ELEAD reloaded: growing women’s leadership, visibility and impact in ELIXIR

The ELIXIR Leadership and Diversity (ELEAD) programme is an investment in human capital supported as part of the 2024-2028 Scientific Programme, designed to support women across the ELIXIR infrastructure in developing the skills, confidence and networks needed for leadership. Launched as a pilot in 2023, ELEAD’s 2nd edition is now guided by an impact logic model, which clarifies how targeted interventions at the individual level contribute to system-wide change in leadership culture across the ELIXIR network. The programme’s three-pillar structure – personal mentoring, peer mentoring and a professional training curriculum – creates a layered support system. The training series includes vital topics such as leadership communication, resilience in academia, equality and mental health. Feedback showed that 100% participants would recommend it, offering stronger confidence, career clarity and a renewed sense of belonging. Peer mentoring, launched during the first face-to-face session, emerged as a vital mechanism for engagement and peer support. Early results from the pilot cohort show that some participants have since taken on new leadership responsibilities, applied for senior roles, or are mentoring others. These outcomes reflect a direct investment in ELIXIR’s future leadership pipeline. The expanded 2nd edition includes 16 mentees, a 30-month duration, increased in-person interaction, and selected training sessions open to the wider ELIXIR community. This edition also introduces a new focus on sharing case studies and success stories in an effort to increase the professional visibility of participants –  through communications support and profile amplification – to accelerate their career development and reinforce ELIXIR’s commitment to inclusive leadership.