We are thrilled to announce that nominations are now open for the 2025 ASPBP Awards, celebrating outstanding contributions to STEMM pathway and bridge programs! These awards recognize excellence and commitment across our vibrant community. A total of 6 awards will be given: Outstanding Faculty Research Award (2 awards: Senior & Junior Faculty Designations) - Honors faculty whose rigorous, evidence-based research advances pathways and workforce development in STEMM. Outstanding ASPBP Leadership Award (1 award) - Recognizes exemplary service, mentorship, and leadership that strengthen ASPBP's mission. (Peer-nominated only) Outstanding Program Designations (3 awards: Director, Support Staff/Admin, Community Partner Designations) - Highlights the dedication and impact of those whose work is vital to successful pathway programs. How do I submit? Please follow the link to the submission portal. Please have the following materials ready for self-nominated awards: CV, letter of recommendation, description of the rubric are met by the applicant (max 500 words). For peer-reviewed awards, please have ready: Nominated awardee's information and a description of how the elements of the rubric are met by the applicant you are nominating (max 500 words). What are the review criteria? The full review criteria, including scoring rubrics, are posted for you to review on the membership awards page. Outstanding Faculty Research Award ASPBP Leadership Award Outstanding Program Award Help us recognize the outstanding people and partners who make STEMM pathways thrive! For questions, view the awards info on our website, or please reach out to Brianne Lewis, Chair of the Membership and Member Programming Committee at brianne.lewis@cmich.edu. We look forward to reviewing your nominations! Thank you ASPBP Membership and Member Programming Committee

Submit Your ASPBP Awards Nominations!

The Association of STEMM Pathway and Bridge Programs (ASPBP) would like to invite you to register for the ASPBP 2025 Annual Virtual Conference, to be held October 7-9, 2025. The ASPBP conference provides opportunities to connect with and learn from others who share the same passion for STEMM disciplines. The annual ASPBP conference will provide you with new approaches, ideas, and resources across the pathway programs ecosystem, from K-12 programs to post-bacc and Master's degree programs. Our theme is "Broadening the Path: Connecting Pathways and Building Bridges to Potential."

Click Here for More Info!

By registering for the virtual conference you will gain access to your choice of plenaries, panels, program highlights and innovations, round tables, and networking! Please note that you will need to register and be signed in to view any conference events or materials.

Additional conference details and registration can be found at www.ASPBPconference.org.

Programs in Flux
Wednesday, July 30, 2025

As a reminder, ASPBP is pleased to present its first Poolside Chat, set for Wednesday, July 30, 2025, from 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM EDT! The theme for this ASPBP Poolside Chat is Programs in Flux.

Grab your "swimsuit" and join us for an afternoon of real talk, reflection, and refreshment! This relaxed, come-as-you-are virtual event features four themed discussion tables designed to help you navigate the evolving tides of pathway programs, professional growth, and personal connection.

The Poolside Chat discussion tables will be as follows:

• Table 1: Refresh, Rethink, Repeat: Keeping Programs Afloat
• Table 2: New Shores Ahead: Career Currents & Creative Hustles
• Table 3: Off the Clock & Into the Deep: Escapes, Reads, and Recipes
• Table 4: Annual Conference Jacuzzi - Come on In, the Water is Warm

To download the ASPBP Poolside Chat flyer, click here.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Click Here to Register and Add the Poolside Chat to Your Calendar!

Programs in Flux
Wednesday, July 30, 2025

ASPBP is pleased to present its first Poolside Chat, set for Wednesday, July 30, 2025, from 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM EDT! The theme for this ASPBP Poolside Chat is Programs in Flux.

Grab your "swimsuit" and join us for an afternoon of real talk, reflection, and refreshment! This relaxed, come-as-you-are virtual event features four themed discussion tables designed to help you navigate the evolving tides of pathway programs, professional growth, and personal connection.

The Poolside Chat discussion tables will be as follows:

• Table 1: Refresh, Rethink, Repeat: Keeping Programs Afloat
• Table 2: New Shores Ahead: Career Currents & Creative Hustles
• Table 3: Off the Clock & Into the Deep: Escapes, Reads, and Recipes
• Table 4: Annual Conference Jacuzzi - Come on In, the Water is Warm

To download the ASPBP Poolside Chat flyer, click here.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Click Here to Register and Add the Poolside Chat to Your Calendar!

Deadline: July 13, 2025

We are looking for members who are interested in helping with the review of submissions for the NBME-ASPBP Pathways grants. You may recall that we are collaborating with NBME on this exciting funding mechanism.

We are in need of reviewers for the two types of grant proposals: 20K seed grants and 5K resource grants.

The review period will be from July 28 to September 5, 2025. This is an important task and step forward in advancing the mission of ASPBP. We hope we can count on your participation!

