Do you want to help people and ideas to grow?
Become a mentor
UU Innovation’s mentor programme aims to bridge the gap between the world of research and the world of business. Are you interested in taking part?
Research-based knowledge should benefit society and you can be part of the process! By becoming a mentor to a researcher or doctoral student, you can help research-based ideas reach beyond academia, find their practical application, and ultimately be transformed into something useful for society.
While the long-term goal of UU Innovation’s mentor programme is for more academic research to be utilised and create value in society, the short-term goals are to help the researcher/doctoral student obtain:
- an increased interest and commitment to the utilisation of knowledge assets
- a broader network outside of academia
- new perspectives and insights on how research results can be utilised and what role the researcher can play in that process
- support to move forward in their utilisation project
Mentoring is done on a pro bono basis and requires a genuine interest in helping people and ideas grow.
Being a mentor
We are looking for experienced people working in business, government or other public organisations who want to share their knowledge and networks with researchers and doctoral students at Uppsala University who want to develop their ideas for societal benefit.
Mentoring is about encouraging researchers to think along new lines and broaden their horizons – like daring to seek out collaborative partners to discuss their ideas. Mentoring also means opening up your network and activating relevant contacts who can help the researcher move forward.
Researchers who apply to the mentor programme have different disciplinary backgrounds, ideas, interests and expectations of a mentor. In order to make a good match, we welcome mentors from different sectors.
As a mentor, you will have the opportunity to get to know a researcher, their work and what drives them. You will be a driving force for both personal and professional development.
UU Innovation’s mentor programme has two program starts per year, in February and September respectively, with each programme period lasting nine months. During the programme period, the mentor and researcher meet on six occasions. The programme begins and ends with a group meeting to which all researchers and mentors are invited to join.
If you feel intrigued by this opportunity and want to express your interest, please contact Hillevi Englund, Frida Henningson Johnson or Nhils Forslund at UU Innovation.
What is it like to be a mentor?
We asked some mentors why they chose to get involved and what they get out of mentoring.
With the experience from a previous assignment as a mentor, I knew that it would be developing and stimulating and also provide opportunities for networking and new knowledge. I have also received a lot of energy from our meetings and we have celebrated all the progress together! I have been able to contribute with methodology, networks and practical experiences and as a sounding board and test person in connection with important deliveries and decision points in the researcher's project.
- Annika Remaeus, head of unit, business and development at Uppsala kommun with 20 years of experience as a project, product and innovation leader in the healthcare sector and the life science industry.
It's interesting and exciting to have the opportunity to meet and guide a researcher who is in the process of developing research results into a product. With many years of experience of ups and downs, I can contribute with advice and my views on things. For my own part, I have gained insights into an area that is new to me, as well as new contacts. I enjoy our meetings very much!
- Lars Tenerz, private investor and board professional, former researcher and cp-owner of the medical technology company Radi Medical Systems AB, which in 2008 was acquired by St Jude Medical.