There are 3 categories of mentors for IDP Design:

• Academic Mentors: Academics and senior common room college members offering insights and support rooted in research expertise. These mentors help students navigate scholarly careers, refine research goals, and understand academic opportunities.

• Professional Practitioners: Professionals who have successfully applied their skills in innovative ways outside academia. These mentors share their experiences transitioning to or excelling in non-academic sectors, offering practical advice on leveraging PhD skills in diverse industries.

• Community-based Mentors: Experts with a deep connection to their fields or communities, sharing lived experience and offering invaluable guidance on how community groups & individuals might derive concrete benefits from research.

IDP Design is structured to help Doctoral students overcome all-too-common obstacles that they face:

• Long completion times
• Poor employment prospects
• Low social impact
• Protracted transition to career paths

As a mentor, you will be part of a very rewarding experience, guiding Durham students along your own career journey and providing leadership. At the same time, you will be able to expand your own professional network, get to know current Arts and Humanities PhD students and their research projects, thereby reconnecting with the University and current research topics.