Women's Peer Mentoring Group at WSL
The Women’s Peer Mentoring Group (PMG) is a self-organized group of early-career female scientists at the WSL/SLF. Our aim is to support the career development of our members by promoting skills and networking.
We have a strong network of affirmed female scientist mentors that support us by sharing their insights into a life in research and help us develop important skills, from grant writing to career planning. Additionally, members enhance research skills and competences through peer-based help.
Numerous speakers and coaches are invited throughout the year to stimulate discussions on important questions. The main focus for the year 25/2026 is “Grant writing and gender biases”.
Last but not least, the PMG provides a platform where we can support each other both emotionally and practically, striving for a healthier work-life-balanced and informed career path choices.
Contact: Somaie Abolhasani and Noémie Pichon
Discover Diverse Career Paths and Resources at PSI
Our peer mentorship group is dedicated to exploring the diverse career trajectories within and beyond academia, guided by experienced mentors at PSI. We aim to build long-term, supportive connections with one another while deepening our understanding of the institutional resources available, such as FLP, feM-LEAD, and the Career Return Program. While our paths may differ, such as transitions from PhD to postdoc, postdoc to scientist, project leader, or professor, including those with career breaks, we share ambition to remain in academia and eventually become LEADERS in research community.
Through this program, we will strengthen key academic skills such as proposal writing and presentations, prepare competitive application materials for fellowships (like SNF, Marie Skłodowska-Curie, or Innosuisse) and work towards having an up-to-date CV suitable for academic applications. Together, we are creating a collaborative space for growth, clarity, and mutual support as we shape our careers.
Contact: Jiaxin Duan and Zarina Turtayeva
Empower & Thrive Together: Dual Support for Career-building
We are a group of doctoral students in the ETHZ-EPFL Joint Doctoral Program in the Learning Sciences (JDPLS), currently in the middle to final stages of our doctoral study. Our peer-mentoring group is dedicated to supporting one another in navigating academic life and preparing for diverse career paths.
We focus on three key areas: career development through exposure to both academic and industry perspectives; mental well-being by fostering a safe and supportive space for sharing challenges and strategies among peers and experienced mentors; and communication skills through hands-on training and peer feedback. As a young, interdisciplinary, and international program, we face unique challenges—but also benefit from a rich mix of experiences. By building a strong peer network, we aim to grow together, thrive personally and professionally, and shape a more connected and resilient doctoral community.
Contact: Jie Gao, Qinglan Shan and Siyu Jiang
Transitioning from academia to industry/research careers
Our peer-mentoring group supports PhD students and postdoctoral researchers in navigating the transition to research careers in industry. Despite coming from different backgrounds, we all share the common goal to transition to industry in our careers and find it hard to navigate. For this purpose, we provide a collaborative, hands-on environment focused on personalized career development and skill-building. Our planned activities are two workshops on understanding the job market in research-driven industries, more specifically, one on effective networking and another one on preparing strong application materials. We are planning to complement these workshops with meetups with industry professionals to ask specific questions and gain insights. We will also host informal peer gatherings with our mentors, follow and join career fairs together, and get certified in project management to demonstrate our interest in globally recognized project management practices. Through these initiatives, we aim to empower early-career researchers to explore career options with confidence and make informed, strategic decisions about their future in industry.
Contact: Julie Faure, Dilsad Dagtekin and Giorgia Fiorini
