December 01, 2023.

This new mentoring program will be an opportunity for early career physiologists in Africa to:

  • Advance their career in physiology education through mentorship by experienced physiology educators.
  • Be exposed to innovative methods in Medical Physiology
  • Enhance skills in areas of general academic writing: proposal/grant writing, scientific presentations, and writing for publications.

This will be primarily an online, interactive program but in-person experiences will be encouraged through attendance at scientific meetings or institutional visits as determined by each mentor-mentee pair.

The program is guided by

Susan M. Barman, PhD, 1st Vice-President of IUPS at barman@msu.edu or
Simiat O. Elias, PhD, Co-Chair of IUPS Board of the General Assembly at simiat.elias@aku.edu

More information about criteria for participation

Criteria for Mentees:

  • Mentees will be early career educators who aspire to excel in the field of Physiology and who are members of a local Physiological Society.
  • Mentees will have a commitment to furthering their career in Physiology as evident from their academic background and achievements.
  • Mentees will have clear goals and areas where they seek guidance and support.
  • The program will strive for diversity and inclusivity in selecting mentees, considering candidates from different socio-economic and cultural backgrounds, genders, and geographical locations within Africa.
  • Mentees will display professionalism in their interactions and communications with mentors. Respect for the mentor’s time and feedback is crucial for a successful mentorship relationship.
  • Mentees will be willing to dedicate time and effort to the mentorship program, actively participating in discussions and taking the initiative in their own career development.

Criteria for Mentors:

  • Mentors will express a genuine interest in mentoring the next generation of Physiology Educators.
  • Mentors will be effective communicators with excellent teaching skills. They will be able to convey complex concepts in a clear and understandable manner.
  • Mentors will be drawn from various sources, including members of the physiological or other biomedical societies across the globe, IUPS Fellows, IUPS Executive Committee, Board of the General Assembly, IUPS Education Committee, and IUPS Commissions.
  • The selected mentors will be committed to fostering diversity and inclusivity within the mentorship program, being open to mentoring mentees from different backgrounds and regions of Africa.
  • Preference will be given to mentors who have a proven track record of successful mentorship in educational activities as they are likely to be more effective in this role.
  • Mentors will be available to commit time and effort to the mentorship program.

Please note that the deadline for applications has already passed. Currently, no further applications are possible.

Future Aspects: Mentors and Mentees

A Mentor

  • Provides active guidance and support in the research direction of the mentee
  • Helps the Mentee set priorities, goals, and timelines for research projects
  • Supports the Mentee in identifying potential collaborations and networking opportunities
  • Enthusiastically shares required skills, knowledge, expertise, and time
  • Facilitates initiatives to strengthen the discipline of physiology in a global manner

A Mentee

  • Seeks from the Mentor learning support for ideation of research projects bearing strong rationale
  • Acquires necessary knowledge base for research tools & techniques and for data driven analysis tools
  • Learn as how to create a “story” based on novel research findings through active interaction and collaboration 

Initial steps

  • Building of a group of peers willing to share their time and expertise towards grooming and giving shape to the Mentees’ thoughts and ideas on project building, identifying targeted goals and technical feasibility to conduct project- potential Mentors can send information to iupsmanager@iups.org
  • Only on special request: potential Mentees submit ideas (Title, Aims & Objectives, Rationale and Preliminary Work Plan, in not more than 1000 words) to this group. Check if mentor can be assigned.