The Plowright One Health Mentoring Scheme launched in Vienna on 15 and 16 August 2025, bringing together early career researchers and One Health specialists from around the world to establish working relationships and help shape a new programme of mentoring activity.
“This first POMS cohort comprises 60 researchers (mentees and mentors) of 26 nationalities, working in high-, middle- and low-income settings. Our group is balanced in gender and diverse in age, career stage, research experience and discipline-based expertise. We want to encourage everyone to establish new professional relationships through one-to-one mentoring, group mentoring and peer mentoring.”
Professor Fiona Tomley
The event joined up current IVVN Career Development Fellows with ECRs recruited especially for POMS and introduced them to the group of experienced researchers who will be joining the programme as mentors. Professor Fiona Tomley, POMS Director, and Dr Tim Connelley, IVVN Director, opened the event by introducing the two linked programmes, their emphasis on active and equitable participation, and their shared commitment to supporting future research leaders.
Exploring One Health together
Day 1 opened with speakers considering how different fields could contribute to sustainable and resilient food systems. Perspectives ranged from epidemiology, vaccinology and biotechnology to livestock health, community engagement and agribusiness, highlighting diverse framings of One Health challenges and the need for joint capacity. Senior researchers then shared their stories of career progression, collaborations and global health advocacy offering insight into the complex and often non-linear paths to One Health leadership.
A highlight of the day was the scenario-based World Café exercise on national pandemic preparedness, encouraging members to circulate, step outside their usual disciplines and consider how different forms of expertise, organisations and partnerships can work together to inform policy and practice.
A closing Q&A discussion explored the key barriers facing mentees and listened to their priorities for support through the programme.
Shaping the network
Day 2 saw the mentees begin Cultivating Confidence in Leadership, an IVVN-supported coaching programme led by Dr Margaret Collins. The opening session focused on introductions and intention-setting, with further coaching to be delivered online after the event.
At the same time, mentors met with the POMS and IVVN teams to discuss one-to-one mentoring, future online activities and opportunities for mentees to present their work and learn from one another.
The event concluded with an open discussion between mentors and early-career researchers about interdisciplinary working, research leadership and the challenges encountered during a career in One Health.
Listening to feedback
The feedback from the event was highly positive and forthcoming, identifying members’ priorities for future activities. Suggestions included opportunities to showcase members’ research, space for developing peer-led activity and access to specialist grant writing and other career-focused training.
In addition, it underlined the importance of accessibility when planning future face-to-face activities, with interest in regional events in Africa and Asia that could reduce travel and visa barriers.
The Vienna launch established a shared starting point for POMS. The ideas and priorities raised during the event have played a key role in shaping the network’s mentoring sessions and wider programme of activities.