PQA Research Fellowship

Overview

The PQA Postdoctoral Research Fellowship is a full time, 12-month program designed to produce the next generation of leaders in healthcare quality research. Working from a national platform in the greater Washington, D.C. metro area, the Research Fellow is immersed in a variety of public health issues surrounding appropriate medication management and use. The program focuses on the development of core skillsets as an independent healthcare quality researcher in the following areas:

  • Project management
  • Qualitative and quantitative research methods
  • Quality performance measurement design and implementation
  • Facilitation of diverse stakeholder groups to evaluate and improve the quality of medication use

The Research Fellow will further receive mentorship and training in grant and manuscript writing, teaching, and presentation experiences. Combined with significant healthcare stakeholder engagement, graduates of the program are well-positioned to begin careers in:

  • Pharmacy and other healthcare associations
  • Academia
  • Government
  • Quality organizations
  • Pharmaceutical industry
  • Health insurance plans
  • Healthcare technology vendors, and more

Candidate Qualifications

The Research Fellow must hold a doctoral degree (e.g., PharmD, MD, DrPh, PhD) within the United States (or plan to secure a doctoral degree within 6 months). The degree must be from an accredited program. For a PhD or DrPH degree, a concentration in epidemiology or health-services research is preferred. Incoming Research Fellows with a clinical degree are encouraged to complete professional licensing requirements prior to beginning the Fellowship but no later than October 1st of the Fellowship year.

PQA seeks highly-motivated individuals with the following attributes:

  • Excellent communication, organizational, interpersonal, and time-management skills
  • Strong work ethic
  • Ability to work independently and in a collaborative environment
  • Strong writing and public speaking skills
  • Ability to effectively manage multiple research projects concurrently
  • Research experience with a knowledge of SAS, R, and SQL, or data visualization software is desired

Availability for phone and onsite interviews is also required. Select candidates will be offered an onsite interview scheduled for early-mid January. Onsite interview travel expenses will be offset by a modest stipend.

Application Information

Candidates will be required to submit the following materials through an online application platform accessible via the PQA website:

  1. One-page cover letter:
    1. Interest in the program
    2. Career goals & major areas of interest
    3. How you envision this fellowship meeting your goals
    4. Why you believe you are a good fit for the program
  2. Curriculum vitae
  3. Official transcript from academic institution(s): Official transcripts must be mailed directly from academic institutions and must be received by the application due date.
  4. Writing sample (e.g., primary author on a journal publication, poster abstract)
  5. Two letters of recommendation*

*For applications to be considered complete, two (2) letters of recommendation from faculty, dean, and/or employer must be e-mailed separately and directly from the recommenders to [email protected] by the application deadline using the following subject line: “PQA Research Fellowship – Candidate Name”.

Important Dates


Learn More about the Research Fellowship

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