GIANT: YAG Academic Mentor Program

GIANT - Groningen Inspiring And Nurturing Talents

The GIANT program is a mentor program designed to support early career researchers (ECRs) in navigating the challenges of academia. At its core, the program pairs ECRs (such as postdocs and assistant professors) with more advanced faculty members (associate and full professors) who provide valuable guidance on various aspects of academic life, including career development, leadership, networking, and balancing academic responsibilities.

Standing on the shoulders of giants - Isaac Newton

Why does the GIANT Program exist?

Early career researchers face numerous challenges as they navigate the academic landscape, from managing the demands of research and teaching to building professional networks and carving out a sustainable career path. While many institutions provide support for PhD candidates, there has often been a gap for postdoctoral researchers and assistant professors—particularly those new to the University of Groningen (RUG). This is where GIANT comes in, filling that gap with a flexible and tailored mentoring scheme that helps ECRs thrive.

What does the GIANT Program do?

Through the GIANT program, early career researchers are paired with mentors who provide personalized support. Mentoring sessions can cover a wide range of topics, such as strategies for career progression, networking, leadership development, and managing work-life balance. This mentorship relationship not only benefits mentees, but also empowers mentors to enhance their own leadership and mentoring skills while contributing to the academic community.

Our approach is designed to be sustainable. As mentees progress in their careers, they can step into mentoring roles, ensuring that future generations of academics continue to benefit from a robust support system. The program is supported by Young Academy Groningen (YAG), which offers training, resources, and coordination to ensure the success of these mentoring relationships.

Testimonials (GIANT mentoring round 2025/2026)

“It is wonderful to be supported by a more experienced academic. Also very useful to have the opportunity to exchange experiences with other mentees.”

“The mentorship programme has been really helpful and insightful. My mentor has provided useful guidance on how to navigate the Dutch academia, grant writing and provided genuine support for my dreams and aspirations.”

“This [mentoring trajectory] gave me clarity on my next career steps and how the system works.”

“I am a new mentor and gaining the mentorship experience has been quite enriching. It provided me with some great insights”

Become a mentor

Are you passionate about supporting early-career researchers? Do you enjoy sharing your experiences and offering guidance to colleagues who are just starting their academic journey? If you are interested in connecting with and mentoring postdocs or early-career assistant professors, we invite you to become a mentor in the GIANT progam.

Who can be a mentor?

We are looking for experienced assistant professors, associate professors, and full professors who:

Have followed a mentoring training or workshop
Ideally have experience working at the University of Groningen
Are open to listening, reflecting, and sharing insights based on their academic journey
Are willing to guide early-career researchers through the challenges and choices of academic life

What do we expect from mentors?

Participation in the matching event on Thursday 27 May 2026 (15:30–17.00) – this is required for matching
Availability for at least five meetings with your mentee between June 2026 and May 2027, depending on your mentee’s needs
Mentors are expected to either have prior mentoring experience, have completed a mentor training/workshop, or be willing to attend the training we provide (see below).

Please note: If there are more mentors than mentees or if no suitable match can be made, it is possible you may not be paired with a mentee after the matching event.

What do we offer?

Academic mentor training that prepares you for your role, offering practical tools, communication strategies, and guidance on boundaries and expectations. The workshops will take place on Monday, 20 April 2026 (13:30–17:00) and Thursday, 21 May 2026 (09:00–12:30). You only need to attend one of these sessions. See more information below.
The chance to connect with enthusiastic researchers during the matching event.
The opportunity to make a real impact by supporting a mentee’s development goal through meaningful conversations and shared reflection.
A peer consultancy session (intervision) to exchange ideas and experiences with fellow mentors.
A midterm and closing event to share experience and celebrate our journey together.

Academic mentor training

We are seeking mentors who have completed a mentor training/workshop or who have significant mentoring experience. To support this, we offer a free professional mentor training on:

Monday, 20 April 2026 (13:30–17:00)
Thursday, 21 May 2026 (09:00–12:30).

You only need to attend one of these sessions.

Trainer: Sander Trooster

The mentoring training is designed to help you professionalize in the specific role of a mentor. In the workshop we clarify what that role entails and practice the most essential mentoring skills.

Topics that will be covered include:

What is mentoring? (And what is it not?)
What mindset and skills align with this vision of mentoring?
Setting agreements: how do we align expectations between mentor and mentee?
When should you, as a mentor, share your own experiences, and when should you not?

During the workshop we will experiment with a few essential skills. Instead of role-playing, we’ll engage in real (mentoring) conversations with each other. And since we’ll be working in a relatively small group, there will be plenty of opportunities for interaction and to address specific questions.

Sign up for these workshops by completing the mentor application form below.

Want to become a mentor?

Make sure to sign up before 15 May 2026 and attend the matching event on 27 May 2026.

Please find more information about the timeline of the program below.

Become a mentee

Are you a postdoc or early-career assistant professor looking for guidance, inspiration, or simply a sounding board? Would you like to connect with a more experienced colleague to talk about career development, navigating academia, or balancing work and life? We invite you to become a mentee!

Who is it for?

Postdocs and early-career assistant professors who are looking for mentoring by experienced academic staff (assistant, associate, and full professors).

What can you expect as a mentee?

As a mentee, you will be matched with a more experienced colleague who is committed to supporting your development. You will have regular conversations tailored to your own goals, questions, and needs. These could include:

Navigating your career in academia
Making strategic choices about research, teaching, or admin
Managing stress
Balancing work and life
Grant writing
Leadership skills
And much more!

Your mentor is there to listen, reflect with you, and share their experiences and insights.

What do we expect from you?

That you are motivated to reflect on your own development and make the most of this opportunity
That you attend the matching event on Thursday 27 May 2026, 15:30–17:00, followed by informal drinks. Please note: You can only be matched if you attend the matching event.
That you take the lead in setting up meetings with your mentor (we recommend at least five meetings between June 2026 and May 2027).
That you commit to open and honest conversations, and respect each other's time and boundaries.
Optional, but recommended: Mentee workshop*
A midterm and end event to share experience and celebrate our journey together.

*To help you get started, you will receive an invitation to the Mentee workshop. In this session, we’ll talk about what mentoring is (and isn’t), what you can expect from your mentor, and how you can make the most of your mentoring experience. It’s a great way to begin your journey feeling confident and informed. Date and location: to be announced.