ASPIRE! Peer and Near-Peer Mentoring Program

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

This service is provided by TRANSFORM, in partnership with the Office of Faculty Professional Development, Diversity & Inclusion.

Overview

The goal of ASPIRE! peer and near-peer mentoring program at the CTSA is to support early career faculty researchers from diverse backgrounds 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 facilitated group sessions. The goal of these three 3-hour sessions 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 sessions 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
  • Drop-in office hours with near-peer mentors available
• Complete periodic session and program evaluation: To improve quality of current and future programming, we will ask for session and program feedback.

ASPIRE! 2025 Session Dates:

• Monday, Jan 13^th at 12 – 3pm
• Monday, Feb 10^th at 12 – 3pm
• Tuesday, March 4^th at 1- 4pm

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

June: End of the Year Networking Event (June)

Eligibility

• Early career faculty (Instructor or Assistant Professor rank)  with an appointment at any school CUIMC or strong collaborations at any school at CUIMC.
• Those with a K award, Foundation Career Development, and/or a track-record of grant applications are encouraged to apply.

Deadline

Will open for new applicants in fall 2025.

K to R Transition Scholars Program

A complementary programs to the ASPIRE! Peer and Near-Peer Mentoring Program to support junior faculty.

Click here for more information about the K to R Transition Scholar Program

• Applicants who apply to the ASPIRE! mentoring program have the option of applying for the K to R Program if they are clinician scientists who received a NIH K-award in the prior 3 years.
• If you applied to both programs, there are three possible outcomes:
  • (1) you will be accepted to both Programs,
  • (2) you will be accepted to the ASPIRE! Mentoring Program alone, and
  • (3) you will not be accepted to both Programs.
• Note: It is not possible that you will be accepted to the K to R Program alone, since the ASPIRE! Program is a required element of the K to R Program.

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"