A commitment to diversity is a core value of the ACNP. The College and its members actively promote diversity and inclusion within the College and within our field not limited to race, ethnicity, religion, disability, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, intellectual perspectives and points of view.
In service of this aim, below are some resources that may be of special interest to scientists from under-represented minority (URM) groups, as well as to all scientists who wish to serve as allies in fostering greater inclusion and diversity within our field.
If you have additional resource materials related to URM/diversity and are willing to share, please contact Ciana Centurion at acnp@acnp.org.
URM Member Interviews
Career Focused Interviews with under-represented minority members and how the ACNP has influenced their career.
The ALBA Network
ACNP has partnered with The ALBA Network which represents a global diverse network of individual neuroscientists who are involved in research, education, communication and advocacy, and are committed to diversity, equity and inclusion. Click here to learn more on The ALBA Network.
Please click here to view the series about allyship for diversity and inclusion and showing support to scientists from underrepresented groups, through the thematic video interviews of ACNP members working in psychiatric neuroscience and neuropsychopharmacology in the US.
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ACNP URM Near-Peer Mentorship Program
Applications for the 2025 URM Near-Peer Mentorship Program are now closed.
Application deadline: June 14, 2024
Mentee Eligibility Requirements
- Applicant must be trainee/early career scientist
- Cannot have previously received an ACNP Travel Award
- Applicant must identify from historically excluded groups as defined by ACNP.
ACNP defines historically excluded groups as Blacks or African Americans, Hispanics or Latinos, American Indians or Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders, individuals who identify as LGBTQIA2S+, individuals with a disability, and individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds as defined by the NIH.
ACNP will make every effort to keep this information private; however, cannot guarantee this information would not be unintentionally released within the College through the course of inclusion efforts.
Mentor Eligibility Requirements
- ACNP Associate Members, Members, and Fellows are eligible.
The ACNP URM Near-Peer Mentorship Program is the College’s newest initiative to promote and sustain diversity in the ACNP pipeline. This program is designed to provide mentorship from ACNP member mentors to scientists who identify from historically excluded groups who plan to enter or are early career scientists in research fields in and adjacent to neuropsychopharmacology. The program provides education on topics such as career skills, goal setting, negotiating, time management, career life balance, and culturally responsive mentorship relationships. This is an intensive multi-year program that includes monthly one-on-one virtual mentoring, monthly training workshops, onsite orientation at the 2024 Annual Meeting, and an in-person half-day mentoring program just prior to the January 2026 ACNP Annual Meeting.
The program will be managed by the ACNP URM Mentoring Task Force and the College, utilizing materials from the Center for the Improvement for Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER). The primary goal of the program is to optimize mentoring relationships by providing mentors and mentees with an intellectual framework for effective mentoring relationships, an opportunity to experiment with various methods, incorporating culturally aware mentoring, and a forum in which to solve mentor/mentee dilemmas with the help of their peers to improve the mentorship skills of ACNP Members and future awardees and members of the College.
If you are interested in learning more about the program or in applying, either as a mentee or a mentor, please contact the ACNP Executive Office (acnp@acnp.org) or visit the URM Near-Peer Mentorship Program poster during the poster sessions at the ACNP Annual Meeting.
Congratulations to the 2025 URM Near-Peer Mentorship Cohort!
2024 URM Near-Peer Mentorship Program: 2024 URM Near-Peer Mentorship Cohort!
2023 URM Near Peer Mentorship Program: 2023 URM Near Peer Mentorship Cohort
2022 URM Near Peer Mentorship Program: 2022 URM Near Peer Mentorship Cohort
URM Near Peer Cohort Short – March 2022
URM Near Peer Cohort Short – May 2022
URM Near Peer Cohort Short – August 2022
URM Near Peer Cohort Short – October 2022 -
Awards, Funding Opportunities, and Scholarships
- BRAIN Initiative Advanced Postdoctoral Career Transition Award to Promote Diversity
- Diversity Applicants and Minority-Serving Institutions – Administrative supplement awarded to an existing parent grant. Funding is provided for salary support, research supplies, and travel. The program supports individuals at the high school, undergraduate, predoctoral (graduate), postdoctoral, and investigator levels.
