Fellowship in Health Policy and Insurance Research

HPI fellows develop and lead projects with HPI faculty who provide intense one-on-one mentorship. 

HPI Research areas include: 

• population-level system and policy research focused on cancers, diabetes, mental illness, and cardiovascular diseases
• pharmaceutical policy research on opioid use, highly-priced specialty medicines, and medicines in low and middle-income country health systems
• health care delivery science focused on interventions to improve value
• health insurance policy research focused on impacts of high-deductible health plans, value-based insurance designs, innovative provider payment models, health reform strategies such as health insurance exchanges, and children and families, especially those with chronic conditions
• policy research methods advances in decision analysis, longitudinal quasi-experimental designs, and in the efficient and rigorous use of claims and other routinely collected data for policy research

Fellows can take full advantage of our unique setting: outstanding training resources at Harvard University, access to large researchable claims and clinical databases through Institute-led initiatives, and opportunities to understand real-life policy decision making in a premier U.S. health plan. Fellows also attend a seminar series in which they present their work and interact with leading researchers and policymakers on domestic and international health and insurance policy issues.

Fellows may also be interested in collaborative research projects with the Betsy Lehman Center, a non-regulatory agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts whose mission is to improve the safety and quality of health care. Such research could be conducted in large claims, hospital, and survey databases to which the Center has access.

Fellows have researched wide-ranging topics including care-seeking behavior in urban slums in Bangkok, impacts of universal health coverage in Thailand, effects of pay-for-performance policy in the U.K., and effects on access to care and health outcomes of various policies and programs (prior authorization, high deductible health insurance, prescription drug monitoring programs) in the U.S.

Fellows have received support from the Harvard University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the Commonwealth Fund’s Harkness Fellowship, the Fulbright Program, and multiple other U.S. and international fellowship funds.

Upon completion of the fellowship, fellows early in their careers have secured faculty positions at major universities or positions in industry. Mid-career professionals have used the fellowship experience to advance in academic, care delivery, payer, and other leadership positions.

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, including statistics and epidemiology courses or equivalent, and qualifying examinations. We encourage prospective applicants to send an informal inquiry about their interest in the fellowship to the Fellowship Administrator.

Applications are reviewed as they are received. Fellowship start dates are flexible.

A committee of HPI faculty evaluate fellowship applications. Applicants are selected based on their commitment to health policy research in the United States or elsewhere and the quality and feasibility of their proposed fellowship research project. Prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to contact HPI faculty members conducting research of interest to the applicant as proposed fellowship research projects should take advantage of ongoing funded research projects and the rich data resources developed for those. Among others, research projects that make use of the unique strengths of HPI faculty in longitudinal analyses of large linked claims data are particularly welcome.

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 (costs of living in Boston). Fellowship faculty will support applications for funding to external sponsors by provisionally accepted applicants. Learn which agencies and organizations sponsored fellows and visiting scholars in the past. 

Fellows are integrated in the Division’s research teams. They receive intense one-on-one, team, and peer mentoring. Fellows have dedicated computing resources, access to biostatistics support as needed, and to libraries and other resources of Harvard University. Fellows attend the biweekly Health Policy and Insurance Research Seminar and regular Institute seminars. In addition, fellows present their research internally, may have opportunities for presenting at national or international meetings, and may attend selected advanced methods training courses and seminars at schools within and outside of Harvard University.

A completed application consists of the following:

• An up-to-date curriculum vitae including standard information such as education, positions held, relevant research experiences, awards, funding, and a list of publications; please define clearly your current status with respect to PhD, MD, and/or postdoctoral training.
• A cover letter 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 of the fellowship.
• A concise 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 health policy and/or systems research.
• One letter of reference from a person who is familiar with your professional and academic qualifications to be sent electronically by the referee to the Health Policy and Insurance Research Fellowship.