AIM-AHEAD Research Fellowship Cohort 4 - Call for Mentors

The AIM-AHEAD Research Fellowship Mentoring Program is recruiting mentors for Cohort 4 fellows. This program will engage a group of early-career researchers to actively participate in biomedical research that involves the use of AI/ML methodologies on biomedical research data, clinical and genomic cohorts to address health research in AI/ML algorithms or data.

This fellowship supports 24 early-career researchers (graduate students, postdocs, junior faculty, and others conducting research outside of an academic institution, within 10 years of completing their highest degree) in implementations of novel and innovative data science and data-focused research problems. The proposed research project must focus on AIM-AHEAD North Star (III): Use AI/ML to improve behavioral health, cardiometabolic health and cancer outcomes for all. The Research Fellowship Cohort 4 program is from Oct 1, 2025 - Sept 30, 2026.

Fellows will select an experienced, skilled mentor from the AIM-AHEAD Consortium to provide support and field expertise in the fellow’s health research. The mentor should have expertise in AI/ML and health research, be an active investigator in the proposed research area, be committed to the career development of the fellow, direct supervision of the fellow’s research, and serve as role models.

We will use the online mentoring platform AIM-AHEAD Connect https://connect.aim-ahead.net to match mentors with awarded fellows.

Mentors will provide mentorship for 1 research fellow and are compensated through a subaward amount of $10,000 + 8% Indirect Costs from the University of North Texas Health Science Center (UNT Health). Mentors will be chosen from a pool of AIM-AHEAD Research Fellowship Mentor applicants. The AIM-AHEAD Research Fellowship Call for Mentors will be open from Oct 10, 2025, - Oct 24, 2025.

Expectations for AIM-AHEAD Mentors:

REGULATORY

• Mentors will submit an IRB application at their organization, receive an IRB Determination Letter (approval, exempt or not human subjects), and have their organization sign off on a Data Use Agreement.
• Mentors are expected to submit an IRB Protocol/application to their institution and send the Project Manager/Project Coordinator the IRB Letter of Determination if needed in order to provide mentorship on the Fellow’s research projects.
• Mentors will complete all regulatory requirements to assist with the Fellow 's research project.

PARTICIPATION

• Mentors will join all necessary platforms needed for the Research Fellowship (e.g. Canvas, SWB, AIM-AHEAD Connect, etc.).
• Mentors will devote time and effort to the mentorship of their assigned Fellow.
• Mentors will be active for the entire program, including submission of action actions (e.g., progress reports), and communication with the Fellow and administrative staff.
• Mentors will facilitate access to expertise to conduct the work.
• Mentors will provide Fellows with field expertise and advice.
• Mentors will provide technical support.
• Mentors will attend mandatory monthly Research Fellowship Meetings and monthly mentor’s check-in.
• Mentors will attend monthly check-in with their Fellow for research progress and review their research.
• Mentors will communicate monthly with the Fellow and Organizational Mentors (if any) via Zoom, Teams Video, etc.
• Mentors will have weekly communication with their Fellow.
• AIM-AHEAD Mentors will receive a subcontract payment up to $10,000 + 8% Indirect Costs as allowed by their organization's policy.

AIM-AHEAD Mentor Goals and Objectives:

Administrative Milestone 1

Deliverable 3.1: Onboarding 25 AIM-AHEAD Mentors

Task 1: Creating AIM-AHEAD Connect account
Task 2: Complete Mentor Expertise Self-Assessment Form
Task 3: Accepting subaward, signing SOI, and payment 

Deliverable 3.2: AIM-AHEAD Mentors activities with fellows

Task 1: Monthly check-in meeting with fellows
Task 2: Create a research plan with fellow
Task 3: Collaborate and review fellow’s research, and provide research expertise 

Deliverable 3.3: Research Fellowship activities

Task 1: Attend monthly research fellowship meeting, and AIM-AHEAD Mentor Check-Ins 
Task 2: Submit monthly progress report 
Task 3: Attend AIM-AHEAD Annual Meeting 

Terms and Conditions for AIM-AHEAD Mentors:

The Terms and Conditions will include the benefits and responsibilities that the mentors agree to when they accept the AIM-AHEAD mentor role.

