​ASA Mentoring Grant Program

Mission

The mission of Committee on Professional Diversity is to promote membership and support members of diverse backgrounds which include gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, etc. 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 more equitable participation and diverse leadership in ASA activities.
• 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, 2025. 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 [email protected] 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 2025 grant is Monday, June 30, 2025.

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. Please note that mentoring a minority physician solely is not considered meeting the criteria for a project addressing the mission and vision of the CPD. The project itself, regardless of the mentee, must address the mission and vision of the committee.
• 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, 2024, 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 2026. 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 2025.
• Provide a one-page written update of the progress of the project in June 2026.
• Along with their mentor, briefly present their project outcomes at the annual Committee on Professional Diversity Mentoring Grant Presentation virtual event in November 2026.

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.

2024 Recipients

Andrea J Ibarra, MD, MS / BaDoi Phan, PhD
Socioeconomic Disadvantage and Opioid Use Disorder in Obstetric Anesthesia: Analyzing Clinical Management Differences Using Machine Learning

Christina D. Diaz, MD, FAAP, FASA / Ipsit Shah, BA
Investigating Disparities in the Treatment of Pain in Minority Pediatric Populations undergoing Pectus Repair Surgery

Mada Helou, MD / Monnique Johnson, MD & Cayman Pearsall
Investigating Black Patients' Perspectives on Pain Management in the Perioperative Setting: A Qualitative Analysis

Uchenna Umeh, MD, FASA / Sarah Adeola, MD
Mentoring Future Physicians: Introducing High School Students to the American Society of Anesthesiologists Annual Meeting

Michael Hofkamp, M.D., FASA / Marissa Rosa, B.S.
Racial disparities in cervical length screening and cerclage anesthetic outcomes at a Texas level IV maternal center

Vivian H Porche, MD & Stephanie L. Bradley, MD, MPH / Gavin Roland, BS & Cody Williams, BS
Mirrored Mentorship

Muhammad A. Farooq Anwar, M.B.B.S. MBA. / Ysaac Zegeye
Investigating the Impact of Telemedicine on Access to Chronic Pain Care with Considerations of Patient Demographics and Socioeconomic Status

Ratan Banik, MD, PhD / Emily A. Eshraghian, MPH
Gender Disparities in the National Institute of Health Funding to the Anesthesiology Faculty: a retrospective analysis, 2003-2023

Richard D Urman, MD, MBA / Radhika Chalasani, MD, MS
The Mind of an Engineer, Heart of a Physician: The Struggles in the Making of a “Physicianeer” - Addressing the Unique Challenges of Non-Traditional Healthcare Professionals

Cindy M Ku, MD FASA / Ricky Ma
Project "Surge Ahead": Perioperative Learning Experience

Elizabeth Rebello, Rph, MD, FASA, FACHE, CMQ, CPPS & Acsa Zavala, MD, FASA  / Madelina Nguyen, BS & Christy Lee, BS
The Naloxone Project: Expanding Naloxone Education and Distribution Amongst Houston’s Unhoused Population

Stephen R. Estimé, MD, FASA / Rohan Bhardwaj
Bridging the Gap: Enhancing Leadership Development for Women and URiM trainees in Anesthesiology

Odinakachukwu A Ehie MD, FASA / Travia Kayla Dunbar, MS
Potential Unleashed: The Inclusion Collective Program

Feyce M. Peralta, MD, MS / Ines Debbiche, BS
Pathways to Anesthesiology: A Multidisciplinary STEM Initiative for Diverse Youth

Fred Shapiro, DO FASA / Nicolette Duong, BS MIB
Benchmark Templates for Pediatric Ambulatory Dental Practices

Jerry Y. Chao, MD, MSc / Amy Wu
Improving the Asian American student experience at a US medical school through preclerkship curricular inclusivity initiatives and improved response to bias incidents

Shyamal Asher, MD, MBA, FASA / Kareem Joudi, MS3 & Nardin Derias, MD
Early Anesthesia Career Exploration, Research, and Advocacy Program for URIM Medical Students

