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Mid Career Mentoring

Empowering Women in Economics: Paving the Way to Professorship

The Royal Economic Society (RES) Women’s Committee and the Irish Society for Women in Economics (ISWE) is proud to launch a dedicated mentoring programme designed to help the progression of mid-career women in academia towards Professor (Full Professor in UK, and “Professor in/of” in Ireland, or equivalent). This initiative directly addresses the persistent gender gap at the professorial level, as highlighted in the Women in Academic Economics Report 2024, which revealed slower progress for women at senior ranks compared to earlier career stages.

About the Programme:

This structured pilot programme offers invaluable support and guidance through a blend of plenary sessions and small-group mentoring. Mentees will benefit from direct engagement with highly accomplished senior women in the economics profession, gaining strategic insights and practical tools for career advancement. 

Participants are expected to actively commit to and prepare for all sessions to maximize their learning. The programme comprises:

  • Three (3) Peer-to-Peer Mentoring Sessions: Small-group discussions facilitated by senior mentors, offering a collaborative environment for shared learning and problem-solving.
  • Three (3) Plenary Sessions: Larger group meetings providing broader perspectives, expert insights, and networking opportunities.
  • Mandatory Preparation & Assignments: To ensure meaningful engagement, mentees will undertake preparatory assignments between sessions. These may include:
    • Researching and understanding institutional promotion criteria and processes.
    • Engaging with senior colleagues within their university to discuss promotion pathways.
    • Reviewing provided materials on topics like time management and strategic career planning.
    • Developing aspirational career documents, such as an aspirational CV.
  • One-to-One Email Exchanges: Dedicated periods when participants and mentors exchange emails to enable targeted guidance and follow-up.
  • Early November 2025: First Plenary Session – Joint Introduction
  • November – December 2025: First Peer-to-Peer Mentoring – Planning for Promotion
  • February – March 2026: Second Peer-to-Peer Mentoring Session – Career and Service Management
  • April – May 2026: Third Peer-to-Peer Mentoring Session – Making a Plan
  • June 2026: Second Plenary Session – Mid-Career Challenges Plenary
  • June – July 2026: One-to-One Email Exchange (Mentor–Mentee)
  • September – October 2026: Final Plenary Session
  • January – February 2027: One-to-One Email Exchange (Action Plan Follow-up)

As this is a pilot programme, your feedback is crucial. We highly value your willingness to provide constructive input and suggestions for the programme’s ongoing development and future iterations.

We are privileged to have the following distinguished academics committed to guiding our first cohort of mentees:

Learning from this inaugural round will be instrumental in shaping and expanding the Women’s Committee’s future initiatives in this vital area.

To be considered for this programme, applicants must meet the following criteria:

  • Be a current member of the Royal Economic Society (RES), or the Irish Economic Association. 
  • Identify as a woman.
  • Be currently employed at a UK or Irish Higher Education Institution at the level below Professor (e.g., Associate Professor, Reader, or equivalent).
  • Have clear plans and aspirations to apply for a Professorship within the next 2–5 years.
  • The programme welcomes applications from women in both Balanced/Academic, Research, and Teaching (ART) pathways and Education/Teaching pathways.

Application Process

Applications are now closed.

Thank you to everyone who applied – applications closed on 15 September. All applicants will be contacted in mid-October with a decision on their application. For any enquiries in the meantime, please email wcommittee@res.org.uk. 

Important Note:

This is a pilot programme, and we anticipate significant interest. Demand is likely to exceed the available places (approximately 15 mentees). Applicants who are not selected for this round will be considered for future opportunities as the programme evolves. The selection panel will assign mentors. If demand is high, priority will go to women academics who are likely to benefit the most from the mid-career support for promotion to Professor, and we will also consider geographical and institutional diversity.