The P2P DOC Mentorship program supports doctoral students at TU Wien during the early stages of their doctoral journey by connecting them with other doctoral candidates.

The P2P DOC Mentorship program is organized by the TU Wien Doctoral Center. The DOC Center is the central support unit for doctoral candidates at TU Wien. It offers orientation sessions, workshops, networking events, counseling, and support for doctoral colleges.

The P2P DOC Mentorship program is meant for doctoral candidates in their 1st or 2nd year. Doctoral candidates can become mentors in their 3rd year or later.

Each mentorship teams consists of 1 mentor and 1-3 mentees.
The P2P DOC team considers many factors when matching mentors and mentees, such as prior experience and goals for the program. Matches are not made based on research area.

If a mentorship team does not "work out," please notify the P2P DOC team as soon as possible so we can discuss solutions and options.

Some program elements are mandatory for all mentors and mentees. These include preparatory training sessions for mentors, a joint kick-off event in October, feedback sessions, get-togethers, and a closing event in April. These events form the foundation of the program, bringing all mentorship teams together to exchange ideas and benefit from the shared framework.

However, there is more flexibility regarding meetings within individual mentorship teams. The timing, format, and focus of these meetings can be adapted to the mentors' and mentees' needs and schedules.

Additionally, mentors must fully meet certain criteria to earn ECTS credits.

The P2P DOC Mentorship program is fully funded by the TUW DOC Center. Mentors and mentees can participate voluntarily.

All program participants are part of a mentoring team that meets regularly. Each team consists of one mentor and one to three mentees.

Additionally, there are several events throughout the P2P DOC program where all participants can get to know each other, discuss experiences, and exchange ideas.

The Doctoral Center also regularly organizes invited lectures, networking events, and orientation sessions, which are open to all doctoral candidates.

Before the program begins, mentors receive targeted preparation through training sessions that help them prepare for their role and provide them with practical mentoring tools.

The Doctoral Center team is also available throughout the program to answer organizational questions and address content-related concerns about mentoring. The team also provides further information on other counseling and support services within the university to help mentors and mentees find the right point of contact for specific questions, if needed.

• Mentors will take part in 3 dedicated group coaching sessions and 1 individual coaching sessions to dive into common challenges, explore personal challenges, and receive tailored guidance.
• Mentors will receive 3 ECTS after completion of the program.
• Mentors can build out their professional network in a natural and authentic way.
• Mentors get to build and practice soft skills such as active listening, communication, leadership, empathy, problem-solving, cultural awareness, facilitation, and more in a real-life setting.
• Mentors help fellow doctoral candidates with challenges.

All mentors need to bring is themselves and their experiences, as these are the greatest value they can offer their mentees.
At the start of the programme, mentors receive specialized training to prepare them for their role. The programme also includes coaching sessions on topics such as productivity, prioritisation and planning.

Mentors participate in several sessions led by Simone Poetscher (Thrycon). The sessions are designed to help the mentors model effective approaches for their mentees while managing their demanding schedules and challenges.
Throughout the program, the mentors meet for three virtual group coaching sessions to share experiences, discuss challenges, and refine their mentoring approach. Additionally, they receive video recordings and written materials to expand their toolkit. Toward the end of the program, the mentors participate in two one-on-one sessions to address specific mentoring challenges and develop strategies tailored to their situations.

The P2P DOC program consists of several parts.

• Mentors receive briefings and training to prepare for their role. (12 hours)
• In addition to a kick-off and closing event for all participants, there are two cross-group meetings to get to know one another, exchange ideas, and provide feedback as well as meetings between all mentors. (15 hours)
• The mentorship teams meet at least ten times throughout the program, either in person or virtually. Mentors must prepare for and follow up on these meetings. Between meetings, teams can communicate via text message, messenger, email, phone, video conference, or other means as needed. (30 hours)
• In addition, mentors receive supporting coaching consisting of five group sessions and two individual sessions, all of which are online. These sessions are supplemented by monthly modules in the form of emails, videos, and workbooks. (15 hours)

The exact dates are listed on the mentors' website. To earn the 3 ECTS credits for transferable skills, mentors must participate in all mandatory program components.

Before the program begins, mentors complete specialized training sessions designed to prepare them for their role. During the program, mentors will meet ten times with their mentee(s). Additionally, they participate in get-togethers with all program participants and feedback sessions with the P2P DOC team.

Mentors support their mentees during the early stages of their doctoral journey and help them find their way around TU Wien. They can offer advice and guidance on research planning, dealing with difficult situations, communication, career planning, and more.
Mentors are not responsible for providing subject-specific support for their mentees' research work.

Mentors may receive 3 ECTS credits for transferable skills for participating in the P2P DOC Mentorship program.

After completion of the entire P2P DOC program, as well as submission of mentor documentation and feedback, participating mentors will receive a certificate of 3 ECTS credits (Transferable Skills Catalog / Social Competence). The dean responsible for each mentor’s studies will decide on the applicability of these credits as social skills as part of the requirements of the respective curriculum.

Doctoral candidates in the 3rd or 4th year of their doctoral studies at TU Wien can apply to become mentors in the P2P DOC Mentorship Program.

To apply, please complete the application form, which can be found at this link, opens an external URL in a new window. You can find additional information on the website for mentors.

The P2P DOC team takes several criteria into account when matching mentors and mentees. If a mentorship team does not “work out,” please notify the P2P DOC team as soon as possible so that we can discuss solutions and options.

• Mentees get help from fellow doctoral candidates to overcome challenges.
• Mentees can build out their professional network in a natural and authentic way.
• Mentees get to build and practice soft skills such as active listening, communication, leadership, empathy, problem-solving, cultural awareness, facilitation, and more in a real-life setting.

The P2P DOC program goes from October to April. For mentees, it consists of the following parts:

• The mentorship teams meet at least ten times throughout the program, either in person or virtually. Mentors must prepare for and follow up on these meetings. Between meetings, teams can communicate via text message, messenger, email, phone, video conference, or other means as needed. (15 hours)
• In addition to a kick-off and closing event for all participants, there are two cross-group meetings to get to know one another, exchange ideas, and provide feedback as well as meetings between all mentors. (12 hours)

The exact dates are listed on the mentes' website.

The programme includes ten meetings in total between mentors and their mentees. These are supplemented by get-togethers with all participants and feedback sessions with the P2P DOC team.
Mentees are expected to attend these meetings and notify the organisers in advance of any absences or scheduling conflicts.

Doctoral candidates in the 1st or 2nd year of their doctoral studies at TU Wien can apply to become mentees in the P2P DOC Mentorship Program.

To apply, please complete the application form, which can be found here, opens an external URL in a new window. You can find additional information on the website for mentees.

The P2P DOC team considers many factors when matching mentors and mentees, such as prior experience and goals for the program. Matches are not made based on research area.
If a mentorship team does not "work out," please notify the P2P DOC team as soon as possible so we can discuss solutions and options.

The P2P DOC program helps doctoral candidates in the early stages of their studies find their way around TU Wien and lay the groundwork for a successful doctoral journey.

The P2P DOC mentors are in their third or fourth year of doctoral studies and can provide guidance on navigating TU Wien and life in Vienna. They are also available to answer questions about academic work, career planning, work-life balance, and many other topics. However, since mentors usually conduct research in different fields, they cannot assist with subject-specific questions.