​ASA Mentoring Grant Program

Mission

The mission of the Committee on Professional Diversity is to promote equal opportunities for all people in the anesthesiology profession. By doing so, the Committee not only strengthens the organization and the specialty, but more importantly, it helps to enhance patient care.

Duties

The duties of the Committee on Professional Diversity are:

• To facilitate equal opportunities to participate in all ASA leadership opportunities.
• To address issues that affect members’ professional development and career satisfaction.
• To promote an environment that encourages personal well-being and contentment as caring physicians, productive professionals and responsible family members.

Call for Proposals

Proposals for the ASA Committee on Professional Diversity Mentoring Grant program will open on May 1, 2026. The program provides funding up to $5,000 to mentor/mentee pairs who submit a project that addresses the goals and duties of the Committee on Professional Diversity. The project may be oriented to research, education, or a political advocacy initiative that clearly speaks to the mission and duties of the ASA Committee on Professional Diversity.

For questions or comments, please contact DiversityMentor@asahq.org to reach Kate Ruberry or Maggie Voves, staff liaisons for CPD.

The Mentoring Grant Program is funded in part by ASA Industry Supporters: CAE Healthcare/Elevate, Edwards, GE Healthcare, Heron Therapeutics, Masimo, Medtronic, Pacira Biosciences, and Vertex Pharmaceuticals.

Application

The matched mentee/mentor pair should submit their application form, individual curriculum vitae, and a 1-page description of their project to the ASA Committee on Professional Diversity via the secure web portal. The deadline for the 2026 grant is Tuesday, June 30, 2026.

The submission should include: 

• A detailed description of the project’s objective along with an explanation of how it will enhance the professional growth and leadership potential of the mentee.
• A description of how this project speaks to the mission and duties of the ASA Committee on Professional Diversity.
• A list of potential barriers to the completion of the grant. 
• It is recommended that you seek IRB approval for your project (even IRB exemption) prior to application submission due to potential delays to project start.
• It is recommended that you seek approval from your institution's grant department prior to application submission to ensure institutional eligibility requirements are met.

A description of one-year timeline goals, required equipment/supplies, required travel time and meetings, and requested funding; also include co-funding, if any. No electronic equipment such as computers or tablets may be included in the budget. The grant does not cover operational expenses, institutional or grant administrative costs, food, or beverage. Total budget should not exceed $5,000.

Both the mentor and mentee must be active members of ASA and their state component society at the time of submission of their application. If the mentee or mentor recently applied for membership, please attach a copy of the application receipt / proof of payment.

Please note that a mentor may only be awarded up to two grants in a given year; mentees may only be awarded one grant in a given year.

Mentor

Mentors should be well-established clinicians, educators and researchers, as well as current ASA leaders. An ASA leader is defined as an individual who has the following experience:

• Is currently an ASA member and has been so for at least 2 consecutive years,
• Has served on an ASA committee, editorial board, or House of Delegates (Board included), and
• Is a member of their state anesthesia component. 

The mentor will voluntarily provide guidance, direction, and counsel to the mentee on a mutually agreed-upon project. The 1-year project must have the goal of enhancing the professional career, leadership potential, and active involvement of the mentee within the ASA. Mentors will be held responsible for submitting a progress report on the progress of the grant by June 30, 2027, and ensuring their mentees are upholding the expectations of the grant, including advocacy.

Email reminders for the progress report will be sent to the mentor/mentee pair in May 2027. If a progress report is not received in a timely manner, the mentor will be prohibited from applying for another ASA Committee on Professional Diversity Mentoring Grant for 2 years.

Mentee

Mentees should be ASA members who are interested in gaining experience in leadership, exposure to research, education, or political advocacy opportunities within ASA. Mentees may be medical students, anesthesiology residents/fellows, junior faculty members, or new graduates in private practice. In addition to facilitating their chosen project and maintaining regular interaction with their mentors, mentees are expected to:

• Be members of their ASA state component society and attend at least one local meeting annually; volunteering for involvement within component activities and local and ASAPAC participation is encouraged. Mentees may volunteer with their state component society instead of being members if they are ineligible for membership (some states do not have membership levels for medical students, for example).
• Self-nominate for at least one ASA or subspecialty society committee and actively participate if selected.
• Present a synopsis of their project at the annual Committee on Professional Diversity Mentoring Grant Presentation virtual event in November 2026.
• Provide a one-page written update of the progress of the project in June 2027.
• Along with their mentor, briefly present their project outcomes at the annual Committee on Professional Diversity Mentoring Grant Presentation virtual event in November 2027.

Contributions to ASAPAC are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes. Participation in ASAPAC is voluntary. You may contribute more or less or refuse to contribute without reprisal. You must be a U.S. citizen or legal resident to contribute.