Mentorship Programme

At WIQD we run a focused mentorship programme for students and early-career professionals who want to build careers in quantum — particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds.

Our goal is to help you build confidence, grow your network, and feel a genuine sense of belonging in the quantum community.

Applications closed!

Register interest for next round!

If you are interested in participating next year as a mentor or mentee, register your interest via the form above!

Why Mentoring Matters — Especially in Quantum

Quantum science and technology are exciting, fast-moving, and full of opportunity, but they can also feel isolating. Many students and early-career professionals struggle to find guidance, role models, and clear next steps in a rapidly evolving field.

Across STEM, this challenge contributes to a “leaky pipeline.”

While women earn nearly half of all STEM bachelor’s degrees, they make up only 28% of the STEM workforce, and representation drops further at leadership levels. Persistent biases, lack of visible role models, and exclusionary work cultures continue to shape who stays and who leaves.

Data for other underrepresented groups in quantum is limited.

Mentoring offers a practical, personal way to change that.

Why should you participate?

  • Stronger sense of belonging in quantum
  • Career clarity
  • Confidence in navigating the field
  • Meaningful relationships
  • Cross-cultural perspectives

Programme Details

This is a pilot programme with 15 mentors and 15 mentees.
The mentoring relationship runs for 6 months, from November 2025 to June 2026.

Time commitment

  • Around 1 hour per month for mentoring meetings
  • Attendance at the Kick-off event (20 November 2025) and Closing event (June 2026)
  • Optional participation in online joint webinars with our partner MCQST from Munich

Cross-border connections

Mentees will also have the opportunity to connect with peers from Germany, gaining insights into the broader European quantum landscape.

Who can participate?

We’re looking for:

  • Master’s students, PhD candidates, postdocs, and early-career professionals (within 5 years of entering the field)
  • Based in the Netherlands
  • Working or studying in quantum (academia, industry, or policy)
  • Motivated to explore their path and grow with support

💡 We especially encourage applications from individuals whose backgrounds are underrepresented in quantum.

We’re looking for:

  • Established professionals based in the Netherlands
  • Willing to share their experience, advice, and encouragement
  • Able to commit about 1 hour per month for six months

We welcome mentors from all backgrounds, especially those who bring lived experience as underrepresented groups in quantum. A diversity of voices and career paths helps ensure mentees receive well-rounded perspectives.

👉 Register via the application form.

The Impact of Mentoring

Research shows that mentoring makes a measurable difference for everyone in quantum:

📊 36% of PhD students have sought help for anxiety or depression, citing unclear expectations, poor lab culture, and work–life imbalance (Nature PhD Survey, 2019).

👩‍🏫 54% of full-time PhD students say they need more support from their supervisors (Ribau, 2020 (Universidade NOVA de Lisboa))

💬 Mentees with strong mentors report higher satisfaction, more publications, and greater self-confidence — all key to staying and thriving in STEM (National Academies of Sciences, 2019).

🌟 And 70% of female leaders have said that mentoring played a key role in their career success.

More Than Guidance

🤝 Mentoring is about connection.

It helps mentees feel seen, supported, and capable of shaping their own paths and it gives mentors a chance to reflect, grow, and contribute to a more inclusive quantum community.

At its best, mentoring builds confidence, belonging, and resilience on both sides, strengthening not just individual careers, but the field as a whole.