Conversations in space is a program offering mentoring opportunities designed to connect students and early career researchers with representatives from the Australian space sector.
Thanks to the support of the Theo Murphy Initiative (Australia), through the Australian Academy of Science, we are running a pilot to build the foundation of an annual mentoring program that will support the space sector to be stronger, more diverse and inclusive, and better prepared to tackle the challenges of the future.
The pilot is designed to bring together a diverse group of mentees that take part in engaging discussions and be paired with a mentor who will provide insights and advice to support their career development.
The pilot will take place online from November 2021 to February 2022, with a three -week break during the Christmas–New Year period.
As part of the pilot, it expected that mentees will:
- Attend online information sessions
- Create a plan identifying the priority areas you would like to work on as part of your mentorship
- Meet with their mentor at least once a fortnight
- Take part in the feedback and evaluation process of the pilot.
Participate
We are looking for a group of mentees interested in taking part in a pilot mentorship program. The mentees will be valuable contributors that will help identify the areas of interest, activities and issues that will support the development of people in the space sector.
The contributions of the mentees will be captured via feedback surveys and other mechanisms to share insights. Feedback will be requested half-way through the program and at the end of the pilot. All feedback will be de-identified and reviewed only by the members of the organising committee.
Mentees who participate in the pilot program will be eligible to reapply to the full mentorship program in 2022.
Who can participate?
Postgraduate students and early career researchers (up to five years post-PhD, excluding career interruptions) in Australia working in any of these fields: planetary science, radio science, remote sensing and Earth observation, communications technologies, position navigation and timing, robotics and automation, space health and life sciences, space situational awareness, spacecraft technologies, space weather and heliosphere, STEM education.
How to participate as a mentee?
Complete the expression of interest form and tell us about you, why you would like to be involved and provide details for a referee. Your referee can be a current or recent employer, manager, supervisor, or team leader.
Participation is free. There is caring and accessibility support available to facilitate the participation of the selected mentees in the different components of the program.
We will aim to create a diverse and representative group of mentees by balancing the following diversity criteria:
Geographical location
Gender identity
Career stage
Field of research
Expressions of interest are now closed. Check the project timeline for more details.
Program timeline
| End September 2021 | Expressions of interest open |
| 11.59 pm AEDT 24 October 2021 | Expressions of interest close |
| Early November | Application outcomes are announced |
| 15 November | Welcome and induction session for mentees Introduce mentees and mentors |
| 16 - 19 November | Mentees identify 4 priority areas for mentorship |
| 22 - 26 November | First mentorship meeting |
| 6 - 10 December | Second mentorship meeting |
| 13 – 15 December | Reflection exercises and webinar |
| 20 December 2021 – 14 January 2022 | Break |
| 17 – 31 January 2022 | Opportunity for feedback Third mentorship meeting |
| 14 – 18 February 2022 | Fourth mentorship meeting |
| End of February 2022 | Reflection exercises and debriefing Mentees provide feedback on the program Pilot mentoring program concludes |
| March – April 2022 | Program evaluation by organisers |
Supporters
The Conversations in space pilot program has been made possible thanks to funding from the Theo Murphy Initiative (Australia), through the Australian Academy of Science, and our supporting organisations.
About the Theo Murphy Initiative (Australia)
The Theo Murphy Initiative (Australia) supports activities which provide tangible benefits to Australia’s early- and mid-career researcher (EMCR) community, with the overall goal of furthering scientific discovery. Activities are managed by the Australian Academy of Science and funds are made available by the generous support of the Royal Society through the Theo Murphy (Australia) Fund.
AbOut us
Organising committee co-chairs
Steering committee
Dr Graziella Caprarelli
President | Women In Space Chapter
Dr Jason Held
Chief Executive Officer | Saber Astronautics
Dr Jasmine Muir
Industry Innovation Team Lead | Earth Observation Technical Lead at FrontierSI
Professor Jonti Horner
Professor (Astrophysics) | University of Southern Queensland
Julia Mitchell
Senior Spacecraft Systems Engineer | Sitael Australia
C
ntact
If you have any questions about the program and how to participate, please contact Laura Navarro, Australian Academy of Science's EMCR program manager, at emcr@science.org.au