ASPIRE! Peer and Near-Peer Mentoring Program

^{Accountability and Safe-space, to Promote, Inspire, Recharge, and Empower!}

This service is provided by TRANSFORM.

Overview

The goal of ASPIRE! peer and near-peer mentoring program at the CTSA is to support early career faculty researchers at Columbia University Irving Medical Center to enhance retention in academia, promote research career development, and strengthen mentorship satisfaction. Our group peer and near-peer mentorship approach fosters an atmosphere of support and collaboration through the following strategies:

• Understanding and developing your academic identity
• Enhancing skills for research career development
• Providing supportive peer and near-peer mentoring
• Increasing familiarity of Columbia research resources to support career development
• Creating safe spaces for career growth and advancement

See a list of current and past ASPIRE! Trainees

Scope of Program:

The ASPIRE! peer mentoring program will be tailored to participant needs based on responses to the application survey.

• Interactive group workshops. The goal of these three 3-hour workshops is to increase awareness of research career development resources and strategies; network with peer and near-peer researchers; and increase confidence in success in an academic research career.
  • We will base topics on the needs assessment survey.  Examples of prior topics include “Finding your motivation” and “Mentoring journey: Building the right relationships.” Participants are required to attend at least 70% of workshops to proceed with peer mentoring group matching. 
• Weekly peer and near-peer group and individual mentoring. We will form groups of 4-7 based on the needs assessment. Activities will be tailored to participant interests. ASPIRE! near-peer mentoring faculty will join some sessions to help resolve questions and provide an additional level of mentorship.
  • Weekly scheduled 30-minute peer and near-peer mentoring sessions to receive academic and career development support in small groups
  • Participants are required to attend at least 70% of sessions
  • Drop-in office hours with near-peer mentors available
• Complete periodic workshops and program evaluation: To improve the quality of current and future programming, we will ask for workshop and program feedback.

ASPIRE! 2027 Session Dates:

• Workshop 1: January 19^th at 12 -4 PM
• Workshop 2: February 9^th at 12 -4 PM
• Workshop 3: March 9^th at 12 -4 PM

March-June: Monthly peer and near-peer mentoring sessions (remote and/or in person)

June: End of the Year Networking Event (June 2027)

Eligibility

• Early career faculty (Instructor or Assistant Professor rank)  with an appointment at any school in CUIMC.
• Individuals who hold or are pursuing an NIH K award or foundation career development award, and/or who have a track record of grant applications, are encouraged to apply.

For questions about eligibility, please email: aspire_transform@cumc.columbia.edu

Programming Leaders

• Teresa M. Lee, MD, MS, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
• Katherine Dimitropoulou, Ph.D., OTR/L, MSPOR, Professor, Rehabilitation & Regenerative Medicine

Near-Peer Mentors:

• Abigail Greenleaf, PhD, Assistant Professor of Population and Family Health
• Dana L. Sacco, MD, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine
• Ayesha Sania, ScD, MPH, MBBS, Assistant Professor of Medical Psychology
• Alison Taylor, PhD, Florence Irving Assistant Professor of Pathology and Cell Biology

Deadline

November 6, 2026 at 5:00 pm EST

Testimonial

"That group of peer-mentors [in ASPIRE!] has been an invaluable source of support as I have further transitioned into independence. I was so happy to learn recently that the CTSA has committed to further expanding the ASPIRE! program, spearheaded by the original team." - Lynn M. Petukhova, PhD, Assistant Professor of dermatology and epidemiology, CUIMC

Read her full story, "The Power of Mentorship"

Cite it, Submit it, Share it! 

If your research has benefited from one or more Irving Institute resources, please remember to: 

• Cite our CTSA grant in any relevant publications, abstracts, chapters, and/or posters. 
• Submit your publications to PubMed Central (PMC) for compliance with the NIH Public Access Policy. 
• Share your research updates with us by sending an email to: irving_institute@cumc.columbia.edu(link sends e-mail)