Mentoring Program

ACUR strives to support undergraduate researchers by providing the opportunity to be mentored by professionals in academia and industry. We believe research skills should be cultivated early in undergraduate education. Our Mentoring Program connects student researchers with experienced professionals across academia and industry, providing crucial support during a pivotal stage of their academic journey.

In today’s rapidly evolving landscape, not every student can pursue postgraduate studies, while those who do often face job uncertainty or over-qualification challenges. Our program addresses this reality by equipping undergraduate researchers with the skills and networks needed to thrive in any career path.

The aim of the mentoring program is for the mentor to provide students guidance with:

Research Profile Development – Building your undergraduate research portfolio
Career Preparation – CV enhancement and interview coaching
Industry Insights – Navigation of academia and professional pathways
Networking – Building meaningful professional connections

Program Overview

The ACUR Undergraduate Research Mentoring Program runs from February to May and requires a minimum of four hours of mentoring. These four hours can be spread over two to three months in flexible formats, such as four 1-hour fortnightly meetings, eight 30-minute weekly meetings, or 30-minute fortnightly sessions. Mentors may offer additional time at their discretion.

The specific scheduling and structure of the mentoring sessions should be discussed between you and your mentee and arranged at your discretion. These sessions may be conducted as either one-on-one meetings or group-style sessions, depending on the mentor’s preferred approach.

Student Mentee Eligibility Criteria:

Active ACUR student member
Currently an undergraduate or honours student or within 1 year of graduating from undergraduate degree

Clarifications on Eligibility:

ACUR conference student attendees automatically receive one year of ACUR student membership. Students that did not attend the ACUR conference can apply for membership at: https://www.acur.org.au/student-membership/
Note: The mentoring program is open to students from all study areas. Like our conferences, we welcome participants from both STEM and non-STEM disciplines.

What to expect as a student mentee:

As a student mentee, you’ll join a student-led program supporting your academic, professional, and personal growth. You’ll receive a mentoring guide with suggested topics and questions, but the focus of your sessions is up to you.

Once conditionally accepted, you’ll:

Review a list of mentors and submit your top 3 preferences
Fill out a form with your goals and availability

Mentoring may be one-on-one or in a group—this will be shared in advance. You’re responsible for contacting your assigned mentor and setting up your sessions.

Sessions can be flexible and based on your needs or structured based on the mentoring guidelines; decide this with your mentor in your first meeting.

You will receive quality mentoring sessions from your preferred mentors, in four 1-hour mentoring sessions where you can ask questions about research, career in academia or industry.

Student Mentees are expected to: