This is an initiative from the Centering Science Strategic Pillar aimed at supporting early career CBS researchers in securing research-focused faculty positions in research universities/academic medical centers. 

Applicants must be a current ACBS member who is early career - defined as within five years post PhD graduation date (including individuals in current postdoctoral and faculty positions). Graduate students who have defended their dissertation and are currently on their predoctoral clinical internship are also eligible. If an applicant does not have a PhD or equivalent degree and is planning to apply for positions in a country that does not offer PhD level training, they may still apply, but should include information on their research training and their eligibility for a research-focused faculty position in that country. In some unique cases applicants may be considered that do not meet all of these eligibility criteria. If you are considering applying and do not meet all of the eligibility criteria, but have a strong case to make for why you would be a good fit for this program, please contact the committee chair, Aki Masuda at amasuda4@hawaii.edu.

The 2025 Application period will open March 1, 2025. 

Apply here until May 1st 2025

Applicants will be notified of selections prior to the ACBS World Conference.

This is a competitive award and selections are made by our review panel including Drs. Aki Masuda, Ian Tyndall, and Ethan Moitra. This committee will subsequently work to match selected mentees to relevant mentors within the ACBS community. As part of the equity, diversity, and inclusivity goals of ACBS, this program also aims to help promote junior faculty from underrepresented backgrounds and, when applicable, connect them with established ACBS researchers that share professional and personal cultural lived experiences.

Mentorship will occur over a two year period and include regular (e.g., monthly) meetings with a senior CBS academic, providing mentorship on topics such as applying to positions, job talk prep, interview prep, strategies for writing successful grants, collaboration/team science within ACBS, and how to build a CV to be attractive to research-focused universities. Even if a job is secured before the two year timeframe is completed the process will continue and support can be provided for setting up a CBS lab and obtaining tenure.

Lists of awardees will be published on the ACBS website and shared on social media. During second year of the award, mentees will receive a waiver for ACBS conference registration so that they can present on professional development or related content in a panel or symposium (e.g., how to secure research postdoc and faculty positions). This discount may be used in the second year of mentorship or for the World Conference in the following year. Mentees will also be required to serve as a mentor at least once in the future when requested.

Selected Mentees and their Mentors:

2024 Mentees and Mentors

Jenna L Adamowicz, Ph.D. (USA): Postdoctoral Fellow in the VA Advanced Fellowship in Women’s Health at VA Connecticut Healthcare System: West Haven, CT and a Postdoctoral Affiliate at Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, CT
*Mentored by Whitney Scott, Ph.D. (UK): Senior Lecturer in Clinical Health Psychology, King’s College London

Melody Huiyuan Li, PhD, MNurs, BMed, RN (Hong Kong): Postdoctoral Fellow, The Nethersole School of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
*Mentored by Amanda C. Rhodes, Psy.D (USA): Clinical Health Psychologist & Director, National Center for Health Psychology; Owner, The ACT Academy

Táhcita Medrado Mizael, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Research Fellow (Brazil) - São Paulo State University (UNESP)

 *Mentored by Ian Stewart, Ph.D. (Ireland): Lecturer at University of Galway

2023 Mentees and Mentors

Inês A. Trindade, Ph.D. (Portugal): Associate Senior Lecturer– the University of Örebro, Örebro, Sweden.
*Mentored by Lance M. McCracken, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology, Uppsala University, Sweden

Samuel D. Spencer, Ph.D. (USA): Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, OCD and Related Disorders Program, Baylor College of Medicine, U.S.A.
*Mentored by Michael E. Levin, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology, Utah State University, U.S.A.

Claudia Iuliana Iacob, Ph.D. (Romania): University Lecturer, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Bucharest, Romania
*Mentored by Maria Karekla, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Cyprus, Cyprus

2022 Mentees and Mentors

Orla Moran, Ph.D. (Ireland): Postdoctoral Researcher & Psychology Lecturer– NetwellCASALA, Dundalk Institute of Technology, Ireland & City Colleges Dublin, Ireland.
*Mentored by David Gillanders, DClinPsy., Head of Clinical & Health Psychology, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Rebecca L. Schneider, Ph.D. (USA): Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, U.S.A.
*Mentored by Michael P. Twohig, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology, Utah State University, U.S.A.

Essi Sairanen, Ph.D. (Finland): Clinical Lecturer/ Associate Professor in Psychology, Karlstad University & County Council of Värmland, Sweden
*Mentored by Louise McHugh, Ph.D. Professor, School of Psychology, University College Dublin, Ireland

2021 Mentees and Mentors

Dr. Connie Yuen-yu CHONG (Hong Kong): The Nethersole School of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
*Mentored by Jonathan B. Bricker, Ph.D. - Professor and Director, Health and Behavioral Innovations in Technology Lab (HABIT), Cancer Prevention Program, Division of Public Health Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

Anne Roche (USA): Graduate of the Clinical Science doctoral program at University of Iowa, Starting her Postdoctoral fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN
*Mentored by Rhonda M. Merwin, Ph.D., Duke University School of Medicine or Duke University Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

Shane McLoughlin, Ph.D. (UK): The Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues, University of Birmingham
*Mentored by Todd Kashdan, Ph.D., George Mason University, Professor of Psychology