Candidates confirmed for the new BASES Professional Development and Mentoring Programme

Following the open recruitment application by the BASES Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Advisory Group for the first cohort for the Professional Development and Mentoring Programme (PDMP), we are delighted to announce the following seven members to the programme: Nicholas Paul de Cruz, Romanda Dillon, Amelia Dingley, Shepard Kugara, Ash Osborne, Savannah Aaliyah Sturridge and Mandy Yang.

BASES has acknowledged that it needs to become more diverse, particularly at the higher level, and there is a need to support underrepresented groups in their career progression. As such, the PDMP was created, whose aims are to:

• Retain and increase the number of members from underrepresented groups within BASES.
• Develop those members from underrepresented groups.
• Support and prepare those members from underrepresented groups into/for leadership positions (i.e., on Committees, Boards etc).

This new cohort will work together over the course of the academic year to enhance the mentee’s skills across their applied work, research development as well as navigating sport and exercise as a member of an underrepresented group. Mentees will have regular check-ins, goal setting and reflections sessions, plus the opportunity to attend the BASES conference and to submit a reflection of their experiences to The Sport and Exercise Scientist.

Commenting on the first cohort, Dr John Fernandes, member of the EDI Advisory Group and Project Lead for the PDMP, said: “On behalf of BASES and the EDI Advisory Group, we're delighted to get this programme up and running. The first cohort are of an exceptionally high standard, and we really look forward to working with the mentees over the next year.”