Please take a moment to complete the reviewer sign up form here. The deadline to submit the volunteer form is Sunday, July 13, 2025.

NBME Pathways Program Grants Volunteer Form

The ASPBP May 2025 Webinar, Lab Coats & Listening Ears: Why Community Voices Matter in Research Design and Discovery, will take place at 2 PM EDT on Wednesday, May 28, 2025. The Webinar will be led by Shantoyia (Toy) Jones, of Xavier University of Louisiana, and Shatonda S. Jones, of St. Bonaventure University.

 Shantoyia (Toy) Jones, PhD

Shatonda S. Jones, PhD, MA, CCC-SLP, CBIST (Right)

Shantoyia (Toy) Jones, PhD: Dr. Toy Jones is a tenured- Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology and the Director of Women’s Studies at Xavier University of Louisiana. Dr. Jones holds a PhD in Counseling Psychology with a graduate minor in Multicultural Studies from the University of Kansas. Before her role at Xavier, she worked clinically in university counseling centers, hospitals, and sexual assault response centers with survivors of sex trafficking, survivors of political torture seeking asylum, and directly with community stakeholders mobilizing grassroots efforts. As a counseling psychologist, her research focuses on the discovery of new phenomena and developing interventions that will best serve the needs of Black women and girls and the larger BIPOC community. As a qualitative and mixed methods researcher, she explores the interrelatedness and intersection of the following variables: sexual violence, trauma, IPV/DV, exploitation, identity development, sexual health decision-making, joy, pleasure, and sisterhood. She is the founder and principal investigator of the Social- Justice Participatory Action Research Collective (SPARC) and is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded researcher. Dear to her is her role as a “big sister” to TRUST, a Black woman affinity and activist support space for BIPOC women on Xavier’s campus. Central to her work as an activist-scholar is affirming Black women and girls’ lived experiences as sources of knowledge and developing community interventions that promote the emotional, psychological, and behavioral health of all BIPOC people.

Shatonda S. Jones, PhD, MA, CCC-SLP, CBIST: Dr. Shatonda S. Jones is an Associate Professor and Director of Clinical Education in the Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology Distance Education Program at St. Bonaventure University. Dr. Jones has 20 years of experience as a Speech Language Pathologist and over 15 years of teaching experience in higher education at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels. Dr. Jones specializes in adult and geriatric communication and swallowing disorders with a particular interest in motor speech disorders. Her research focuses on health capacity building in socially marginalized communities, diffusion of health information, cultural and linguistic diversity, innovative educational methods, and ultrasound technology as biofeedback with persons with various dysarthrias. She is a Certified Brain Injury Specialist Trainer (CBIST). She holds a PhD in Therapeutic Science from the University of Kansas, a Master of Arts in Speech-Language Pathology (with an emphasis in medical speech-language pathology) from the University of Iowa, and a Bachelor of Science in speech-language pathology from the University of Tulsa. She will graduate with her Master’s in Pastoral Studies from Loyola University New Orleans in May 2025 and will begin her second research doctorate, a Doctor of Theology (ThD), at Kairos University, in Fall of 2025. Dr. Jones is dedicated to integrating clinical practice, scholarship, spirituality, and advocacy in her work.

2 PM EDT, Wednesday, May 28, 2025 - Lab Coats & Listening Ears: Why Community Voices Matter in Research Design and Discovery Scientific research has the power to drive equity, but only when it centers on the realities of those most often left out of discovery. This session is designed for bench scientists and STEM professionals who may not traditionally work with human populations but are seeking to integrate the values, needs, and lived experiences of historically marginalized communities into their research. Whether you’re studying molecules, genomic sequences, or disease pathways, your work does not exist in a vacuum. Communities shape science and science, in turn, shapes communities. Join Dr. Toy Jones and Dr. Shatonda Jones for an exploration of what it means to approach research ethically, respectfully, and collaboratively, even when working at the cellular or molecular level. We’ll discuss practical strategies for building trust and gaining access to underrepresented populations, how to design research questions that reflect community needs, and the importance of foundational ethical principles like autonomy, justice, beneficence, and respect for persons. Come ready to shift your paradigm from "research on" to "research with," even from the bench. To register for the May Webinar, click here.

Click Here to Register for the May Webinar

Deadline: May 30, 2025

The Association of STEMM Pathway and Bridge Programs (ASPBP) is pleased to announce the call for presentation abstracts for the ASPBP Conference to be held virtually on the Remo digital platform from October 7-9, 2025. The ASPBP Conference provides opportunities to connect with and learn from others, and will provide you with new teaching techniques, ideas and resources.

