Are you less than five years post-PhD, live in or are from the Global South, and looking to gain hands-on experience with an editorial board? Why not apply for the 2026 mentoring scheme with Journal of Applied Ecology!
What does it involve?
Since 2015, Journal of Applied Ecology has welcomed a small group of mentees with minimum editorial experience each year. This voluntary two-year position aims to develop mentees’ understandings of the peer review process and to boost confidence. Each successful candidate can expect to:
- Be appointed one of five Senior Editors who can help guide them through the peer review process, acting as on-going support throughout the two years
- Receive continous support for any queries from the Editorial Office
- Gain experience in the peer review process by assessing manuscripts via selecting reviewers and submitting recommendations to Senior Editors
- Have opportunities to help shape the future of Journal of Applied Ecology through submitting ideas and getting involved in journal initiatives
Due to the high volume of applications we receive for our mentoring scheme, please note that this program now only recruits applicants based in the Global South (as defined here). This decision aims to help mentees develop their research agenda by engaging with international networks. Researchers from the Global South with temporary research positions in the Global North are also eligible.
Feedback from past mentees
Aashna Sharma (mentee 2023-2025)
‘Being a mentee with Journal of Applied Ecology was a key milestone in my journey as an early-career scientist. From 2023–2025, I was mentored by Dr. Tadeu Siqueira, whose guidance made this experience truly rewarding. One of the most valuable aspects of working with him, was learning the subtle but crucial distinction between the roles of a reviewer and an editor, something I had previously found challenging.
The structure of the mentoring program, with direct one-on-one engagement with Senior Editors, fostered open communication and thoughtful learning. The journal’s exceptional Editorial team plays a vital role in shaping this high-quality experience. I am grateful to the journal for trusting me with this opportunity and helping me grow into the role of an editor. It has been deeply rewarding to help shape promising submissions into high-quality research articles that reach and resonate with a broad ecological readership.
The journey of an ecologist includes conducting good research, writing papers, reviewing them, as well as taking on editorial roles – tasks that might seem similar, but are in fact very different. I strongly recommend applying for this opportunity, as it is rare to be systematically trained as an editor, and such training can inform many valuable decisions for the conservation of biodiversity.’
Nahuel Policelli (mentee 2023-2025)
‘In academia, no one trains you to be a reviewer or an editor, yet these are things we are usually expected to do and are evaluated on during our academic careers. Thanks to the Mentoring Opportunity at Journal of Applied Ecology, I had the chance to learn what it means to be an Editor with the help of my mentor and the Editorial Team. Not only have I been able to keep up to date with the latest research in the field as soon as it is submitted to the journal for consideration, but I have also learned a great deal about the editorial process itself. This has helped me improve the quality of my reviews, my feedback as an Associate Editor, and rethink my own work as an author.
I have also had access to editorial board meetings and had the opportunity to write Research Highlight articles for the Journal. In turn, I acted as a reviewer for the BES Small Research Grants on several occasions. For those reasons, these two years have been a fundamental step in my academic career as an Early Career Researcher from Argentina and have opened up new opportunities in the short term.’
Raquel Carvalho (mentee 2023-2025)
‘I learned a lot about the editing and reviewing process. Reading articles from different fields helped me develop a more critical eye as a scientist. When I started as a mentee in 2023, I was a postdoctoral researcher. Now, as I complete my two-year term, I am a professor in the Department of Zoology at the University of São Paulo, Brazil. I believe that being part of this team helped me in the interviews to get a permanent position, as I was able to demonstrate my commitment to quality scientific research with practical application, capable of contributing to decision-making.’
You can hear more from our past mentees here.
The application process
If you’re interested in the scheme, please fill out this form. You’ll need to include the following when applying:
- What you know about publishing and the peer review process currently, as well as what you’d like to learn more about and gain from the scheme.
- A brief overview of your areas of expertise and research interests.
- Which Senior Editor you feel would be best suited as your mentor based on your research areas. You can find out more about them here.
- A copy of your CV.
If you have any questions about the scheme or the application process, please email Lydia via [email protected].
Deadline for applications: 8th October 2025, 3pm GMT.
