Mentorship Program

Mentor Program

About the Program

The OTS Mentorship Program brings together a diverse group of passionate mentors and mentees to guide and inspire the next generation of oligo researchers.

The program connects early career scientists with established scientific professionals to support & encourage mentees in their career. Once matched, the mentor-mentee pair can take the experience in any direction they desire, including discussion of career goals, personal development, skill enhancement, networking, introductions, and more.

Launched in 2022, the OTS Mentorship Program has been met with great success and the society is thrilled to offer this program annually.

Eligibility
  • Mentors and Mentees must be a current OTS member
  • Mentees can participate for two Cohorts; participation after two Cohorts is allowed but is based on availability
Key Dates
  • Applications Open: March 1
  • Applications Close: April 30
  • Notification of Acceptance: mid-June
  • Cohort Dates: August 1 – July 31
OTS Annual Meeting
  • We highly encourage Mentees and Mentors to attend the OTS Annual Meeting in October to meet face-to-face at the Mentorship Program Luncheon.
  • Mentees receive a registration discount for the Annual Meeting.
  • Some travel assistance may be available but program participants must first complete the regular Travel Grant application process.
Apply
  • Applications for Cohort 5 are open through April 30th, 2026.
  • Due to the high level of interest, we cannot guarantee a mentorship pairing for every applicant.

Questions? Contact info@oligotherapeutics.org

FAQs

  • Create a professional support network to help guide career goals and/or personal development
  • Gain insight from a professional further ahead of you in their career
  • Increase your insight in work experiences and your understanding of different approaches to navigating them 
  • Networking with other mentees and mentors in the field and the opportunity to build long-lasting relationships

  • Current OTS members at any stage of their career (BSc., Masters, PhD, etc.)
  • Any area of scientific study or focus is welcome, academic or industry
  • Strongly motivated individuals with a commitment to the field of oligonucleotides
  • A mentee can participate in a maximum of two cohorts

  • One meeting per month (minimum) with a senior member of OTS
  • Virtual career development and networking event(s)
  • Mentorship Program networking lunch during the OTS Annual Meeting
  • Annual Meeting registration fee discount
  • Potential travel grant support to the Annual Meeting

  • Availability to meet with mentee once a month to offer advice on various topics especially related to career development in the field of oligotherapeutics
  • Participation in the Mentorship Program networking lunch during the OTS Annual Meeting
  • Current member of OTS

Yes! We welcome you to participate as both a mentor and a mentee. Simply complete an application for both.

Email us at info@oligotherapeutics.org.

Feedback from Mentees

Deep understanding of the mentor on oligo therapeutics from synthesis to in-vivo testing models has helped me get a holistic understanding of the lifecyle of an RNA therapy project. Ease of communication about a variety of topics.

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The program helps to break the barrier of meeting and talking with more experienced people in the field who are often more than happy to talk with trainees, which is something that I enjoyed. I also thought that the lunch at the annual OTS meeting was a great way to meet our mentor in person and other mentors and mentees involved in the program.
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Always helpful feedback from the mentors and provide opportunity to networking in the field
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Having someone outside your group that has experience in the field helps a lot with career guidance. Also the mentorship lunch at the OTS was great.
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I like getting another opportunity to participate in the OTS community and to gain advice from another perspective.
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Feedback from Mentors

It connects people/scientists who may not be connected otherwise. It lowers the barrier for talking across different career levels.
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Opportunity to build connections with more junior scientists in our field, which by itself already fosters a sense of community, collaboration and support for each other.
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understanding other companies’ culture
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I see the progress of my mentee, both on a professional and on a personal level.
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Great matching process
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I have enjoyed developing a relationship with my mentees and encouraging them in their early career path and sharing experiences that will hopefully help them in the future.
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Helping young scientists, making new connections, opportunity to meet in person at the annual meeting
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It can be anything we want it to. Both mentee and mentor shape it the way they prefer.
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