- Diversity in Science – Funding Opportunities- Burroughs Wellcome Fund
- Scholarships to Enhance and Empower Diversity (SEED) – The SEED fund is a perpetual fund developed to support the training and mentoring of the brightest trainees from diverse backgrounds who will impact future generations through neuroscience. It is part of the American Psychological Foundation (APF) Fund for Racial and Ethnic Diversity and is administered by the APA Minority Fellowship Program (MFP).
- Translational Clinical Research Fellowship on Substance Use Disorders – Columbia University Department of Psychiatry/New York State Psychiatric Institute
- Point Foundation Flagship Scholarship – The Point Flagship Scholarship empowers LGBTQ students who are earning their undergraduate, graduate, & doctoral degrees at accredited colleges in the United States. Flagship scholarship recipients receive financial support, access to multiple leadership development programs, mentorship or coaching, and the support of a community of scholars and alumni.
- NIH Blueprint and BRAIN Initiative D-SPAN Award (F99/K00) – This two-phase award will facilitate completion of the doctoral dissertation and transition of talented graduate students to strong neuroscience research postdoctoral positions, and will provide career development opportunities relevant to their long-term career goal of becoming independent neuroscience researchers.
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Career Resources
- APA Minority Fellowship Program – The APA MFP is an innovative, comprehensive and coordinated training, mentoring and career development program that enhances psychological and behavioral outcomes of ethnic minority communities. MFP is committed to increasing the number of ethnic minority professionals in the field and advancing our understanding of the life experiences of ethnic minority communities.
- Ciencia Puerto Rico – Includes the Yale Ciencia Academy, a FREE year-long program that provides graduate students with opportunities for mentoring, peer support, and networking.
- Minority Health and Health Disparities (MHHD) and Diversity Training Resources – The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism is committed to improving the quality and quantity of alcohol research studying underrepresented populations. Groups shown to suffer health disparities, or difference in the incidence, morbidity, or mortality associated with alcohol use, abuse and dependence as well as different medical, interpersonal and social consequences include: racial and ethnic minorities, rural and low socioeconomic groups, and persons with disabilities.
- Minority Postdoc – This website represents a “one-stop shop” for junior URM scientists with links to job listings, grant opportunities, events and other resources.
- National Research Mentoring Network – NRMN Resources – Resources include mentor certification, facilitator certification, professional development webinars, and the social networking platform called MyNRMN.
- The Neuroscience Scholars Program (NSP) – NSP is a two-year training program open to underrepresented graduate students and postdoctoral researchers. Building on a 30 year history, NSP provides resources focused on career advancement issues, the research process, and cutting-edge scientific content.
- Out to Innovate Career Development Fellowship – a fellowship award for professional development of trans, intersex, and non-binary graduate students and post-doctoral fellows in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
- Oregon Health & Science Fellowship for Diversity in Research – Fellowships are available for postdoctoral training in all scientific areas of study at OHSU. OFDIR Fellows will receive mentored research training and opportunities to build community with and receive support from other scientists who identify as members of a racial or ethnic group underrepresented in STEM.
- Broadening the Representation of Academic Investigators in NeuroScience (BRAINS)– a national program dedicated to advancing diversity and inclusion in neuroscience. BRAINS uses a unique cohort-based professional development approach to explicitly address the inclusion, retention, and advancement of early career (post Ph.D. and pre-tenure) neuroscientists from diverse backgrounds, including historically underrepresented and marginalized groups.
- The Society for Neuroscience’s Neuroscience Scholars Program (NSP) – a two-year online training program to support graduate students and postdoctoral researchers from diverse backgrounds, such as individuals from underrepresented populations, those living with disabilities, or those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
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Conferences
- The Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS) – ABRCMS is one of the largest communities of underrepresented minorities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Students attend this conference to present their research, enhance professional development skills, explore graduate schools, and network. Research faculty and program directors play an essential role in mentoring students and learning strategies for facilitating student success.
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Institutional Resources
- National Institutes of Health, Diversity in Extramural Programs – Information about how NIH promotes a diverse scientific research workforce.
