CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: Patient Partner Academy (PPA) Fellow Position

The Patient Partner Academy (PPA) within the Michigan Institute for Clinical and Health Research (MICHR) at the University of Michigan (UM) is announcing a call for applications for this year’s PPA Fellow. The PPA Fellowship is open to UM faculty of any rank and any track, or physicians and other doctorally-trained clinical providers with primary appointments at U-M Health Affiliate Institutions.  The Fellowship provides 15% effort of base salary and benefits up to the applicable NIH cap for 1 year (July 2024 – June 2025).

Patients, the ultimate stakeholders in clinical and translational research, are increasingly being asked to serve on study teams, as mentors, and on grant review panels; but often do not know how best to fulfill these roles. The area of science that addresses optimal involvement of patients in the research process is called “the science of engagement” or “patient participatory research.”

MICHR’s PPA addresses optimal patient engagement in the clinical research process in three ways: (1) through the development of educational materials, courses, and experiential learning opportunities tied to the new roles of People with lived experience (PWLEs) on study teams, (2) through educational materials targeting researchers seeking to involve PWLE in their research, and (3) via paradigm shifting projects that offer new ways of thinking about and involving patients in clinical research (e.g., developing new grant application criteria that gets reviewed from the perspective of patients).

Currently the PPA is composed of UM faculty, staff, and patient partners. The PPA Fellow would engage in the following activities: (a) work with the PPA team to further build the program by developing educational experiences for both patients and researchers, (b) collaborate with the PPA team in writing manuscripts about how best to integrate patients into the clinical research process and the science of engagement, and (c) work with the PPA team on grant proposals for funding around the science of engagement.

For this Fellowship, eligible applicants would be likely to have backgrounds and interests in one or more of the following areas (but not limited to these areas):

1. Clinicians who have formed patient advisory groups for their area of study

2. Implementation scientists familiar with the science of engagement

3. Educators interested in translating scientific concepts for lay audiences

4. Researchers with a background in community-based participatory research (CBPR)

To Apply:

Please compose a 1-2 page description of (a) your background, (b) your interest in patient participatory research, (c) specific knowledge you would like to obtain during the fellowship, and (d) what plans you have for developing your own work or proposals that would benefit from your participation in the PPA Fellowship. A current U-M CV is also requested.

Key Dates:

• March 15: Call for Applications released

• May 1: Applications due

• May: Applications reviewed/candidate interviews

• June 1: 2024 PPA Fellow announced

• July 1: PPA Fellowship begins

Please send applications and any questions to Patient Partners Program Manager Knoll Larkin, [email protected]