Details and Frequently Asked Questions

The Co-Directors of INSPIRE are Dr. Martha Soto, PI of the INSPIRE grant and Professor of the Department of Pathology and Dr. Gary A. Brewer, co-PI of INSPIRE and Professor of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.  Dr. Soto was Director of the Postdoctoral Career Development Program of RWJMS from 2010 to 2017, when in 2017 she helped Rutgers launch the campus-wide Rutgers Office of Postdoctoral Affairs.  Dr. Soto is also the Founder and Faculty Advisor for the BIO Links (Biosciences Links to Teaching) K-12 Outreach Program.  In Bio Links, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows at RWJMS and Rutgers partner with local middle school and high school science teachers, serving diverse student populations.

Dr. Patricia Irizarry-Barreto background is in Molecular Biology in mRNA degradation. As an NSF-GK-12 fellow she developed skills in science communication and student development with expertise in Higher Education outreach programs. She has been recognize for Innovation in Teaching and Learning and Team Work in 2016 and 2020.  


The program coordinators at our 3 MSI partner schools are:

Dr. Emily Monroe, Assistant Professor at William Paterson University;

Dr. Cindy Arrigo, Associate Professor at New Jersey City University;

Dr. Edward J. Catapane, Professor at Medgar Evers College-CUNY.

Faculty and program coordinators from these schools play an integral role in the educational training and professional development of our INSPIRE Fellows.

Our Fellows' Research Mentors are faculty members across 3 Rutgers campuses (New Brunswick, Piscataway and Newark) whose lab research is in the biomedical fields (broadly defined, basic research only, non-clinical).

Frequently Asked Questions

Why should I choose INSPIRE?
Who is eligible to apply?
Do I need to have prior teaching experience to apply?
Are fellowships only open to members of underrepresented groups?
Prior to applying, do I need to have a research mentor identified?
How often does the program meet?
What is the INSPIRE fellow salary?
What do I need to prepare if I am invited for an interview?
Are there any additional funds provided by the program?
Can I apply if I am already a postdoc at Rutgers?
What are the teaching requirements for the program?
Who can I choose for my research mentor?