Mary E. Arthur MD. FASA, FASE / Nikhil Jaganathan BS & Bryant Bolds II, MD, MBA
Building Foundations: Developing Future Anesthesiologists Among Underrepresented Undergraduates

Anthony (Steven) Bradley, MD / Majesty Greer, MS4
The Medical Student's Guide to Anesthesiology

Tracey Straker, MD, MS, MPH, CBA, FASA / Hannah J Penny, MD
Gasping for Guidance: A Mentorship Journey in Anesthesiology for International Medical Graduates (IMGs)

Chantal M. Pyram-Vincent, MD, MPH, FASA / Javaun Porter, MD
Can self-assessment of implicit bias improve patient care in the perioperative setting?

Betelehem M. Asnake, MD / Varina R. Clark Onwunyi, MD
ImpACT: Implementation and Assessment of a Global Health Curriculum for Trainees in a resource-limited setting

Odmara Liz Barreto Chang, MD, PhD / Bryan Ramirez, MS3
Survey of Gaps in Anesthesia Provider Electroencephalogram Education

Joshua Younger MD, FACOG, FASA / Andrea Martinez
Empowering and educating minority populations to improve maternal care

Faiza A Khan, MD / Michelle Tenorio, MD
Developing a OSCE curriculum to teach learners Behavioral Skills related to Communication Challenges and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion topics

Ludwig Lin MD / Mohammed Mushtaq Hakim, MD & Suwayda Ali
Optimizing the application portfolios of URM medical student applications to Anesthesiology Residency: Mentoring an Anesthesiology trainee and a MS3 in becoming leaders and administrators of this DEI project

2023 Recipients

Anne L. Donovan, MD & Joyce Chang, MD / Amreen Rahman, MD
Identifying Barriers to Career Advancement and Retention for Women in Critical Care Medicine

Caryl F Bailey, MD / Harini Indrakrishnan, BS & Abdullah Chandasir
Investigating racial and ethnic disparities in postoperative complications from cardiac surgery at a safety net hospital

John B. Sampson, MD / Oluremilekun Oyefolu
Impact assessment of increased oxygen access at Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital in The Gambia.

Lee-lynn Chen, MD, FASA / Jeremy Juang, MD, PhD
Advancing Equity and Inclusion in Labor and Delivery: A Comprehensive Analysis of the MPOG Database

Lisa P. Solomon, DO, FASA / Kendrick Brown, MS4 & Aaran Varatharajan
Perioperative Protocol for Transgender & Nonbinary Patients during Gender Reassignment Surgery

Mary E. Arthur, MD, FASA / Megan Foster, MD
Social Determinants of Health in Patients Presenting for Emergency Stroke Intervention

Mary E. Arthur, MD, FASA / Teresa Cabrera Vera, DO & Bibiana Andrea Avella Molano, MD
Addressing Maternal Health Equity in Racial and Ethnic Minorities: A pilot project to integrate population health management into anesthesiology residency training.

Michael C. Banks, MD, Med / Imaobong Chinedozi, MD, MPH
Bridging the GAPP: Diversifying Health Education Champions

Michael P. Hofkamp, MD, FASA / Ivie Izekor, BS
Effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on racial disparities in urine drug screening during pregnancy

Omonele O. Nwokolo, MD, FASA / D’Andrea Ceasar, MD & Osamudiamen Obanor, MD
The Diversity & Equity in Education (DEEd) program

Tanna J. Boyer, DO, FASA / Austin Blais, BS
Unlocking Potential: Empowering Diverse, Creative Minds from Community Colleges to Pursue Medicine

Uchenna O. Umeh, MD, FASA / Max Zhukovsky, MD
Healthcare Immersion Program with BLS Certification for Underrepresented Students

Vinita Singh, MD / Reema Martini, BBA
The Effect of Regional Anesthesia on Breast Cancer Recurrence