Wednesday, 9 September 2026

Pre-conference workshop SEPEX-BAPS 2026

Location: Facultat de Psicologia i Logopèdia, Universitat de Valencia

10:00-11:15: Panel discussion 11:15-12:00: Speed mentoring & coffee break

Free for SEPEX-BAPS attendees. Registration needed in the conference website (Registration modification deadline: 26 July 2026)

Leadership and career advancement in Cognitive Science

Panel discussion (10:00-11:15)

What does it take to turn good research into real career progress in cognitive science? Career progression depends on more than scientific merit alone: visibility, networks, mentorship, and evaluation systems all play a role. Strong contributions can remain overlooked, while other factors shape who becomes visible and recognized. Beyond cognitive science, questions remain about how leadership roles are attained, who gains visibility, and how researchers move from producing solid work to establishing independent research careers and advancing within the field. This event, organized by Women in Cognitive Science (WiCS+) Europe in collaboration with the Spanish Society for Experimental Psychology (SEPEX) and the Belgian Association for Psychological Science (BAPS), takes a close look at these dynamics, with a special focus on the gender dimension in career advancement and leadership. By opening this discussion, we aim to better understand the structural factors that shape career progression and to reflect on evidence-informed strategies to address them in practice. In doing so, we focus on strengthening connections across national contexts and improving how research quality and careers are assessed across evaluation systems. The panel brings together speakers positioned at key points of the academic system: evaluating research proposals, assessing promotion and accreditation, participating in European funding schemes and broader frameworks shaping research evaluation, and holding leadership roles in scientific societies. Representing different career stages, they will combine data from their respective contexts with personal insight, offering a grounded view of how decisions are made and how systematic patterns emerge. Panelists will present empirical trends and comparative perspectives on funding, career progression, and visibility, with the aim of giving visibility to structural challenges. Crucially, the focus is on discussing actionable strategies: what appears to make a difference for individual trajectories, and which institutional practices can support more transparent, consistent, and equitable evaluation processes. Following brief contributions, the session will open to discussion, creating space to exchange perspectives and reflect collectively on how career pathways in cognitive science can become more transparent, fair, and sustainable. Everyone is welcome, and we warmly invite anyone interested in the topic to join this conversation.

Invited panelists

• Rosa Baños, University of Valencia, Spain
• Olivier Luminet, University of Louvain, Belgium
• Eva Van den Bussche KU Leuven, Belgium
• Lluís Fuentemilla, University of Barcelona, Spain

WiCS+Europe organizers

María J. Maraver University of Jaén, Spain Teresa Bajo, University of Granada, Spain

Speed mentoring & reception (11:15-12:00)

As part of the event, we invite you to participate in the WiCS+E Speed Mentoring session, which includes a coffee reception and offers junior researchers the opportunity to connect with senior faculty to discuss various aspects of research and academic careers. Based on sign-ups, participants will be matched with one or two mentors for brief, focused conversations designed to be both meaningful and productive. The goal is to foster in-depth discussions while also encouraging connections with individuals from diverse roles and backgrounds. WiCS+ speed mentoring has been successfully held at major international meetings such as the Psychonomic Society, SARMAC, APS, ICPS, and ESCOP. Please note a few ground rules:

• This is a one-time session (i.e., the mentor is not committing to a longer-term mentoring relationship).
• The mentee should come prepared with one or two specific questions to guide the session and make the most of it.
• The mentee should send their CV and questions to the mentor ahead of time but should not expect the mentor to have reviewed this information prior to the meeting.
• The information shared during the session is to be kept completely confidential.
• This session is open to scientists of all gender identities, and both mentors and mentees from past sessions have found it highly valuable.

If you are interested in being a mentor, please complete this MENTOR FORM.

If you are interested in being a mentee, please complete this MENTEE FORM.

All responses should be completed by Tuesday, 1st September 2026. Note that you may wish to sign up as BOTH a mentor and a mentee. For example, a first-year professor may wish for mentoring around earning permanent positions AND may be positioned well to mentor others about navigating through the stages of the PhD program.

This session is public and open to everyone interested. WiCS+ membership is free and open to scientists of all gender identities.