A case study on the pilot of ELIXIR’s leadership and diversity mentoring programme, ELEAD, shows it is contributing to culture change by supporting women’s progression into leadership roles across ELIXIR.
ELEAD supports women’s leadership growth across ELIXIR through structured mentorship, peer support and professional training. The programme addresses the underrepresentation of women in leadership roles in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) by strengthening leadership confidence, supporting career progression and encouraging more inclusive leadership practices across research infrastructures. The pilot started in 2023, and its success paved the way for a larger second edition, launched in 2025.
The new study explores the experiences of four women from the pilot cohort through qualitative analysis of their case stories and self-assessments using the ELIXIR impact framework. It shows that participants strengthened their confidence, adopted more reflective leadership practices and built supportive peer relationships across ELIXIR Nodes that continued beyond the pilot. In several cases, these developments were accompanied by career progression and greater visibility in their organisations.
The ELEAD pilot was co-led by ELIXIR UK, Spain and Germany. The report draws on the experiences of Katharina Heil (ELIXIR Hub), Mallory Freeberg (EMBL-EBI), Laura Portell Silva (ELIXIR Spain) and Maria Doyle (ELIXIR Ireland).