ELIXIR has launched the second edition of a leadership programme for women: ELEAD 2.0 (ELIXIR LEadership And Diversity mentoring programme). ELEAD 2.0 is funded for 30 months and provides structured mentorship, peer support and professional training to women in leadership roles in ELIXIR.
The programme helps to address the underrepresentation of women in leadership roles in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) by building leadership confidence, enhancing career progression and fostering a more inclusive research environment.
Three types of support are offered:
- Mentoring pairs: mentees are matched with experienced senior mentors from ELIXIR and its extended network to support career development
- Peer mentoring: groups of participants engage in guided and confidential peer discussions to exchange experiences and build connections
- Professional training: expert-led sessions develop leadership skills essential for career progressions
ELEAD first ran as a pilot programme during 2023. The second edition will have a larger cohort of 16 women, more face-to-face events to strengthen networking and the option for those outside the programme to attend selected training sessions.
Alba Jené, ELEAD co-lead from ELIXIR Spain, said “The launch of the expanded ELEAD 2.0 shows ELIXIR’s commitment to developing future leaders in STEM. By broadening our reach, we are not only strengthening leadership pathways for women but also building a more inclusive and representative research environment.”
ELEAD 2 is funded as part of the People tier of the ELIXIR Scientific Programme 2024-28, which aims to provide support and training to ELIXIR members. It is a collaboration between nine ELIXIR Nodes: Spain, Germany, UK, Switzerland, Belgium, Italy, Czech Republic, Greece and Norway.
The deadline for applications is 28 February 2025, further details can be found on the ELEAD 2.0 webpage
Contact: elead-elixir@bsc.es
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