The MCH Faculty Development Fellowship Program at Diverse Institutions (Faculty Fellowship) will provide up to 10 early and mid-career full-time faculty members from Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) financial support to build their institution’s capacity in maternal and child health (MCH) public health education, research, and practice. This funding supports the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau, (HRSA MCHB) strategic goals to diversify and build capacity of maternal and child health (MCH) public health faculty across the country. This will help develop capacity in MSIs that have not previously received MCH-specific training grants.
The Faculty Fellowship is a 12-month program and will begin in January 2024 (cohort 1) or May 2024 (cohort 2). Fellows may qualify for an additional year of fellowship support, pending the availability of funds.
Faculty Fellowship Activities
The Faculty Fellowship will consist of three main activities that all Fellows are expected to complete:
- Fellowship Project – Fellows will complete a project in MCH research, teaching or practice that will enhance their institutions MCH public health capacity
- Fellowship Learning Plan – Fellows will co-design an individualized Learning Plan with support from mentors and Center staff to achieve project and professional development goals
- Fellowship Experiential Learning and Mentorship – Fellows will participate in capacity building activities to support their growth in MCH public health, including:
- Participation in a Community of Practice (CoP), that convenes (virtually) four times per year to support learning and networking among faculty fellows
- Attendance at a one-time in-person Summer Faculty Fellowship Institute (SFFI) in Chapel Hill, NC (July, 2024 – Dates TBD).
- Participation in mentorship and coaching meetings with mentors and staff from the Center and the Faculty Fellowship Program. The number and frequency of these meetings will be determined based on the Fellows’ needs.
- Attendance to at least one annual in-person national MCH conference (e.g., CityMatch, AMCHP, etc.)
- Completion of evaluation activities related to the fellowship.
Funding
Each Faculty Fellow will receive up to $59,200 per year. Fellows can use their funding for a variety of needs, including but not limited to:
- Salary
- Research and teaching expenses
- Support for a graduate research assistant
- Professional development activities
- Indirect Costs (limited to 8%)
Fellowship Deliverables
By the end of the fellowship, Fellows will have completed a variety of activities related to building their MCH capacity. There will be two main outputs, detailed below:
- Fellowship Project: Each Fellow will work on one to two major activities during the program. This will have two components – 1) conduct a landscape assessment that informs their project activities and 2) conduct the project activity. The activities should focus on one of the following areas:
- MCH public health education
- MCH student mentorship/career pathway development
- MCH-related research
- MCH practice partnership development and community engagement.
Examples of a major activity include, but are not limited to:
- Develop an undergraduate or graduate-level MCH survey course.
- Develop an institutional/departmental mentorship program for students interested in MCH.
- Apply for and obtain additional funding to support MCH research
- Establish or strengthen formal partnerships with MCH community-based organizations and/or state/local MCH public health agencies
- Produce a written product: The product will be part of the culminating experience, informed by the Fellow’s project and goals of the Learning Plan. Examples of a product include, but are not limited to:
- Develop and submit a peer-reviewed manuscript,
- Develop a comprehensive MCH curricula for undergraduate or graduate students,
- Design MCH resources to be used in a public health course,
- Write a memorandum of understanding and detailed, research/partnership project plan between the fellow, their university, and a community partner.
Eligibility
- Early or mid-career full-time faculty, Associate or Assistant professor, or equivalent employed at an MSI.1
- An MSI is defined as “as an institution that has a demonstrated record of or historical commitment to serving underrepresented or disadvantaged students, including but not limited to, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), Hispanic Serving Institutions (HPIs), Asian American and Pacific Islander Serving Institutions, and Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions.
- Professional experience in MCH public health (such as research, teaching courses, etc.) and demonstrated commitment to MCH populations within the US/territories
- Ability to work remotely, using virtual online platforms (zoom, teams, etc.)
How to Apply
The online application is available here. All application materials are due November 9, at 11:59pm ET.
FAQs
- How many cohorts will there be?
- The program will offer two cohorts: January 2024 and May 2024.
- Is there a separate application process for the May cohort?
- No, the current application, available beginning on October 9, 2023, provides an option for the applicant to identify which cohort they would like to participate in (January, May, or no preference).
- How long does the Fellowship last?
- 12 months from the start of the fellowship (January 15, 2024 – January 14, 2025, or May 1, 2024 – April 30, 2025). We anticipate a second year for the Fellows; however, this is dependent on funding availability.
- How many Fellowships will be awarded?
- Up to 10 total fellowships will be awarded across the January and May cohorts.
- How is the funding dispersed?
- The funding will be distributed to the Fellow’s institution upon a signed contract with the awarding institution (University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill).
- Can I use my funding to sponsor a graduate student for their student practicum?
- Yes, as long as the graduate student is increasing their skills and capacity in the areas of MCH.
- Can I work on a global or international project?
- No, this work of the Fellow must take place and focus on MCH topics within the U.S. states and jurisdictions.
- Will this position require me to relocate or be in Chapel Hill, NC?
- No, this position is meant to support faculty at their current institution. The Summer Faculty Fellowship Institute will be held in Chapel Hill, NC from July 2024 (date TBD). Travel to Chapel Hill will be required for this institute.
- Will travel be required for this Fellowship?
- Fellows will be required to travel to the Summer Faculty Fellowship Institute (July 2024, date TBD) in Chapel Hill, NC. Fellows will also be required to attend at least one annual in-person national MCH conference (e.g., CityMatCH or AMCHP) to engage with MCH public health leaders.
- Will you support an international professor with a sponsored work visa?
- Yes. Please note the Fellowships are supported by the federal HRSA/MCHB grant UE7MC26282, and as such financial support is available only to U.S. citizens and permanent residents. Foreign nationals may be selected as fellows if they choose to forgo the stipend.
- When will the coaching and mentoring sessions be held?
- Although we anticipate many fellows would like to meet a minimum of once a month, the number of coaching and mentoring sessions will be based on individual Fellow needs and will be scheduled individually based on the availability of the coach/mentor and Fellow.
- When will the Communities of Practice take place?
- The Communities of Practice (CoPs) will be scheduled after selecting the Fellows for the January cohort. A doodle poll will be used to ensure the dates and times align with the selected Fellows’ schedules.
- Do I need to be pursuing tenure at my academic institution to be eligible?
- No, you do not need to be pursuing tenure to be considered for the Fellowship. This Fellowship is open to any current, early or mid-career full-time faculty member with an appointment at the Assistant professor or Associate professor level, or equivalent level in their institution.
- If I have a current mentor, can they continue to support me during the Fellowship?
- Of course, we would strongly encourage you to continue to receive support from them and encourage you to coordinate this support with the Faculty Fellowship mentors and staff.
- Am I required to attend the informational webinar and office hours in October?
- You are not required to attend either of these, however we strongly encourage interested applicants to attend to gather additional information and ask questions.
- I recently applied for a position at another university, if I am accepted as a Fellow, can I take this Fellowship opportunity with me?
- No, the Fellowship is awarded to the faculty member at their current institution. If you take a position at another university that is not an MSI, you will be ineligible to continue to the program. If you take a position with another MSI, this will be discussed with the Faculty Fellowship Principle Investigator and Program Manager on a case-by-case basis.
Click here to view additional questions and answers from the informational webinar.
If you have any questions or would like more information, please email: facultyfellowships@unc.edu
- The Fellowships are supported by the federal HRSA/MCHB grant UE7MC26282, and as such financial support is available only to U.S. citizens and permanent residents. Foreign nationals may be selected . ↩︎