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Industry Mentoring Network
in STEM (IMNIS)

The Industry Mentoring Network in STEM (IMNIS) is an award-winning industry-led initiative of the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering. IMNIS connects motivated PhD candidates (mentees) in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) with outstanding high level industry leaders (mentors) in a one year industry mentoring program. IMNIS has been designed to help you increase industry knowledge, learn professional skills and expand your network.

Why become a mentee

With 95% of mentees agreeing they had a positive and successful mentoring experience, specific benefits include:

  • Increasing your awareness and understanding of career opportunities for PhD graduates beyond academia.
  • Gaining a deeper understanding of business practices such as leadership, communication and commercialisation processes related to innovating your research.
  • Enhancing your capacity to engage with industry and extending your professional global networks in a range of sectors.

Through IMNIS, you’ll gain valuable industry, career and networking insights directly from your individual mentor to help achieve your research and career goals. Undertaking IMNIS also takes you one step further in your EDGE experience, attaining you a capability in ‘Skills in Practice’.

What’s involved?

This fully-funded program offers you:

  • 12 months of industry mentoring with monthly meetings between you and your mentor. Mentoring discussions are driven by the goals and interests of the mentee and mentors are able to share their experiences and offer guidance.
  • Five state-level events hosted by IMNIS throughout the year on dynamic topics such as career development, innovation for the future and industry-academic collaboration. These events provide networking opportunities with other candidates and industry mentors from across South Australia.

*Please note, in light of recent events all meetings & events will take place in a virtual environment until physical restrictions have been lifted*

Am I eligible?

To be an IMNIS mentee, you must meet the following criteria:

  • Be enrolled in a PhD program at the University of South Australia, undertaking your research in a STEM-related discipline (i.e. not exclusive to the STEM academic unit).
  • Have had your candidature confirmed.
  • Have your supervisor’s support to participate.
  • Have at least nine months of candidature remaining.
  • Be able to commit to the full IMNIS program, including a minimum of one meeting with your mentor each month and (virtual) attendance at the five IMNIS hosted events over the course of the year.

How do we know IMNIS is valuable?

Because you tell us it is!

“It was the IMNIS mentoring program and my mentor that gave me the tools, guidance and determination to make a transition into industry that might have otherwise never happened! I strongly recommend participating in the IMNIS program to my peers.”
2017-2018 IMNIS alumni

 

“Having an industry mentor helped me to understand how to map out the pathway to an industry career.”
2018-2019 IMNIS alumni

 

“I identified the industrial value of my PhD project because of the IMNIS program.”
2018-2019 IMNIS alumni

 

UniSA also leads the IMNIS Impact Evaluation, which measures the extent to which the program develops mentee skills and knowledge throughout their mentoring experience. Some highlights from the inaugural study are shared below:

 

 

Source: SA IMNIS Impact Evaluation Report 2017/18

How do I apply?

Expressions of interest for the 2020/21 IMNIS Program are now closed and will re-open for 2021/22 in March/April.

The SA IMNIS program runs from July/August each year (subject to annual renewal). Interested candidates should seek the support of their supervisors and email the Graduate Research Development team at tPhD@unisa.edu.au to register their interest. Places will be allocated to eligible candidates on a first come first served basis.

Want more information?

The IMNIS website has more details about the program including resources and IMNIS Alumni profiles https://imnis.org.au/ or or email the Graduate Research Development team at tPhD@unisa.edu.au