Contact Us & FAQ

• Postdocs and early-career faculty, or those in an equivalent biomedical research role, meeting all of the eligibility requirements are welcome to apply to the Career MODE program. 

• Career MODE stands for Careers through Mentoring and training in Omics and Data for Early-stage investigators (NIH/NIGMS funded Grant R25GM143298). 

• Trainees will experience an 11-month program of mentored research, networking opportunities, and training in omics, data science, grant writing, and lab leadership and management for a nominal fee.
• Trainees will gain a successful pathway to independent research and career growth. Click here for further details
• To learn more, please feel free to review our NIH/NIGMS funded grant on NIH eReporter.

• Many applicants arrive with some training in omics/data sciences relevant to their field in the biomedical sciences. However, deep knowledge of these areas is not required. The training provided by your doctoral program will be suffice to continue your omics/data training.
• Career MODE will support and pay for the registration of trainees to participate in two SHARP trainings. Click here to see what trainings are currently offered via the SHARP program.

• No, our trainees and mentors are located across the United States. Some trainings will be offered in-person in New York City, but many will be virtual or hybrid.
• Participants will receive support that includes travel costs to events in New York City.

• No, you do not need to be faculty, researcher, or affiliate with Columbia University. We accept applicants from institutions across the United States.

• Currently, all networking events take place virtually or hybrid. We hope to offer an in-person event at Columbia University in the future.

• We provide opportunities to review materials and recordings for those unable to attend events and trainings.

• There is a nominal $800 fee, which covers the cost of the training, mentoring, and networking activities, as well as travel and lodging. Scholarships covering the full cost to participate are available. (All applicants that apply are immediately entered and reviewed for a scholarship which waives the $800 fee. Payment is requested only after accepted into the program.)

• Yes, Career MODE is always eager to add mentors to its cohort. If you feel a current supervisor or former mentor can serve you in this program, please let us know in the application. 
• Our application allows applicants to suggest their own mentors in Omics and Data sciences. The list on our site is only a fraction of the nationally recognized faculty that have agreed to participate in our program.

• "I feel like it was transformative, because I think that there was a lot—I saw a lot of maturity. I feel like I went from a trainee to more of like an early career scientist at the end, because I went from struggling with grant writing, feeling kind of isolated in that sense, and also questioning—dealing with imposter syndrome, like, “Do I have what it takes to actually do this?” And then at the end, it’s like, “I know I have what it takes, because I met with people who are doing it, and they’ve reassured me that I'm going to be just fine.” And I also have gained additional skills and tools, and I'm more knowledgeable now about what it will look like as I transition from a postdoc to an assistant professorship. So, I think there was just a lot of transformation and maturity that happened throughout the program, and so, I would do it again, for sure", -  Postdoctoral Researcher, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, 2022 
• "What I loved about this most is that there was a lot of conversation regarding soft skills that we don’t get formal training in, or at least I didn’t doing my PhD or doing my post-doc, like hiring, and how to review a resume, and what you have to be able to do when you’re managing your own group". - Assistant Professor, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 2022 

The Career MODE application opens in late Fall of each year. The deadline quickly follows in February. Subscribe to our email list to receive a notification when the application opens.

The exact date of the Career MODE application deadline varies each year, but usually occurs in mid-February. Subscribe to our email list to receive a notification when the application opens, and when the deadline is approaching.

Selection decisions usually occurs 8-12 weeks after the application deadline. 

No, simply apply to the Career MODE Program to automatically be considered for a scholarship. The application will ask questions about financial need and scientific merit. 

Everyone that applies to Career MODE will be considered for a scholarship. Awards are made on the basis of scientific merit, financial need, and potential impact of the applicant’s attendance in increasing the diversity of training participation, with particular focus on women and underrepresented and marginalized groups. 

Scholarship recipients will be notified upon acceptance to the program. All decisions will occur 8-12 weeks after the application deadline. 

• Trainees will receive two hand-selected mentors to advise on the design and execution of research projects. One mentor will specialize in omics. The other mentor will specialize in data science. 
• Applicants can list suggested mentors in the application. Mentors can be from our list, network, or outside the program. We will contact potential mentors on trainees behalf to serve as new mentors for this program.   

• Please feel free to send them the link to this website.  When the applicant applies they will need to provide two contacts for recommendation letters. You may also offer to provide one of those recommendations.
• We are always seeking new mentors. Please contact our Project Coordinator if interested (FLL2112@cumc.columbia.edu).

The Career MODE program is funded by the NIH/NIGMS as an Innovative Program to Enhance Research Training (IPERT) (R25GM143298).  Additional program details can be found on NIH eReporter.

• We’re very happy that you’d like to join our group of 70+ internationally recognized leaders in omics and data science. Please email our Project Coordinator, Fernando Luque (fll2112@cumc.columbia.edu), for more information.
• New mentors will join a growing cohort of nationally recognized faculty in the biomedical field.  Opportunities will exist for networking and collaborating with other mentors and trainees.