FlyCROSS 2025–26: Call for early career scientists

Do not miss this call for mentees from the Drosophila community.

The Fly Board is excited to announce the second cycle of FlyCROSS (2025–2026). The goal of FlyCROSS is to empower early career Drosophila researchers by connecting them with mentors who can help them fly in their careers – whether in academia or beyond. If you’re part of the Drosophila community and seeking guidance on professional development, career transitions, or navigating personal, academic, or non-academic challenges — this is a truly unique opportunity you won’t want to miss.

We are currently seeking mentees. Early-career scientists including graduate students, postdoctoral researchers working in fly labs or equivalent settings, pre-tenure faculty/equivalent leading Drosophila research groups, non-tenure-track or teaching faculty are eligible to participate as mentees. Mentee survey is now open through September 1.

The mentee survey will gather important details about your career goals, professional challenges and the type of mentorship being sought. With a large pool of mentors from around the world offering unique mentoring experiences already on board — you’ll have the opportunity to review their responses and indicate your preferred matches based on your goals and interests. FlyCROSS prioritizes mentee needs in the matching process while supporting mentees from a wide range of backgrounds and research environments. After receiving mentee submissions, the FlyCROSS committee will carefully review the preferences and finalize pairings, ensuring an optimal match between mentors and mentees. Matches will be announced by October.

In the previous FlyCROSS cycle, 37 mentees were matched to mentors of their choice. This is a unique opportunity to receive personalized guidance, expand your network, and gain valuable career insights from leaders across the global fly community.

We encourage all eligible mentees to apply by September 1, 2025, and take part in this enriching mentoring experience! Incase of any queries reach out to dmelcross@gmail.com. FlyCROSS was adapted from a similar mentoring program running in the worm community, and we sincerely appreciate their support of our endeavor.

Thankyou
Shefali
FlyCROSS Co-chair
Grad student rep, Fly Board
PhD candidate, Tennessen Lab
IU Bloomington
Bluesky : ‪@iamshef.bsky.social‬
X : @iam_shef

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