Nominations Open for INTREPID Program for URiM Ophthalmologists and Vision Scientists

The National Medical Association (NMA) and Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology (AUPO) are pleased to solicit applications for the next cohort of the INTREPID Program (INvesting, TRaining, Equipping and Promoting Individuals for Distinction in ophthalmology). As a partnership between NMA and AUPO, the INTREPID program is a highly interactive year-long, seminar-based program that provides under-represented in medicine (URiM) faculty members a tailored professional development opportunity to learn foundational knowledge and skills that will enable them to achieve career goals, advance, and thrive as a successful leader in academic medicine and science.

American Association of Medical Colleges definition of URiM: aamc.org/what-we-do/equity-diversity-inclusion/underrepresented-in-medicine

The program will provide a foundation for modeling leadership behavior, and strategies to secure academic promotion and advancement. Program activities will focus on expanding an attendee’s network of colleagues through the facilitation of activities with peers and faculty mentors, professional career coaching, skill-building workshops, and interactions with individual mentors and sponsors.

The INTREPID program is designed for any URiM ophthalmologist and/or vision scientist with an appointment at an Association of University Professors in Ophthalmology (AUPO) member academic ophthalmology training department as an instructor, assistant, or associate professor. This includes faculty members on any professional track - such as tenure, clinician/educator, or clinical tracks.

The program includes planned sessions at three national meetings:

• The National Medical Association annual meeting in Chicago, IL from July 18-20, 2025.
• The American Academy of Ophthalmology annual meeting in Orlando, FL from October 17–20, 2025.
• The AUPO annual meeting in San Diego, CA from February 4–7, 2026.

The program will also provide several 75–90-minute virtual sessions, in addition to individualized meetings with both professional career and cultural resilience coaches.

Accepted faculty members should be able to commit to full attendance of all sessions. Faculty should confirm support for the time commitment for participation in the program with their department chair/division chief. The INTREPID program will partially subsidize portions of travel, accommodation, and registration for the selected participants.

Please submit your application materials (statement of interest, curriculum vitae, completed application form) for the program by March 5, 2025. Notification of acceptance will be sent in late March.