Computational Biology Peer Mentor Network (2026-2029)
The three-year Computational Biology Peer Mentor Network (CompBioPMN) consists of about 20 early- and mid-career faculty in computational biology and bioinformatics at primarily undergraduate institutions (PUIs). The goal of the program is to improve faculty’s connections to the discipline, reduce their isolation at small institutions, and equip them with career advancement strategies for their next steps. Participants will join two in-person workshops and one virtual workshop. Additionally, participants will have monthly cohort-building virtual meetings with a small group of faculty (Alliance Meetings). These monthly meetings are designed for the Alliance groups to develop mentoring relationships throughout the academic year.
As a group, participants of the CompBioPMN will:
- Get to know each other over the course of three years through annual workshops and monthly Alliance Meetings.
- Clarify individual career goals and learn how to make progress towards those goals.
- Learn about and share educational resources for teaching and undergraduate research mentoring (e.g., through ). There will be a focus on computational image analysis for some materials, but it is not required that participants make use of them.
The CompBioPMN is designed to be flexible, and topics will be shaped by the participants' interests and goals. It is organized by Anna Ritz, a professor at 91ÁÔÆæ, and is funded by the National Science Foundation through the Division of Biological Infrastructure.
Overview & Timeline
| August 4 & 5, 2026 | In-Person Workshop, Portland, OR | Introductory in-person workshop to introduce participants to the CompBioPMN, build rapport with alliance partners, and learn about teaching resources. |
| Academic Year 2026-2027 | Monthly Alliance Meetings | Alliance groups will consist of approximately 5 faculty in the CompBioPMN. They will meet virtually every month. |
| Summer 2027 | Virtual Workshop | Virtual professional development workshop, with a special session on career coaching facilitated by . |
| Academic Year 2027-2028 | Monthly Alliance Meetings | Alliance groups will consist of approximately 5 faculty in the CompBioPMN. They will meet virtually every month. |
| Summer 2028 | In-Person Workshop, location TBD | Final in-person workshop addressing emergent needs (informed by participant feedback). |
Participant Eligibility
The CompBioPMN is designed for faculty at primarily undergraduate institutions (PUIs) within the United States who teach some combination of biology and computational concepts.- Participants may include faculty in the sciences who use bioinformatics and computational biology tools in their teaching and research, or faculty in computer science / math who use applications to biology in their teaching and research.
- The CompBioPMN is intended for faculty teaching at small or under-resourced institutions. This includes liberal arts schools, community colleges, and small public institutions who primarily serve undergraduates.
- Faculty at all career stage levels (pre-tenure, tenured, and visiting) are encouraged to apply. If there are many applications, early-career (pre-tenure or visiting) faculty and recently-tenured faculty will be prioritized because of the career development training.
Commitment and Compensation
Participants are expected to attend two in-person workshops the summers of 2026 and 2028 (the first will be in Portland, OR in early August 2026). There is no registration fee, lodging and most meals will be covered, and there will be additional funds to cover travel costs for those who need it.
Participants are expected to attend a virtual workshop in summer 2027. They will be given $200 stipends for attending the virtual workshop.
Participants are expected to virtually meet with their Alliance on a monthly basis throughout the academic years 2026/27 and 2027/28. These meetings will continue the network-building and goal-setting efforts from the workshops, and will help provide informal support during the school years.
Finally, participants must complete occasional surveys about the effectiveness and outcomes of the CompBioPMN, clarification or progress on individual career goals, and engagement with educational resources.
How to Apply
Fill out the brief application by TBD for consideration; participants will be notified by TBD.Application Link: TBD
Email Anna at aritz@reed.edu if you have any questions.
Additional Resources and Information
The CompBioPMN is inspired by , a regional peer-to-peer mentoring network for mid-career women STEM faculty and administrators.
Previous workshops for comptuational biology faculty in the liberal arts were held in summer 2023 in Oregon and in .
The BioQUEST offers additional support to share and improve open education resources.
There is a very active Slack workspace, courtesy of April Wright at Southeastern Louisiana University.
aritz-at-reed-dot-edu
Curriculum Vitae 