Programs, Scholars, and Fellows

Among its many duties addressing health policy issues, RWJF Center for Health Policy at Meharry Medical College conducts its mission through several programs regarding education, awareness, and professional development in the arena of health policy. Those programs include:

Health Policy Fellows Program
The Health Policy Fellows Program is a prestigious doctoral fellowship program for students with educational and research interests that include health and health policy analysis and research. Vanderbilt University, in collaboration with MMC, accepts qualified applicants to one of their Ph.D. programs in economics, political science, and sociology. Accepted Ph.D. candidates will earn a doctorate degree from Vanderbilt University while participating in additional coursework, seminars and research activities at Meharry Medical College. Fellows will receive five years of funding support including paid tuition, a $32,000 annual stipend, and health insurance.

Health Policy Scholars Program (Certificate in Health Policy)
The Health Policy Scholars Program offers MMC students in the School of Medicine, School of Dentistry, and School of Graduate Studies & Research, who have educational and research interests in health policy and social science research, the opportunity to participate in coursework, seminars and research activities leading to the completion of a Certificate in Health Policy to be awarded in conjunction with the student's declared academic program degree.

Pilot Project Mini-Grant Program
The Pilot Project Mini-Grant Program awards MMC and Vanderbilt University faculty funding for pilot projects relative to health policy that will contribute toward the improvement of minority health and/or the elimination of health disparities. The intent of the funding, in the amount of $20,000-$25,000 for 18 months, is to intensify investigator-initiated research, to attract new investigators to the field and to encourage trans-disciplinary research that will advance health policy and social science research.

Scholars-in-Residence Visiting Professor Program
The Scholars-in-Residence Visiting Professor Program invites nationally-renowned health policy and social science experts to campus to serve as visiting professors who mentor, educate, and train Health Policy Fellows and Scholars, as well as faculty members at MMC and in health policy, analysis, and research.

Health Policy Associates Program
The Health Policy Associates Program is designed to provide MMC and Vanderbilt University faculty with a distinct affiliation and role with the RWJF Center for Health Policy in order to encourage and enhance purpose, training, collegiality, commitment to, and support of health policy and social science research.

Summer Externship Program
The Summer Externship Program is designed for Health Policy Fellows and Scholars to augment the health policy studies that take place in the classroom with experiential, real-world, experience in a policy work environment. The Externs have paid, external, learning opportunities during the summer months at some of the nation's most noted health policy organizations, academic research institutions, and governmental agencies such as the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Science Research, National Institutes of Health, National Dental Association, Institute of Medicine, Association of American Medical Colleges as well as a host of others.

Health Policy Professional Development Program
The Health Policy Professional Development Program is intended for Health Policy Fellows and Scholars (and faculty) and provides a variety of training and development opportunities, such as quantitative and qualitative research training, academic writing workshops, etc., for the enhancement of professional and technical skills.

Health Policy Social Events Program
The Health Policy Social Events Program gives Health Policy Fellows and Scholars the opportunity to participate in activities and events to network across disciplines, departments, and institutions, thus promoting collaboration and building mutually beneficial relationships.

Health Policy Alumni Program
The Health Policy Alumni Program provides career development and advancement opportunities in health policy for graduates of the Health Policy Scholars and Fellows Programs and encourages their continued work with the Center on policy initiatives and research.