About the SRIP Mentorship Programme Scholarship

This scholarship allows mentees in our Mentorship Programme to visit their mentors at their institution and collaborate on a specific project. The scholarship is designed to facilitate direct collaboration between mentees and their mentors, providing an invaluable opportunity for learning, networking, and career development. Through this scholarship, mentees can gain hands-on experience by engaging in a specific project, such as a publication, workshop, or symposium. Additionally, mentees will have the chance to connect with the mentor's team and develop long-term networks within the field of reproductive and infant psychology.

If there is a new call for applications, it will be published here.

Scholarship recipient 2025

PhD student Annie James from Christ University in Bangalore, India has been selected as the recipient of the SRIP Mentorship Programme Scholarship 2025! Annie's visit to her mentor Prof. Alkistis Skalkidou's lab in Uppsala, Sweden will focus on the cross-cultural comparison of qualitative studies on women’s reproductive

health in South India and Sweden, with a special focus on endometriosis.

Stay tuned for a report about Annie's visit to Sweden!

Scholarship recipient 2024

Ana Morais from Lusófona University in Porto, Portugal has been selected as the recipient of the SRIP Mentorship Programme Scholarship 2024! Ana’s visit to her mentor Prof. Livio Provenzi's lab in Pavia, Italy focussed on investigating the impact of perinatal mental health problems on parenting behaviour and neurophysiology.

This is what Ana said about her research stay in Italy:

"Hello, my name is Ana Morais, and I am a PhD student in Clinical Psychology at Universidade Lusófona do Porto, Portugal. Between June 23rd and 27th, 2025, I had the opportunity to carry out a scientific research stay at the Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Pavia, Italy, under the mentorship of Professor Livio Provenzi. This visit was made possible through the SRIP Mentorship Programme Scholarship, an initiative that supports short-term stays of SRIP Mentorship Programme mentees at their mentor's lab.

From the very beginning, I was warmly welcomed with a strong spirit of collaboration and openness. It was an intense and enriching week, marked by a scientific alignment around topics that are central to my research: perinatal mental health, neurophysiological synchrony between mothers and infants, and the factors that influence the quality of early affective relationships. My integration into Professor Livio’s research team went far beyond observation, as I was able to actively participate in several phases of ongoing projects.

From a theoretical perspective, I had the opportunity to explore the literature on the use of video-feedback interventions aimed at supporting parenting in mothers experiencing postpartum mental health issues. On a more practical level, I took part in training in EEG hyperscanning, an innovative methodology that allows researchers to record and analyze brain activity from mothers and infants during dyadic interaction. I also joined a hands-on session on the Global Rating Scales (GRS), a widely used tool for assessing the quality of mother-infant interaction. Both experiences were particularly relevant for strengthening the observational and neurophysiological components of my own doctoral research project. Yet, more than acquiring technical skills, this was a unique opportunity to think together with others, challenge assumptions, and broaden my methodological and scientific perspectives.

It was a week of sharing science, experiences, and challenges, during which I felt truly integrated and left with a strong desire to return. The impact of this experience went far beyond the academic dimension. It was also an opportunity for cultural and personal exchange and, of course, to enjoy Italy’s incredible cuisine.

If you’re considering applying for the SRIP Mentorship Programme Scholarship, don’t hesitate. This is a unique opportunity to step out of your comfort zone, immerse yourself in a new scientific environment, learn from excellent researchers, and share what you also have to offer. I sincerely hope this testimony encourages you to take that step and apply."

We congratulate Ana on this successful research stay!