This year abstract proposals should fit into one of four formats:

• Member-Created Panel Submission
• Research Poster Presentations
• Programs/Highlights/Innovations
• Roundtable Guided Problem-Solving Session
• Individual Panelist Application Form
  (note: this will take you to an external site)

We will also be offering panel discussions in both traditional and non-traditional formats. If you have interest in participating in a panel discussion but do not have a panel in which to participate, please click HERE to learn more and apply as an individual panelist!

Due to the virtual format, we encourage you to research innovative ways to virtually engage participants. Collaborative submissions are encouraged!

All abstract submissions will undergo peer review using the following criteria: clarity of the proposal, the quality of content in the proposal, and interest to the ASPBP community. Potential presenters are encouraged to illustrate the innovative nature and/or timeliness of the content to be presented.

Abstract submission deadline: May 30, 2025 (11:59pm Eastern)
Author notifications will be sent in August

Please click here to submit your abstract.

Thank you,
ASPBP

Submit Your Abstract Here

ASPBP will host an informational session on "Pathway Grant Letter of Intent and Application," and will take place on Monday, April 14, 2025, at 12:00 PM EDT. 

Joanne King, with NBME, along with the ASPBP Research and Scholarship Committee, will be presenting on the upcoming Request for Grant Applications.

For more information on this funding opportunity, click here.

Monday, April 14, 2025
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM EDT
To register for the Zoom session, click here.

Register for this Zoom Session!

NBME has a long history of contributing to the medical education and assessment communities with the goal of improving patient care through quality assessment of medical professionals. To further build on our contributions and our commitment to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the medical and assessment professions, we are providing resources to assist programs and building collaborations that aid learners with education, mentorship and resources at a crucial time in their development. We hope to help programs develop and utilize best practices to drive positive changes in medical education in the long term and support the Association of STEMM Bridge and Pathway Programs (ASPBP) in developing a pathway program community of practice. To that end, in 2024, NBME collaborated with ASPBP to establish 13 grants totaling $350,000 to institutions and other nonprofit organizations implementing pathway programs. 

As we continue our support of pathways to medicine, NBME and ASPBP are initiating another call for applications in 2025 to continue to investigate the effectiveness of strategies that increase the representation of individuals in the medical profession. These grants are intended to support pathway programs across the entire educational continuum. Community-based, elementary to high school and higher education programs are invited to submit applications that focus on evaluating the evidence for success of a particular educational or programmatic intervention strategy. 

There are two different funding opportunities: 

• SEED Grants: One-time grants of up to $20,000 for programs wanting to develop the foundation for rational design of an intervention strategy or strategies.
• Material and Resource Grants: One-time grants of up to $55,000 for programs wanting to improve their curriculum with needed educational resources such as learning management software, student data management software, educational or learning software.

Eligibility to apply includes not-for-profit organizations and programs or their fiscal sponsors and not-for-profit institutions. 

Initial letters of intent are due by April 28, 2025. After reviewing Letters of Intent, NBME will invite full proposals in early July. Full proposal applications are due by July 21, 2025.

Interested applicants can learn more about the requirements and how to apply at https://www.nbme.org/contributions/pathway-program-grants. 

NBME contributes to the medical education and assessment communities with the goal of improving patient care through quality assessment of medical professionals, supporting the development of a diverse and compassionate health care workforce. To achieve this goal, NBME – in collaboration with the Association of STEMM Pathway and Bridge Programs (ASPBP) – awarded a total of $350,000 in grants to programs that investigate the effectiveness of strategies that increase the representation of individuals in the medical profession.

By providing resources to assist programs and building collaborations that aid learners with education, mentorship and resources at a crucial time in their development, we hope to help programs develop and utilize best practices to drive positive changes in medical education in the long term and support ASPBP in developing a pathway program community of practice.

These grants support pathway programs across the entire educational continuum. Community-based, elementary to high school and higher education programs were invited to submit applications that focus on evaluating the evidence for success of a particular educational or programmatic intervention strategy. NBME plans to announce the 2025 grant cycle in March.

The awarded grants are listed below and include multi-year grants ranging from $25,000 - $100,000- and single-year grants for $20,000 and $5,000 respectively.

Multi-Year Grant - $100,000 per year for three years

• University of California San Diego School of Medicine

Multi-Year Grant - $50,000 per year for three years

• University of Washington School of Medicine's Center for Workforce Inclusion and Healthcare System Equity (WIHSE)

Multi-Year Grant - $25,000 per year for three years

• University of South Carolina School of Medicine
• Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University

Seed Grants - $20,000

• Central Michigan University College of Medicine
• Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM)
  
• Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine and Bound Together
  

• Long School of Medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio

• National Council of Asian Pacific Islander Physicians

• Arkansas Colleges of Health Education

• UMass Chan Medical School - Lahey Hospital and Medical Center

Material and Resource Grants - $5,000

• Health Professional Student Association
• Texas A&M University Health Science Center