Emerging Scholars Program

Applications for 2026-2027 due October 2, 2026

APPLY HERE

Overview

The Emerging Scholars Exchange Program is designed to provide career development opportunities for UCSF early career faculty via invited presentations at prestigious peer universities. Through the Exchange Program, early career faculty will have the opportunity to develop relationships with potential research collaborators, mentors, and sponsors; hone their oral presentation skills; and bolster their CVs as they prepare for promotion.

“Being an Emerging Scholar provided an invaluable opportunity to showcase my research, build my national reputation, and connect with investigators beyond my home institution. The program also sparked new relationships and collaborations with colleagues at the University of Michigan that have continued to enrich my work."

Lauren Hunt, RN, PhD, FNPP, 2023-2024, IHPS Emerging Scholar

“The Emerging Scholars Exchange Program provided me with an experience rarely afforded to junior faculty - the opportunity to engage in substantive discussions about my research, meet potential collaborators, and hear new ideas from faculty outside my home institution. The program has had lasting effects on my research and my career.” 

Grace Lin, MD, 2017-2018 IHPS Emerging Scholar

Program Components

Two Emerging Scholars from UCSF will be selected to give a presentation at one of our partner institutions: the University of Pennsylvania Leonard Davis Institute (LDI) and the University of Michigan Institute for Healthcare Policy & Innovation (IHPI). In exchange, a scholar from each of these universities will be selected to present at UCSF.

Application Requirements  

ELIGIBLE FACULTY: 

• UCSF early career faculty*, typically within the first two to four years as assistant
• Have a robust health services research portfolio to discuss, but have not yet submitted a promotion packet
• Be core or affiliated faculty with IHPS - self-nomination to affiliate form here. (Self-nomination form must be completed prior to submission if not currently IHPS-affiliated faculty).

* Emerging scholar exchange candidates must be assistant professor in any faculty series. Preference will be given to applicants who have not already had multiple invited speaking opportunities at other universities, as well as to core IHPS faculty.

Applications are welcome for all individuals who meet academic, professional, and interest criteria. The Emerging Scholar Exchange Program Selection Committee does not use race, gender, sex, or other protected categories or proxies for protected categories in the selection process.

Completed application includes:

1. Academic Title

2. School

3. Academic Department

4. Please list the month and year that you will plan to submit your promotion packet, if known.

5. If selected as an Emerging Scholar, agreement to serve on the IHPS Emerging Scholar selection committee for a minimum of one year.

8. Statement of interest (no more than 500 words) from the applicant describing why they want to be an Emerging Scholar, and why this opportunity is important for their professional development.

9. 2-3 proposed presentation titles including a brief description of each.

10. List of no more than 10 faculty from each peer institution (Penn LDI and MI-IHPI) that the applicant would like to meet with during their visit if selected; including reasons why.  You can find University of Pennsylvania and University of Michigan faculty at the links here:

• UM IHPI
• PENN LDI

11. CV (UCSF format preferred)

Selection Process

Applicants go through a two-stage selection and matching process. In the first stage, a UCSF selection committee reviews all applications and selects four potential speakers. This shortlist is then sent to the partner institutions — the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Michigan's IHPI — which each rank the four scholars in order of preference for an invited lecture. Based on these rankings, IHPS matches two of the four scholars with one of the two partner institutions.

Selected Scholars will be notified by November 30, 2026. Presentations take place between February - May, 2027. All travel expenses will be covered by the hosting institutions; there will be NO honoraria provided for speakers.

Applicants will be reviewed on the following criteria:

· Quality/robustness of health services research portfolio

· Novelty of proposed presentation ideas

· Case for why this opportunity is important for their professional development

· Fit between proposed work and hosting institutions

· Balance of disciplines across scholars

Please send any questions to Grace Lin (grace.lin@ucsf.edu) or Beth Thew: (beth.thew@ucsf.edu). 

Previous Emerging Scholars

2026 Emerging Scholars

Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies, UCSF Scholars selected:

Emily Mrig, PhD, visiting University of Pennsylvania, Leonard Davis Institute

Jennifer Yarger, PhD, visiting University of Michigan, Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation

Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies hosted:

Adam Horwitz, PhD, visiting from the University of Michigan, Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation

Austin Kilaru, MD, MSHP, visiting from the University of Pennsylvania, Leonard Davis Institute

2025 Emerging Scholars

Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies, UCSF Scholars selected:

Michelle Nakphong, PhD visited University of Pennsylvania, Leonard Davis Institute

Andrew Chou, MD visited University of Michigan, Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation

Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies hosted:

Thuy Nguyen, PhD visited from the University of Michigan, Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation

Sameed Khatana, MD visited from the University of Pennsylvania, Leonard Davis Institute

2024 Emerging Scholars

Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies, UCSF Scholars selected:

Lauren Hunt, RN, PhD, FNPP visited University of Michigan, Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation

Anthony DiGiorgio, DO visited University of Pennsylvania, Leonard Davis Institute

Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies hosted:

Daniel Whibley, PT,  from the University of Michigan, Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation

Charlotte Woods-Hill MD, MSHP from the University of Pennsylvania, Leonard Davis Institute

2023 Emerging Scholars

Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies, UCSF Scholars selected:

Sharad Wadhwani, MD visited University of Michigan, Intitute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation

Erica Farrand, MD visited University of Pennsylvania, Leonard Davis Institute

Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies hosted:

Lauren Gerlach, MD,  from the University of Michigan, Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation

Joanna Hart MD, MSHP from the University of Pennsylvania, Leonard Davis Institute

2022 Emerging Scholars

Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies, UCSF Scholars selected:

Tasce Bongiovanni, MD, MPP visited University of Michigan, Intitute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation

Elaine Khoong, MD, MS visited University of Pennsylvania, Leonard Davis Institute

Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies hosted:

Elham Mahmoudi, PhD from the University of Michigan, Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation

Paula Chatterjee, MD, MPH from the University of Pennsylvania, Leonard Davis Institute