In 2015, CARAS began a mentoring program to help connect students and early career professionals working with and/or researching alternative sexualities with more experienced researchers, faculty, and professionals. The goal of the program is to encourage the full development of the next generation of scholars and researchers addressing alternative sexualities communities, relationships, and family structures, and to help prepare professionals in health and other fields serve the needs of members of alternative sexualities communities.

The CARAS Mentoring Program involves a one-on-one mentoring relationship. The program matches students and early-career professionals in academic, research, counseling, and other alternative-sexualities related career paths with more advanced scholars and professionals. The mentoring program has also matched community members engaged in scholarly or professional projects (e.g., public health initiatives) that would benefit from a mentoring relationship. Mentors and mentees commit to talking at least once a month by video conference, phone, or email during the duration of the mentoring program. The Mentoring Program has an annual eight-month cycle from March-October.

Beginning in 2025, the Mentoring Program also offers internship opportunities with a CARAS human subjects research study. This is an alternative to a one-on-one mentoring relationship, in which the mentee joins an active, IRB approved human subjects research study as a Research Associate, and participates as a member of the project team. This is a formal appointment that entails additional expectations such as completion of research ethics training and regular attendance at study staff meetings. An appointment as a CARAS Research Associate is through the end of the calendar year, and may be extended.

Applications for the 2026 Mentoring Cohort are open!

Please visit: https://www.carasresearch.org/2026-mentoring-cohort

For current information, please visit https://carasresearch.org/mentoring (this page) and/or contact mentoring@carasresearch.org.

Please join the CARAS Announce List for updates about the CARAS Mentoring Program and other CARAS activities!