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Aurora

Aurora – Women’s Leadership Development Programme

Aurora is a women's leadership development programme for higher education managed by Advance HE. It is a unique partnership initiative bringing together leadership experts and higher education institutions to take positive action to address the under-representation of women in leadership positions in the sector. University of Galway provide internal funding each year for staff to attend the programme.

The Aurora programme is targeted at early-mid career women in academic, research, and professional services (Admin, Technical, Library) roles in the University in order to enable leadership potential and provide an opportunity for growth and development.

The programme provides, in a social learning environment, core and adaptive leadership skills and knowledge over seven interlinked days: four online development days, two action learning sets, and a final in-person development day. The development days are led by a team of expert leadership facilitators, and participants explore key areas associated with leadership success: Identity, Impact and Voice; Core Leadership Skills; Politics and Influence; Adaptive Leadership Skills; and Your Future in HE. These days are complemented by networking, role models, and guest speakers at each event. Participants also have the opportunity to engage in Action Learning Sets over two days, linking with colleagues from other institutions. On-going support is ensured through online resources, discussion forums, and networking sessions. University-level support includes a mentoring relationship and four check-in days throughout the programme.

For the individual participant, Aurora provides:	For our University, Aurora provides:
An opportunity to identify and build a leadership identity Thought-provoking and challenging materials and activities An experience of collaborative problem-solving processes A network of early-mid career women from across the sector Successful and Inspiring role models An in-house mentor for on-going support and guidance Access to the Aurora online community and Alumni Network	Early-mid career women with a growing interest in leadership Experienced role models and mentors who can support others in-house A regional network of women to offer support and guidance to the Aurora participants A pool of potential applicants for leadership posts An opportunity to support women in their career development journey

Outline of Aurora Programme

The programme schedule for 2026/27 is outlined below. Those interested are encouraged to hold these dates in your calendar.

Title	Date	Delivery	Time
University of Galway Kick-Off Event	30 September 2026	In Person	11:00 - 12:00
Introduction	8 October 2026	Online – Zoom	10:00 – 12:30
Identity, Impact, Voice	15 October 2026	Online – Zoom	10:00 – 15:00
Core Leadership	19 November 2026	Online – Zoom	10:00 – 15:00
University Check-In Event	8 December 2026	In Person	12:00 – 13:00
Action Learning Set 1	13 January 2027	Online – Zoom	10:00 – 15:00
Politics & Influence	4 February 2027	Online – Zoom	10:00 – 15:00
Adaptive Leadership	1 March 2027	Online – Zoom	10:00 – 15:00
University Check-In Event	7 April 2027	In Person	12:00 – 13:00
Your Future in Higher Education	30 April 2027	In Person Dublin	9:30 – 16:00
Action Learning Set 2	13 May 2027	Delegates Self-host	10:00 – 15:00
University Final Event	1 June 2027	In Person	11:00 – 13:00

Who can apply?

Female academics up to and including Senior Lecturer or equivalent, female administrative, technical, or library staff up to and including AO, STO, or equivalent, and female research staff (R2/R3/R4) may apply. Applicants should be ambitious for a leadership career in HE and interested in exploring leadership and management as an option for progression.

Cost

The funding for Aurora programme registration is provided annually by the Office of the VP for Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion. Colleges or Schools may also consider funding for additional registration places. Any travel expenses are borne by the individual’s school or unit, in line with normal expense practices.

Application process

The internal funding call for applications opens in July/August each year. The OVPEDI will communicate the call for applications to all staff, including an online application form. Applicants will be asked to submit a personal statement of no more than 800 words, indicating why they are interested in the programme and what they hope to achieve. This statement should correlate with the mission and focus of the Aurora Programme. Specifically, applicants need to address the following questions in their application:

What development needs and/or leadership challenges are you experiencing currently?
How do you think Aurora would support you in addressing these needs/challenges?
What outcomes/impacts do you expect to achieve from your engagement with the Aurora programme?
Provide an example of your leadership within your area of work, and describe the approach, outcome, and impact of the initiative.

Applicants will be asked to confirm they have spoken with their line manager regarding this development opportunity, and that they are available to attend all training/development days within the programme schedule.

Selection of Participants

To ensure equality of opportunity and transparent selection of participants, a review panel led by the OVPEDI will assess the applications and select the successful participants based on the personal statements submitted and how they align with the Aurora programme. Applications will be scored out of a total of 100 marks (25 marks per question) and ranked.

All applicants will be informed of the outcome of their application.