Referent - A mentoring initiative for MSCA early career researchers

LOOKING FOR MENTAL HEALTH PEER SUPPORT? Doing a PhD is a demanding undertaking, and doing it in a country that is not yours, in another academic culture, can be complicated. Many MCAA fellows suffer from this situation in isolation. However, being supported by individuals who have had the same problem could help you to feel better. MCAA is setting up the REFERENT initiative in order to provide young researchers experiencing such issues as distress, depression, harassment, or bullying, the possibility to talk with an experienced MCAA fellow who has faced similar issues. Talking to your mental health mentor, you are in a safe space to explain your situation, express your feelings, and figure out for yourself what you can do about it. What is Mentoring? · Effective Mentors actively listen; · Empathetic, not sympathetic; · Guide mentees, without directing or biasing them; · Strong and reliable communicators; · Manage overall expectations of their mentee. Call for MCAA mental health mentees! We are looking for early stage researchers who are facing issues such as depression, bullying, or harassment in their careers; and who are seeking support from peers who have faced similar experiences. IF INTERESTED, PLEASE COMPLETE OUR ONLINE FORM: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdH77a7bbbo7DECQZFZmjQIjdXUzlKaneuBzVqRdtc9POWhww/viewform The REFERENT initiative is created to organize mental health peer support within MCAA. Using your experience, we can help young researchers to navigate their own issues. Referent is a pilot project run jointly by the leaders Mental Health of Researchers and the Responsible Research Environment taskforces within the MCAA’s Policy Working Group (Darragh McCashin and Stéphanie Gauttier). Email - mcaa-mhpp@mariecuriealumni.eu