ISTR’s Mentoring Program draws naturally from the friendliness and collegiality of its members, and is designed to provide students with career, publishing, and funding advice and professional and networking development.

Mentors: Mid-career or senior scholars, as well as professionals from outside the academy.

Mentees: Graduate students at any stage of their careers or post-graduates and junior faculty within five years of receipt of their terminal graduate degree (including PhD, MA, and JD).

Mentors and mentees submit a short statement of interest to ISTR before May 15 and are subsequently matched by ISTR’s executive director based on mutual interests.

This one-year mentoring relationship is intended for June 2018 to May 2019. Matches will have a chance to meet at a meet-and-greet at the 13th International Conference in Amsterdam.

Mentors and mentees are expected to have 3-4 conversations over the course of a year, either electronically or in person, and will include an exchange of experiences and advice. More regular communication or additional engagement is at the discretion of the mentor. ISTR will provide periodic reminders to maintain communication, however mentees are expected to initiate communication with the mentor.

Mentors are not substitutes for the mentees’ formal supervisors or advisors. While reading of dissertation chapters or grant proposals is helpful to every junior scholar, this program defers that labor to the mentee’s local networks. No commitment to reading is required of the mentor in ISTR’s mentoring program.

Instead, mentoring conversations should focus on career advice, professional advancement, publishing/funding strategies, and facilitating contacts.

If you are interested, please visit: ISTR Mentoring Program