RMA Mentoring Scheme

Aims

The RMA Mentoring Scheme aims:

  • To support musicologists (especially early-career), music practitioners and independent researchers with a background in music interested in developing their profile towards an academic career (see eligibility criteria below)
  • To support career development for researchers from diverse backgrounds and with a wide range of research interests in Music

Ethnomusicologists can find specialist mentoring through the BFE (https://bfe.org.uk/).

How the Scheme Works

Duration:

1 year in the first instance, with flexible start throughout the academic year. It is welcomed if mentor-mentee pairings develop beyond this time frame.

Standard number of meetings:

3 one-hour meetings (mentor can offer more time at their discretion). Mentee to request meeting within a reasonable time frame and supply detailed agenda with goals and questions ahead of each meeting.

Meetings to be held virtually.

Eligibility criteria: mentees

•            Early Career Researcher = will normally have received their final academic degree no more than five years before the beginning of their mentoring (the RMA recognizes career interruptions)

AND/OR

•            No permanent (current or prior) position in Music including research as part of the contract at a UK Higher Education institution

•            Mentee not to work at the same institution as mentor (e.g. as hourly paid lecturer)

•            Mentees should be, or become, RMA members at the discounted rate

Eligibility criteria: mentors

•            Will normally have more than 5 years’ experience in UK academia, (the RMA recognizes career interruptions)

•            Current or emerita/emeritus holder of a permanent position in Music, of 0.5 FTE or more, at a UK HE Music institution

•            High-quality published research in a music-related field, and/or practice-based research activity in musical performance or composition

•            Not to work in same institution as mentee

•            Ideally experience of interviewing panels and funding applications

•            Can have research interests in the same area as mentee

Avoiding conflict of interest

•            Mentor should be transparent about mentoring relationship with the mentee in any future peer reviewing, interview panel work etc.

•            Mentoring constitutes a confidential and safe space.

Excluded types of activity:

•            Detailed proofreading (as opposed to commenting on CVs, grant applications, or publication plans)

•            Sponsorship (the direct promotion of the mentee through sharing of networks or opportunities, personal investment in the mentee’s career, or financial support)

•            Any responsibility on the part of the mentor for any part of the mentee’s career decisions

•            (References can be offered by the mentor, but should not be an expectation within the standard agreement)

The scheme is maintained by Annika Forkert, Royal Northern College of Music.

Further links