The AQUA Mentoring program runs every second year, aligning with the timing of the AQUA Biennial meeting. The program is explicitly informal. AQUA coordinates matching mentors and mentees, and facilitates introductions, and then it is up to the mentoring partnership to elect how often they would like to meet, and the topics they would like to cover.
Mentoring is broadly recognised as an important mechanism to support people in their professional growth and development. A high-quality, structured, mentoring program aims to partner a mentee, who seeks strategies, skills and learning in particular areas, with a mentor, who has experience and knowledge in those areas. These areas are not restricted to academia; in fact, they typically transcend the academic setting to more general topics. In hosting this mentoring program, AQUA acknowledges that vast breadth of experience and expertise held by our members, across a myriad of topics, and their willingness to share that with other members.
Principles
This mentoring program adopts the following principles:
- Anyone can be a mentor. We all have experience to offer. We particularly encourage mid- and senior- career researchers to participate as mentors, due to the breadth of experience in research and research institutions that can be shared will more junior researchers.
- Appropriate matching of mentors and mentees is a priority, and will be facilitated by the accurate completion of the questionnaire.
- The program is time-limited to establish cohorts of mentees and mentors, facilitating better delivery of training and support to those cohorts.
- Partnerships are based on shared and agreed expectations.
- All participants have access to a ‘no-fault exit’ option.
Governance and support
This program has been developed by the AQUA executive committee as part of an initiative to provide guidance and support to researchers, promote equity and diversity, and improve collegiality within the Quaternary community.
Executive committee members Caroline Mather, Micheline Campbell and Lauren Linnenlucke are the coordinators of the AQUA mentoring program. While the program is explicitly self-guided, there will be opportunities for mentees to meet up throughout the year, and we hope that both mentors and mentees will be able to attend AQUA 2026 to meet in person.
2026 Mentoring Program
The 2026 mentoring program is now accepting applicants.
Timetable
November 2025 – Register for participation in mentoring program
December 2025– Matching of mentees and mentors
February 2026 – Program launch
Initial information sessions for mentees (by ZOOM/Teams)
Initial information sessions for mentors (by ZOOM/Teams)
February to December 2026 – regular meetings of mentoring partnerships (monthly suggested)
April 2026 – meeting of mentee group
July 2026 – meeting of mentors and mentees at AQUA 2026 (6th to 10th July 2026)
September 2026 – meeting of mentee group
December 2026 – End of program and survey of all participants to provide feedback.
Register
To register for the AQUA mentoring program as a mentor, mentee or both, please read and complete the attached Mentoring Code of Conduct and sign-up questions. For any queries, and to return the completed documents, please email Caroline Mather at caroline.mather@uwa.edu.au