• Mentors should have Ph.D., MD or equivalent qualification (such as PharmD., DNP, or Dr.PH) or very strong expertise in (AI/ML or statistical analysis or EHR analysis expertise) and/or clinical, lifestyle factors and related social variables expertise.
• Mentors must be U.S. Citizens, Permanent Residents, or Non-Citizen Nationals.
• Mentors should be associated with an organization (educational institution, private sector, community organization, etc.). Mentors cannot be individuals without an organizational affiliation.
• Mentors must be able to receive a subaward through their organization for their participation. Awards will be made as a subaward between the mentor’s organization and UNT Health.
• Mentors will have no conflict of interest (COI) with AIM-AHEAD. A conflict of interest would be individuals who are AIM-AHEAD Research Fellowship Stakeholders, and current individuals who work with AIM-AHEAD Coordinating Center for the Research Fellowship.
• AIM-AHEAD Coordinating Center members selected as AIM-AHEAD Mentors should consult with their institutions about COI and acceptance of payment. Mentors must be in good standing with their organization.
• AIM-AHEAD Mentors and their assigned Fellows CANNOT be from the same organization.
• Mentors will adhere to AIM-AHEAD Coordinating Center policies, subaward terms and conditions,, and these terms and conditions.
• Mentors may participate as a mentor in only ONE AIM-AHEAD training program at a given same time.
• AIM-AHEAD-funded Coordinating Center Personnel or AIM-AHEAD-funded Awardees (MPIs, PIs, Co-Investigators, trainees, other personnel) are eligible to apply, but if accepted, they will not receive the payment.
• AIM-AHEAD MPIs can participate as AIM-AHEAD mentors but will NOT receive the mentor’s subcontract payment per NIH requirements.

AIM-AHEAD MENTORS SUBAWARD PAYMENT 

Fellows will be matched with Mentors who have expertise in AI/ML and health research. Both fellows and mentors will be required to participate in select training activities and follow best mentoring practices. 
The mentor subaward will enable the AIM-AHEAD Mentor to commit time and effort toward mentorship of the fellow, facilitate access to expertise to conduct the work, attend monthly check-ins with the fellow for research progress and review the fellow's monthly progress report, provide the Fellow with field expertise and advice, communicate regularly with the Fellow, and assign the Fellow goals and tasks. This subaward amount is $10,000 + 8% Indirect Costs.

Purpose of Subaward 

• Establishes an agreement between the Fellow’s organization and UNT Health, the AIM-AHEAD Coordinating Center.
• Enables necessary compliance activities such as IRB approval and Data Use Agreement (DUA) execution.
• Supports allowable project costs including salary, travel, training, publication, and conference fees. 
  

Next Steps

• Mentors will be given one week to accept or decline the mentorship opportunity. 
  
• If accepted, the AIM-AHEAD Mentor will receive a subaward through their organization with the subaward amount from UNT Health.

HOW TO APPLY:

1. Log in or create an account with AIM-AHEAD Connect as a Mentor at https://connect.aim-ahead.net/. (Please note: Your role MUST be listed as a Mentor to access the questionnaire and can be updated from the Settings>My Profile page once logged in.) 
2. Go to the Research Fellowship Cohort 4 Program page (this page) and click the “Apply to become an AIM-AHEAD Research Fellowship Mentor” button to complete your Mentor Questionnaire. 
3. Complete the self-assessment questionnaire and click Submit. 
4. You have now completed your application to be a mentor for an AIM-AHEAD research fellow. If you are selected, you will receive an email from AIM-AHEAD Connect indicating that a fellow has requested mentorship from you. All selected mentors should be notified by November 15, 2025. Please make sure to check your Junk/Spam folder during this time. 

Deadline to Apply: Oct 24, 2025 — 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time

Questions:

Questions regarding the Fellows Program may be directed to the Research Fellowship Helpdesk.

• AIM-AHEAD Research Fellowship Program PI: Dr. Jamboor Vishwanatha, PhD
• Program Director: Dr. Paul Avillach, MD, PhD
• Co-Director: Wyatt Bensken, PhD
• Co-Director: Jennifer Bagdasarian, PhD
• Program Admin: Kim Huynh, MPH