Overview
The Junior Faculty Mentoring Program (JFMP) is a program of the American Finance Association, organized jointly with AFFECT (the AFA’s Academic Female Finance Committee), that provides mentorship, research feedback, and professional development to junior faculty in finance.
The program connects early-career finance scholars with senior faculty mentors working in their research areas. Each mentor is paired with three mentees and leads three 90-minute small-group research sessions during a one-day workshop held the day before the AFA Annual Meeting each January. Sessions cover research development, publishing strategy, tenure navigation, and the broader challenges of an academic career in finance. The day also includes a structured networking workshop led by an external expert in professional communication and relationship-building.
The JFMP held its inaugural workshop on January 2, 2026, in Philadelphia. For the 2025–26 cycle, the program received 135 applications from junior faculty at 116 institutions and selected 42 mentees to work with 14 senior mentors. The 2027 workshop is planned for January 2, 2027, in Washington, DC.
Beyond the workshop itself, participants join an ongoing cohort network that continues after the meeting – a peer community among fellow mentees that extends the program’s benefits into the broader arc of their careers.
The program is governed by a board of 10 senior finance faculty members, co-chaired by Michael Ewens (Columbia University) and Audra Boone (Colorado State University).
Partnership with AFFECT
JFMP is co-organized by the AFA and AFFECT, the AFA’s Academic Female Finance Committee. The partnership reflects a shared commitment to broadening participation in academic finance and supporting junior scholars whose career trajectories benefit from access to senior mentors and a peer cohort.