Australian Fulbright Alumni Association 

First call

You are an early career Fulbrighter who recently returned to Australia. You wish to build on the life-changing experience of your US Scholarship and to develop your career, networks, and opportunities. Would you be interested in joining our mentorship program, to be partnered with one of our own more experienced alumni, as a guide to achieving your goals, and making an impact?

You are a mid-career or senior scholar, who wishes to pass on your own career-defining time in the US, by closely advising a less experienced alum whose aspirations or expertise are matched to your own.

AFAA Australian Fulbright Alumni Mentoring Program

AFAA is pleased to be trailing a new mentoring program for early career Fulbright Alumni. You must be an AFAA member to participate in this program (as either a mentee or mentor). If you're a Fulbright alum interested in participating join now! You can indicate your willingness to participate as part of managing your AFAA membership profile. If you are an existing member log in and update your profile making sure to fill in all of the relevant mentorship scheme details. If you are joining as a new member, make sure to complete these portions of your application to ensure we include you in the scheme.

Want to know more about how we match prospective mentor-mentee pairs?

1. As a prospective Mentee you should edit your AFAA membership profile to indicate your intention to register, and fill out the requested fields to provide information about your career/employment status, and intentions for mentorship. (See below.)

2. The Organizing Committee will select potential mentors from the Mentor volunteer list (based on relevant fields, stage of career, and other criteria) and a description of the possible Mentors will be emailed to you (the Mentee) confidentially.

3. You will then have the opportunity to accept or reject the suggested Mentor without prejudice.

4. If the first attempt is not successful, then a second attempt to select a mentor for you will be made.

5. During a first personal meeting, a short formal mentoring agreement is signed and dated by you, and the Mentor, and provided to the coordinator. The mentoring relationship is deemed to have commenced from that point.

How to update your membership profile

1. Go to the AFAA page www.fulbrightalumni.org.au

2. Click on log-on (box on the top righthand side).

3. Go to 'my profile' and invoke 'edit profile'.

4. Fill in the mentoring scheme boxes to confirm your participation and give some details about you (about 2 minutes' work - these fields are all `non-public' by default).

5. Press 'submit '!

If you missed the first call in 2021 don't worry - we'll put out calls every few months. 

Program Guidelines

As each mentoring relationship is considered unique, there are no prescriptive guidelines. It is suggested, however, that the mentee provides the mentor with his/her up-to-date curriculum vitae; to agree upon a personal meeting, to discuss career goals and possible mechanisms for achieving these goals; to hold a minimum of two meetings (personal or conducted online). The usual duration of the mentoring relationship is one year from the agreement's date of signature. After this period, the agreement can be extended for a defined or open period of time, when mentor and mentee mutually agree.

Advice provided and discussions held between the mentor and mentee must be kept confidential and not disclosed to any third party, unless mutually agreed by the mentor and mentee. Any advice, comments, suggestions, opinions or information (in either individual or combined occurrence) imparted (verbally, in written or electronic correspondence, or by a combination of these) during and in the framework of the academic mentoring network and its entailing programs, are so done with the best intentions and according to the best knowledge of the mentor or mentors involved. Whilst every care is taken to deliver accurate and complete advice, comments, suggestions, opinions or information (in either individual or combined occurrence), no liability whatsoever attaches to the mentor or mentors nor to the AFAA Committee in any way as a result of giving that advice.

For more information, see these General Guidelines.