AHRQ NRSA application period open from Sheps

The Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research is pleased to continue to support pre- and postdoctoral fellowships in health services research and comparative effectiveness research. This training program has now been in place for over 29 years.

For the 2018-2019 academic year, Sheps expects to offer 2 new predoctoral positions and 4 new postdoctoral positions, with an average duration of two years. Postdoctoral positions should be anticipated to have completed either a Ph.D. or a clinical doctorate such as an MD, DDS or PharmD by July or August of 2018. Sheps continues to be interested in supporting all aspects of health services research, including comparative effectiveness/patient-centered outcomes research.

The training grant is currently up for renewal, and while Sheps is optimistic about prospects for continued support, they may not have a clear indication of status until early 2018. However, they would like to continue to recruit the most qualified applicants interested in careers in interdisciplinary health services research.

The core faculty of the program includes Mark Holmes (Director), Kathleen Thomas (Associate Director), Tim Carey, Barbara Mark, Betsy Sleath, Til Stürmer, and Morris Weinberger. Fellows receive instruction in responsible conduct of research, intensive weekly seminars and work-in-progress sessions on health services research, and intensive mentoring on individualized research projects. Predoctoral fellows may take on limited additional responsibilities as graduate research or teaching assistants, but they are expected to concentrate most of their efforts on completing their dissertations. Most postdoctoral fellows work closely with projects through the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, but of course, fellows may also work on other projects around the University.

Details regarding the program and application process are available online through the Sheps Center's website at shepscenter.unc.edu/fellowships/nrsa-fellowships.

Note that predoctoral candidates generally are on track to complete their dissertation by the end of the two-year predoctoral fellowship. In order to do this, applicants should expect to have completed their comprehensives around the time they enter the program in the summer of 2018. Predoctoral applicants may submit applications through the Sheps website and postdoctoral applicants need to submit their applications through the UNC HR system, which is linked from the Sheps website.

The Sheps Center and AHRQ have a strong commitment to the training of fellows from underrepresented minority groups, and appreciate your help in identifying potential candidates and encouraging them to apply. Feel free to share this announcement with appropriate students in your department. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is an Equal Opportunity Employer.