FlyCROSS 2025–26: Mentor-mentee matching program

Call for Mentors from the Drosophila community.

The Fly Board is excited to announce the second cycle of FlyCROSS (2025–2026), following a successful launch in 2024. 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.

Through FlyCROSS, early career scientists in the Drosophila community will be paired with an experienced mentor who will help them navigate the world of fly research with ease. Designed to prioritize the needs of mentees by matching them with mentors of their preferences, the program offers seasoned researchers an opportunity to share their knowledge and pay it forward by supporting scientists who are seeking guidance and fresh perspectives. The program consists of three parts: the mentor survey, the mentee survey, and matching.

We are currently seeking mentors. Scientists with experience in Drosophila research, including postdoctoral researchers, faculty members, and those in equivalent roles across diverse scientific career paths are eligible to serve as mentors and invited to complete the Mentor survey by July 14. The mentor survey will gather important details about your areas of expertise and personal career journey. We’re looking for mentors from all career paths—academia, industry, biotech, science communication, policy, and more—who have experience with Drosophila research and are eager to support the next generation of fly scientists. (If you have earned a PhD and are currently involved in any scientific career path and have experience working with fruit flies as a model system at any stage of your career, we encourage you to volunteer to support the next generation scientists)

The prospective mentee survey will be open July 21 through September 1 and will collect in-depth information about the type of mentorship each mentee is seeking. Early-career scientists including graduate students, postdoctoral researchers working in fly labs or equivalent settings, and pre-tenure faculty leading Drosophila research groups are eligible to participate as mentees.

Mentees will review the list of available mentors and their responses, with the option to indicate their preferred mentors. 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. 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.

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