USA: Harkness Fellowships in Health Care Policy and Practice

Overview

The Commonwealth Fund's Harkness Fellowships in Health Care Policy and Practice provide a unique opportunity for mid-career health services researchers and practitioners from Australia, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom to spend up to 12 months in the United States, conducting original research and working with leading U.S. health policy experts.

Up to 15 Fellows are selected annually, typically three from Australia and New Zealand, three from Germany, two from the Netherlands, one from Norway, one from Sweden, one from Switzerland, and four from the United Kingdom.

Once selected, the Commonwealth Fund will assist Fellows in developing and shaping their research proposals. The Fund will introduce Fellows to U.S. policy experts, with whom they will be encouraged to discuss their projects to gain further feedback. Through its extensive network of contacts, the Fund will help identify and place Fellows with mentors who are experts in the policy areas to be studied. In the United States, the Fund will place each Fellow with a mentor who is based at a university, think tank, health care organization, or government agency. Mentors supervise Fellows' research, provide technical expertise and guidance, and facilitate access to data, colleagues, and organizations.

Fellowship Award

Each Harkness Fellowship provides up to U.S. $107,000. This amount covers:

• Roundtrip airfare to the United States;
• A fixed monthly stipend for U.S. living expenses;
• Set up and shipping allowances;
• Support toward the portion of the project conducted in the home country, if appropriate;
• Funds for project-related travel, case studies, conferences and research expenses;
• Travel funds to attend the Harkness Fellows Orientation, Commonwealth Fund International Symposium on Health Care Policy; Washington Health Policy Briefing, Canadian Health Policy Briefing, Final Reporting Seminar, and AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting;
• Institutional allowance for US mentor/placement;
• Health insurance coverage while in the United States;
• U.S. and state taxes.

A supplemental allowance—including roundtrip airfare, living allowance, and health insurance—is also provided to Fellows accompanied by a spouse and/or children up to age 18.

In some cases, Fellows may opt to arrange paid leave from their home institution in lieu of the fellowship monthly stipend to maintain their current income. Where full home institution salary support is provided during the fellowship, a monthly supplement of up to U.S. $600 is available.

Eligibility, Review, and Selection Criteria

Harkness Fellowships are designed for mid-career professionals who are committed to advancing health policy and practice in The Commonwealth Fund's principal areas of interest: improving health insurance coverage and access to care; and improving the quality and efficiency of health care services. Projects may include comparisons between the United States and the applicant's home country. Fellowships are not awarded to support study for academic degrees. All applicants must:

• Be citizens of Australia, Germany, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, or the United Kingdom (in the U.K., citizens of other countries with permanent residency and five or more years tenure in the U.K. may also apply);
• Show significant promise as a policy-oriented health services researcher or practitioner (clinician, health services manager, government official, or journalist);
• Have a demonstrated expertise in health policy issues and a track record of informing health policy through research, policy analysis, health services, or clinical leadership;
• Have a master's degree or doctorate (or the equivalent thereof) in health care services, health policy research, or a related discipline, such as economics or political science (consideration may be given to candidates with a bachelor's degree only, depending on work experience); and
• If academically based, be at a mid-career level (e.g., research fellow to senior lecturer).

Timetable

• September 12, 2011
  Deadline for receipt of applications from Australia, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom
• December 2011
  Selection of new Harkness Fellows (Australia and New Zealand)
• January 2012
  Selection of new Harkness Fellows (Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the U.K.)
• March 2012
  Deadline for receipt of applications from Canada.
• May 2012
  Selection of new Canadian Harkness Associates
• August–September 2012
  Starting dates for new class of Harkness Fellows

Application Process & Suggested Project Themes

All candidates must complete a formal application, including:

• Statement of professional objectives;
• Curriculum vitae;
• Preliminary proposal (up to five pages) for a policy-oriented research project that fits within the Fund's national program areas;
• Letter of reference from the applicant's department chair or from the director of his or her institution (more than one applicant may apply from the same institution);
• Three professional references from senior health policy researchers, policymakers, or senior level managers, who can comment on the applicant's past work and the potential contribution of his or her proposed project.

Candidates are encouraged to structure projects around topics presented in the Fund's List of Suggested Projects for Harkness Fellows in Health Care Policy and Practice, or to propose original ideas on other topics relevant to the Fund's work. The list is available for downloading at right.

All applicants are also strongly encouraged to explore what U.S. datasets are available related to their proposed project. Applicants may download a list of examples of such datasets, as well as further resources for identifying related datasets or ongoing projects.

The deadline for the 2012–13 Harkness Fellowships is September 12, 2011.

Source: http://www.commonwealthfund.org/Fellowships/Harkness-Fellowships.aspx


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