- National Institutes of Health, Ending Structural Racism – The biomedical research enterprise is powered by people committed to scientific advancement and innovation to improve human health and reduce the burden of disease for all. NIH is committed to breaking down the barriers that prevent the full breadth of talent from contributing to the biomedical enterprise. The enterprise is strengthened when it harnesses the complete intellectual capital of the nation, bringing diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and skillsets to apply to complex problems. We recognize our efforts aimed at achieving scientific workforce diversity are hindered by organizational structures, systems, and policies that perpetuate exclusion and inequity based on race. Organizational structures, policies, practices, and social norms that perpetuate bias, prejudice, discrimination, and racism limit the pace of scientific progress.
- National Institute of Mental Health Programs to Enhance Workforce Diversity – The NIMH offers several funding opportunities and supplement programs to enhance the diversity of the workforce by providing support to students, postdoctorates, and eligible investigators from underrepresented groups in health-related research. Candidates include individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, individuals with disabilities, and individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds.
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Statement on Racial Equity and Inclusion in Biomedical Research – and the NIH UNITE Program – NIAAA’s Director’s Blog
- National Institute on Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) R25 Research Education Opportunities – This research education program supports neuroscience research education programs in all areas (basic, clinical and translational) that will significantly advance the mission of NINDS.
- National Institute of Health (NIH) R25 Neuroscience Development for Advancing the Careers of a Diverse Research Workforce – Supports NINDS, NIMH, NIAAA, & NIDA mission-relevant programs to enhance the pool of PhD-level neuroscience researchers from diverse backgrounds, including those underrepresented in biomedical research.
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Publications on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Topics/Resources
- Advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion in the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP): advances, challenges, and opportunities to accelerate progress – Jack E. Henningfield, Sherecce Fields, James C. Anthony, Lawrence S. Brown Jr., Carlos A. Bolaños-Guzmán, Sandra D. Comer, Richard De La Garza II, Debra Furr-Holden, Albert Garcia-Romeu, Dorothy K. Hatsukami, Armin Raznahan & Carlos A. Zarate | Neuropsychopharmacology (2020)
- The AMA’s Advancing Health Equity: A Guide to Language, Narrative, and Concepts
- Health Affair’s on Racism: A New Standard for Publishing on Racial Health Inequities
- Inaction speaks louder than words: tips for increasing black ACNP membership – Carl L. Hart & Jean Lud Cadet | Neuropsychopharmacology (2020)
- Reply to Drs. Hart and Cadet: we agree – the challenge of increasing equity, diversity and inclusion include societal issues and actions now are vital – Jack E. Henningfield, Sherecce Fields, James C. Anthony, Lawrence S. Brown Jr, Carlos A. Bolaños-Guzmán, Sandra D. Comer, Richard De La Garza II, Debra Furr-Holden, Albert Garcia-Romeu, Dorothy Hatsukami, Armin Raznahan & Carlos A. Zarate Jr | Neuropsychopharmacology (2021)
- Science Benefits from Diversity – In 2018, Nature published a suite of articles highlighting strategies for enhancing the participation of under-represented groups in science, and the benefits that can derive from such efforts.
- ALBA Network Resources – The searchable ALBA database features over 1000 resources, curated and categorized by topic, type and group identity to increase awareness and learning, support individuals and organizations in their DEI efforts, and promote best practices and tools to achieve equity and inclusion.
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Organizations
- SACNAS – Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science – This is an inclusive organization dedicated to fostering the success of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans, from college students to professionals, in attaining advanced degrees, careers, and positions of leadership in STEM.
- The ALBA Network – ALBA represents a global diverse network of individual neuroscientists who are involved in research, education, communication and advocacy, and are committed to diversity, equity and inclusion.
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Summer Programs
- Summer Program in Neuroscience, Excellence and Success (SPINES) – SPINES is an intensive one-month experience, in which students are exposed to neuroscience laboratory techniques, contemporary neuroscience research, ethics and survival skills (including grant writing, teaching, public speaking, and others).
- McLean Mental Health Research Summer Program – a 10-week (June-August) offering that aims to increase representation in mental health research and careers (including neuroscience, clinical psychology, and psychiatry) by providing paid research opportunities, committed long-term mentorship, academic networking, and community engagement.