What is the iCHORDS Mentorship Program?
The iCHORDS mentorship program aims to provide opportunities for the mentorship of early career researchers, students, and young professionals in the field of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) and social and behavioural sciences – supporting the development of the next generation of NTD professionals. iCHORDS will do this by connecting mentees with experienced mentors in the field of NTDs, integrating various academic and professional institutions from around the world.
The program is now running a 4-month pilot program and is seeking applications from both mentors and mentees to join the first cohort which will run from September through December 2022. We hope to pilot this with about 5 pairs.
Who Should Apply?
Mentees should be early career professionals, Masters students, PhD candidates, postdoctoral fellows, or junior staff from the Ministry of Health or implementation programs with an interest in NTDs and social and behavioural sciences.
Mentors should have several years of experience in NTDs and social and behavioural sciences. Mentors are encouraged to apply from across the different social science discipline areas (e.g. anthropology, sociology, economics, etc). Interested mentor and mentee applicants will be selected and matched based on information that they provide in their applications.
How Will it Work?
Once selected, the pairs will be given suggestions to guide hour-long monthly meetings which will take place either in person or virtually. These meetings will provide opportunities for mentees to learn and refine various skills, e.g., the application of social science research in NTDs, strengthening research skills, and applying social science methodology to program implementation. Together the pair will select their focus for the program during their first meeting. This will differ across pairs and might include activities such as getting mentor input on a grant application or article for publication, revising a resume, planning a program assessment or setting up introductory meetings with others working on NTDs.
Both mentees and mentors will be invited to join iCHORDS as a member, participate in iCHORDS tasks meetings, and serve as future mentors in the iCHORDS mentorship program. Mentees will also be provided with insight into different NTD professional opportunities and allow participants to expand their networks. Mentees and mentors will receive a certificate on completion.
How Do I Apply?
If you are interested in being a mentee or mentor fill out the following application form here.
The application deadline is August 5th, 11:59 PM (EST) and questions can be sent to info.ichords@gmail.com.
