Harvard Medical School Fellowship in Pharmaceutical Policy Research
at the Department of Population Medicine of
Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute
Request for Applications
General Information
The Department of Population Medicine (DPM) at Harvard Medical School and the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute is accepting applications on a rolling basis for a one-year non funded Fellowship in Pharmaceutical Policy Research. The fellowship trains individuals to produce rigorous research to inform pharmaceutical policy decision making in the United States and internationally. Research areas include (but are not limited to) access to, quality, and outcomes of care; effects of health care policies and other interventions on access to, affordability, and use of medicines; and ethics underlying policy decision making.
Fellows conduct research projects with one-on-one mentorship by a senior faculty member and guidance of other well-established investigators in the Division of Health Policy and Insurance Research (HPI) at the DPM. A list of past and current fellows can be found here.
Fellows receive workspace, computing facilities, and access to libraries and other resources of Harvard University during the fellowship year. Fellows attend the biweekly Division of Health Policy and Insurance (HPI) Seminar. In addition, fellows present their research in the DPM, may have opportunities for presenting at national/international meetings, and may attend selected advanced methods training courses and seminars at various schools within Harvard University.
Eligibility
Typical applicants hold clinical doctorates (MD, PharmD, or equivalent) with additional research training or experience; PhD or equivalent degrees; or are PhD candidates who have completed their course work and qualifying examinations.
Review Criteria and Selection
A committee of DPM faculty will evaluate FPPR applications. Applicants will be selected based on their commitment to pharmaceutical policy research in the United States or elsewhere and the quality and feasibility of their proposed fellowship research project. Proposed fellowship research projects may consist of analyses of data that are available to the applicant or may use data available at the DPM. Research topics may include (but are not limited to) effects of government and institutional policies on access to, cost, affordability, and use of medicines, in general and for specific diagnoses or populations. Research projects that make use of the unique strengths of the fellowship in longitudinal policy analysis are particularly welcome.
Fellowship Funding
At this time, no funds are available from the Fellowship program. Interested applicants need to identify and obtain funding from external sources for their living expenses, health insurance, and, where applicable, relocation costs (for information about costs of living in Boston, please see here). Fellowship faculty will support applications for funding by accepted applicants to external sponsors.
Application Materials
A complete application consists of the following:
- an up-to-date curriculum vitae; this should include standard information such as education, positions held, relevant research experiences, awards, funding, and a publication list if applicable. Please define clearly your current status with respect to PhD, MD and/or postdoctoral training
- a cover letter statement describing your rationale and goals for the Fellowship and how it would contribute to your longer-term career; the cover letter should include information on plans for funding the fellowship
- a proposal for a Fellowship research project (1,000 words or less)
- one writing sample (e.g., report, unpublished manuscript, published paper, etc.) that demonstrates the applicant's interest in pharmaceutical policy
- one letter of reference from a person who is familiar with your professional and academic qualifications to be sent directly to the Pharmaceutical Policy Research Fellowship Program office electronically
Applications are reviewed as they are received. Fellowship start dates are flexible.
Please submit application materials electronically to FPPR@hphc.org
Applicants will be notified of their application being received. For further information, please contact Caitlin Lutpon at caitlin_lupton@hphc.org or by phone at
+1 617 867-4877