The Philip R. Lee (PRL) Health Policy Fellowship provides post-doctoral training for highly-qualified individuals with a PhD in the social and behavioral sciences, public health, public policy, and related fields, or clinician-researchers with masters or doctoral research training in those fields. 

Based at the UCSF Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies (IHPS), the PRL Fellowship aims to prepare the next generation to accomplish high-impact health services and policy research.

Clinician candidates may be considered for joint appointment with the National Clinician Scholars Program (NCSP) at UCSF but must apply directly to the NCSP by July 15 and indicate in the NCSP application that they are interested in a joint appointment. Applicants interested in a joint appointment must follow the specific instructions below. Clinician candidates do not need to apply for a joint appointment to be considered for the PRL Fellowship.

Applications for the PRL Fellowship are open now. See below for deadlines and the application process.

The Fellowship:

We emphasize tangible research goals

UCSF is a health sciences campus with a mission of advancing health worldwide through its schools of medicine, nursing, dentistry, and pharmacy. IHPS emphasizes team-based, interdisciplinary research that impacts policy and practice. Fellows receive mentorship and feedback from health policy faculty at IHPS and participate in joint training activities with UCSF clinical fellows developing clinician-investigator careers. Fellows advance and develop their own research agendas within this dynamic environment of didactics and practice. 

We are committed to excellence in teaching and mentoring

Studies show that the strongest predictor of success during fellowship is a dedicated research mentor. Mentorship is available from IHPS faculty and throughout UCSF. IHPS’s more than 160 affiliated faculty are found within all 4 professional schools within UCSF and have a wide variety of areas of expertise. The fields in which we have particularly deep expertise include gender and reproductive health, children’s and adolescent health, care of aging populations, social and industrial determinants of health, health workforce, substance use and mental health, and digital health. Our faculty use many methods in their research including survey research, analyses of administrative data such as Medicare/Medicaid, qualitative studies, studies using electronic health records, community-embedded research, and implementation science.

We believe that the single most important aspect of a health policy fellowship is the experience of designing and conducting research projects under the guidance of a dedicated and outstanding mentor. We begin the process of identifying suitable research mentors for each candidate during the application and interview process and make every effort to connect each candidate with a variety of faculty members with similar interests and expertise. We place great emphasis on finding a good match between the fellow and the mentor that includes a common research interest as well as a complementary style that will foster the most productive working relationship.

Works in Progress and Seminars

Our works-in-progress (WIP) seminars provide an opportunity for fellows to present their research and progress to their peers and an interdisciplinary group of faculty in a supportive environment. These sessions allow fellows to both learn from and teach their peers, and the environment is relaxed and open; all types and levels of questions are encouraged. Fellows may join weekly WIPS hosted by the UCSF National Clinical Scholars Program and twice-monthly WIPs hosted by IHPS faculty.

PRL fellows also join seminar series focused on career development, How to Influence Policy, and IHPS Grand Rounds.

Compensation

The PRL Fellowship is supported by a National Research Service Award (NRSA) Institutional Training Grant from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Fellow stipends conform with UCSF's guidelines for post-doctoral scholar compensation. The fellowship also provides support for program-related travel and career development activities.

Application Process: 

Deadline: October 31, 2024 for full consideration

We anticipate appointing one new fellow to start in July 2025.  First-round interviews will be conducted in November and December.

The deadline for full consideration is October 31, 2024. Applicants interested in a joint appointment with the UCSF National Clinician Scholars Program must apply directly to NCSP by July 15, 2024, and also apply to the PRL Fellowship per the instructions below. No applications for the PRL Fellowship will be accepted after December 31, 2024.

Qualifications

• Applicants must have a doctorate (e.g. PhD, ScD)
  • Professional doctorates (MD, JD, PharmD, etc) must have an additional research-based master’s degree (MPH, MS, etc)
• All terminal research degrees must be awarded and visible on transcripts by June 1, 2025. 
• Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents

Application

Applicants should send the following materials to Audrey Durazzo (audrey.durazzo@ucsf.edu).

• Current CV
• A 2 page statement of interest that describes your past work in health policy and health services research, your career goals, why you think the PRL Health Policy Fellowship will advance your career, and some faculty who are potential mentors.
  • Applicants interested in a joint appointment with the National Clinician Scholars Program should include in this statement an explanation of their joint interest and identification of potential mentors among IHPS faculty.
  • National Clinician Scholars Program applicants must submit a copy of their NCSP application by the NCSP deadline of July 15, 2024.
• Writing samples and letters from, or contact information for, references will be requested from finalist candidates.

Selected candidates will be invited for interviews (via Zoom). Prospective candidates will meet with the fellowship director, potential IHPS faculty mentor(s), current fellow(s), and other members of the Fellowship search committee. The directors and current fellows will be more than happy to discuss questions before or after the interview day.

Please direct any questions to IHPS Director Joanne Spetz.