The Susan B. Meister Child Health Evaluation and Research (CHEAR) Center is located within the Division of General Pediatrics at the University of Michigan. The CHEAR Center is a multidisciplinary health services research center focused on research topics in child health and has an active program for post-doctoral research fellows. The University of Michigan has a vibrant health policy community and fellows are encouraged to take advantage of educational and research opportunities at the newly-formed Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, the School of Public Health and other schools and centers at the University. The CHEAR Center represents more than 15 years of child health and policy research. CHEAR faculty have longtime partnerships with both state and federal health agencies, providing an opportunity for the scholar to have direct experience with the policy process. Examples of innovative research underway at CHEAR include: design and application of emerging technologies; development of patient-centered interactive data visualizations prototypes for individuals with type 1 diabetes; simulation modeling in predicting long-term population-level outcomes for newborn screening programs; and design, testing, and implementation of pediatric quality measures.

The Life Sciences Institute (LSI) is a nucleus of basic and translational biomedical research at the University of Michigan. With an international faculty leading labs in a cutting-edge facility located between the central and medical campuses, the LSI bridges a range of life science disciplines, connects units across the campus, and catalyzes innovation. Further, the institute embraces innovation, collaboration and creative science with tangible impact on human health, longevity, and well-being.

Together with the fellowship director, each Child Health Policy Scholar will develop a training plan that includes opportunities for didactic coursework, one-on-one mentoring, applied research opportunities, and a set of overall objectives for the fellowship period. The scholar will have the opportunity to draw on all of CHEAR’s resources, including experienced research staff to support research activities including project management, survey administration, telephone-based data collection, medical record review, literature searching, data entry, data management, statistical analysis, and manuscript editing. CHEAR hosts a child health services research conference, a work-in-progress seminar, and several visiting professors each year. By building on CHEAR’s established relationships across campus, the scholar will have the opportunity to create a unique multidisciplinary training plan to complement their training in the biomedical sciences with skills in health services and policy research.

This fellowship provides an opportunity for a fellow from an LSI lab to engage in a two to three year training program learning methods and applications of child health policy mentored by CHEAR faculty. The CHEAR Center’s resources and collaborative support are intended to enable fellows to build their own individually tailored educational and research plans for the program. The length of the fellowship is determined based on the percent effort dedicated to ongoing laboratory-based research and the health policy training program. For example, if the fellowship were allocated 50/50 across the two areas of research and training, this would be expected to result in a three-year training plan, but a different allocation of effort could result in an accelerated program with a shorter timeline.

This fellowship is designed for applicants with pre- or post-doctoral-level training in the biomedical sciences with preference for a candidate working in an LSI lab. Fellows are selected on the basis of previous academic or professional achievements and demonstrated interest in child health policy. Stipend is competitive and commensurate with experience and education.