MAXMINDS 2.0: The 2025/26 Round

What the program achieved in its 25/26 round.

The MAXMINDS 2.0 25/26 mentoring round paired displaced scholars with mentors from across the Max Planck Society. 

Who applied

The open call drew 161 applications from researchers of 15 different nationalities and across different career stages. Applications were carefully reviewed against the program’s scope: acute risk of displacement, or recent displacement by war or natural disaster, combined with limited access to research resources and institutional support. 36 applicants were invited to join the mentoring program. 

The Mentors

26 mentor–mentee pairs were formed.

The mentor pool included directors, group leaders and researchers across 11 Max Planck Institutes, spanning the Social Sciences, Computer Science, Law, Chemistry, Physics, Biology and Medical Sciences sectors.

What mentoring achieved

The mentoring process has resulted in some concrete achievements. Mentees received scholarship offers, invitations for research stays and were able to stay scientifically active despite losing access to laboratories and institutions. They consistently described the mentoring relationships as more than technical guidance: they were a source of structure, encouragement and continuity at a moment when their academic path had been interrupted.

Mentoring support was tailored to what each mentee’s individual situation required: 

• Academic career guidance — the European academic landscape, position searches, fellowships and guest programmes, particularly within the Max Planck Society.
• Application support — CVs, research proposals, scholarship applications, recommendation letters and interview preparation.
• Research strategy — finding feasible research directions.
• Connections and resources — introductions to relevant researchers, departments and open positions.
• Regular contact — a reliable point of contact through uncertain circumstances.

Mentors also experienced transformative effects of the mentoring relationship. They reported that the mentorship role strengthened their application-writing support, listening skills, patience, empathy and communication. They also noted that the experience changed their perspective on privilege of working within supportive academic environments and on the challenges of continuing scientific work without stable resources or institutional support.

The next round

The next mentoring round is expected to run from October to December 2026. 

Become a mentor. If you are a member of a Max Planck Institute, consider joining as a mentor. It requires an investment of a few hours per month and the MAXMINDS team provides you guidance and support along the way. It is one of the most direct contributions you can make to support scientific colleagues whose work is at risk. Fill out a short contact form to take part and we will reach out to you with the information about the next steps.

Apply as a mentee. If you are a researcher at risk of, or affected by, displacement through war or natural disaster and you are experiencing limited institutional support, see the Apply page for more information.

Support the program. Departments and institutions that would like to help MAXMINDS reach more scholars through participation or organizational support can reach us at MaxMinds@mpib-berlin.mpg.de.

Building on this round, MAXMINDS 2.0 aims to bring in more mentors, match expertise more closely, hold contact through interruption and offer tailored support so that more scholars facing displacement can continue doing important work in the research community.