The feM-LEAD Programme

The focus is on the mentee's career development – for example through insights into the mentor's career path, opportunities to reflect on career goals and plan the next steps or platforms for visibility and networking. The goal is to promote the mentee's professional career in an enriching way and to encourage the engagement with the leadership topic.

In the field of diversity, equity and inclusion, increasing the proportion of women in the core areas is a high priority for the four ETH research institutes (see the ETH Domain's Strategy for Diversity, Equality and Inclusion (DGI) and the action plans of the individual institutes). Therefore, we systematically reduce structural barriers and disadvantages and offer various support programs specifically for women, such as feM-LEAD.

• What does leadership (in general / at PSI, Empa, Eawag, WSL) mean?
• What are challenges, opportunities and important competences?
• What steps can I take if I want to become a leader?
• How can I expand my network?
• What are the (unwritten) laws in the professional environment?

Over the course of a year, mentees are supported by mentors in a personal 1:1 mentoring. In a trusting, supportive setting, they can work together with an experienced person on their professional development and benefit from the knowledge and experience of their mentors. An assessment (BIP® test) and accompanying events lay the foundations for the mentoring relationship and promote the networking and visibility of the mentees. The programme is rounded off by courses and trainings on leadership and personal development, which can be selected according to personal interests, and peer coaching.   

• The participants do not yet have a management position, but are interested in one
• The programme is aimed specifically at women in order to promote gender balance in management positions

feM-LEAD has its roots at  PSI, in the 2017-2020 Action Plan for Equal Opportunities. One of the core objectives of which was to increase the number of women in leadership positions at PSI. As a measure to achieve this goal, two pilot rounds of the program were initially carried out under the name "Mentoring Program for Women with Leadership Ambitions" between 2018-2020.

After completion of the second round in 2020, the “mentoring program for women with leadership ambitions” was evaluated by an external research office (Büro für arbeits- und sozialpolitische Studien BASS) in October 2020. The evaluation report recommended the continuation of the mentoring program. In it, it was described as unique due to the following points:

• The program is open to all women at PSI (= not only female scientists).
• The program is open to women who are not yet in a leadership position

Subsequent rounds of the Mentoring Program for women with leadership aspirations continued with minor recommended adjustments from the evaluation report. In the following years, the programme was gradually expanded to Empa and WSL (2023) and Eawag (2024). The exchange between mentees and mentors from the four research institutes of the ETH Domain further enriches the programme.

• Would you like to take on a leadership role in the future (at your current institution or another), or are you interested in exploring this option further?
• Do you want to address your questions about leadership and discover what your own path could look like?
• Are you prepared to spend time for this on a regular basis (approx. 8 - 10 working days during one year)?
• Are you a female scientist (after postdoc or at eawag also at an analogue level), technician or a woman working in administration with a valid contract at PSI, Empa, Eawag or WSL during the duration of the programme?

Then feM-LEAD is a valuable opportunity for you to reflect on your goals, develop or expand your leadership skills, grow your network, and plan your next professional steps with the support of an experienced mentor. We can only consider applications from women scientists after the PostDoc level, as there are other targeted programmes for earlier career stages. Due to differences in institutional structures, Eawag has non-linear scientific positions equivalent to those beyond the PostDoc level

If you have any questions about the application requirements, please feel free to contact Catherine Hirt (catherine.hirt@psi.ch / +41 56 310 39 25).

For women scientists, we recommend the FLP programme 'Foster. Lead. Promote.', which offers space for reflection, tools, and inspiration for career development through courses, mentoring, and coaching. An overview of all career programmes for female scientists, as well as the presentation slides from the last info event, can be found here.

There are ongoing courses on leadership topics and personal development for all professional groups within the lead campus programme. For those new to leadership roles, there is also the mentoring programme for new leaders and the CAS Leadership in Science. These offerings are open to all genders.

• Application start: 15 September 2025 (09.00 a.m.)
• Application deadline: 26 October 2025 (23.59 p.m.)

Late applications cannot be considered.

Fill out the following form to apply: Application form (active from 15. September)

Submit the following application documents in the application portal as a PDF:

• Curriculum vitae (CV); if you have an academic career, include your list of publications
• Motivation Letter (approx. 1 A4 Page. This is crucial for the evaluation committee to see your motivation)
• Confirmation form for applicant and line manager ((Download follows))

Note: By submitting your application, you agree that it will be shared with people involved in the evaluation and matching process.

The assessment of the applications will be based on the quality and completeness of the application, the motivation of the applicant, and the predicted positive impact of the mentoring programme for the career development of the mentee. This is a competitive programme, which means that there is only a limited amount of mentee positions. Please make sure to convincingly describe your motivation, goals and suitability for participating in the program!

The submitted applications will be evaluated by a committee based on the criteria described above (for WSL and Eawag jointly, due to their small size). All applicants will be informed by the end of December 2025 whether they have been accepted into the mentoring programme. The programme will start in mid-March 2026.

Participation is free of charge, as the 4RI wants to encourage female talents. If you cancel your participation during the programme, we will charge a contribution towards expenses of CHF 400. Should your life circumstances change, we will work with you to find a solution for your continued participation in the programme.