Questions
1. What is the timeframe from applying to entering the program?
Applications must be submitted online by October 3, 2008 (5 p.m. EDT). All applications will be screened by the national program office (NPO) at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and will be sent to the National Advisory Committee (NAC) and the six participating universities for review in October/November 2008. Approximately 50 finalists will be selected in mid-December 2008 and interviews will occur in January 2009. Up to 18 scholars (three per site) will be selected and notification to all finalists will occur (on a staggered basis) in mid to late February 2009. Scholars will enter the program in August to September 2009 depending upon the academic calendar of the specific university.
2. How do I get an application for the program?
You must apply through the program using our online system, which will be available through this Web site beginning July 14, 2008. Instructions on how to apply through the online system will be available with the application information.
3. Can I contact the program site directors to find out more about the program?
Yes. Please contact the site directors at any of the six participating universities.
4. Who is eligible for the program?
Outstanding individuals who have completed their doctoral training in one of a variety of fields including, but not limited to, behavioral and social sciences, biological and natural sciences, health professions (e.g., M.D.s, nurses with Ph.D.s), public policy, public health, history, ethics and others (e.g., J.D.s, communications and urban planning) are eligible, regardless of the number of years since receiving their doctorate. Applicants must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States or its territories at the time of application to the program. All requirements for your doctorate (including the award of your doctoral degree or letter of completion from your registrar’s office) must be completed by the time of entry into the program (August or September 2009 depending upon the academic calendar of the specific university). Applicants should already have significant research experience.
5. How is the Robert Wood Johnson Scholars in Health Policy Research Program different from the Health & Society Scholars program and can I apply to both?
The Scholars in Health Policy Research Program (SHPR) also is a post-doctoral program sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. If you have a Ph.D. in sociology, economics, or political science, you may be eligible for the Scholars in Health Policy Research Program. The two programs are different in many ways and we suggest you review the Call for Applications for both programs as well as contact the national program offices and site directors at each of the program’s participating universities to answer any questions.
For more information about the Health & Society Scholars program please contact:
Phone: (212) 419-3566
E-mail: hss@nyam.org
For more information about the Scholars in Health Policy Research Program, please contact:
Catherine Player
Phone: (617) 353-9214
E-mail: cmplayer@bu.edu
Web site: www.healthpolicyscholars.org/
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If you meet the eligibility requirements of both programs, you may apply to both. If you are selected as a finalist by both programs, you will be notified in December and at that time will need to decide between the two programs.
6. If I am currently a doctoral student, post-doc, or faculty member at one of the participating universities, can I stay at that institution as a Health & Society Scholar?
Scholars, as a rule, will not be placed at sites where they have worked or received training within the past two years. However, applicants wishing to remain at a particular site may make a request in the site selection portion of the online application, provided they have not worked or collaborated with any of the faculty or staff at that program site.
7. Who will review my application?
All applications will be screened by the national program office (NPO) for consideration for review by the National Advisory Committee (NAC) and the participating universities. The NAC and the participating universities will review all sections of your application.
8. Who selects the finalists and decides where they will interview?
The National Advisory Committee (NAC) will select finalists.
Finalists may be asked to interview at up to three of the participating universities. Decisions as to where a finalist will interview will be based upon the recommendations of the NAC as well as the applicant’s interest in interviewing at a site and the sites’ interest in interviewing an applicant.
9. If I am selected as a finalist, will I be able to rank the site(s) after the interview process?
Yes. Finalists will be asked to rank the sites at which they interviewed after all the interviews have been completed. The sites also will be asked to rank the finalists.
10. Will I be reimbursed for my expenses when I interview?
Expenses incurred during travel for interviews will be reimbursed up to reasonable and customary rates and subject to prior approval by the national program office (NPO).
11. Are there opportunities for teaching or teaching requirements? Can clinicians continue their clinical work during the program?
The Health & Society Scholars program is a two-year fellowship program, during which the focus must be on training and research. It is not possible to be a part-time Health & Society Scholar. In order to protect the scholar’s time for research and training, teaching and clinical activities are limited to a maximum of 10% of time (half day per week) and without monetary compensation. Teaching and clinical activities must be pre-approved by the Program site directors and the national program office (NPO).
12. As a scholar, can I receive other forms of compensation?
Scholars may not receive compensation for outside work such as consulting or speaking engagements and such activities are discouraged.
13. In addition to the scholar stipend, what benefits will scholars receive?
The scholars will receive health benefits through the university at which they are placed. Benefits such as subsidized housing are determined by the individual sites. All scholars receive benefits in the form of relocation, travel, computer and research funds. Any additional benefits, if applicable, are determined by the individual sites.
14. Can I take sabbatical leave to participate in the program? If so, can I receive my sabbatical pay?
It is possible to be on sabbatical from your sponsoring institution and be a Health & Society Scholar, with the following provisions:
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The Health & Society Scholars program is a training program for researchers interested in and committed to building the field of population health.
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Participants must consider participation in the program to be a full-time job.
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The program is for two years and your institution must be willing to commit to a two-year sabbatical.
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You must be willing to relocate to one of the six participating universities during the two-year period.
The program provides annual stipends, and sponsoring institutions may supplement the stipend to meet, but not exceed, the salary level you received prior to entering the program.
15. Can I maintain my existing research grants or apply for new grants while participating in the program?
This issue will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and prior approval is required from the Foundation. Issues include salary support, time commitment, and relevance of the grant to the scholar’s career in population health.
16. How will I know if you have received my application and my letters of reference?
To apply to the program, you must complete the online application. You will receive an e-mail notification once you have registered and another e-mail notification once you have submitted your application using our online system.
Letters of recommendation also will be submitted online. In the online application, you will be asked to provide contact information for three people who have agreed to write a letter of recommendation for you. Once you have submitted this information, your reference will receive e-mail with instructions on how to submit a letter of recommendation online. It is your responsibility to ensure that your references submit letters of recommendation by October 3, 2008. You will receive e-mail notification that your reference has submitted your letter of recommendation. Also, your reference will receive e-mail notification that his/her letter of recommendation has been received.
17. Is there a limit to the amount of applicants from a given institution?
No, there is no limit.
18. Can I apply in advance?
In rare circumstances, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health & Society Scholars program will consider a candidate’s request to submit their application an extra year in advance of their entry year. As an example, a candidate who could not begin the program until September of 2009 would apply during the same cycle as candidates who would enter in September of 2008, compete in the selection process, and if accepted by both the program and the site, the admitted candidate would be assured a position in the program at that site for the following academic year beginning in September of 2009 and would not be required to re-submit an application to the Program. Any such applicants would have to announce their intentions at the time of application, and would need to contact the national program office (NPO) to discuss the reasons for such an exception. This would most likely relate to candidates whose job market cycle varies significantly from the Health & Society Scholars program cycle. Applicants should understand also that the program sites would consider this possibility only if the following criteria are met: compelling reasons regarding the need to apply early; an outstanding candidate; and the applicants’ irrevocable commitment to begin the program if accepted.
This is not a post-acceptance deferral option. That is, if a candidate applies for a position in a given year, and is accepted, there is no possibility to defer their entry to a later year except in extreme circumstances such as a medical condition or family crisis.
19. Do you accept applicants with degrees from outside the US?
Applicants with degrees from outside the US are eligible to apply as long as they are a US citizen or permanent resident at the time of application.
