The Commonwealth Fund's U.K Harkness Fellowship Scheme

The Centre for Health Policy to coordinate applications on behalf of Imperial & Imperial College NHS Trust, nominating 1 candidate per organisation.

About the Fellowship

The Harkness Fellowships provide a unique opportunity for mid-career professionals—academic researchers, government policymakers, clinical leaders, health care system and insurance managers, and journalists—from Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand,  Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, to spend up to 12 months in the United States conducting a policy-oriented research study and working with leading U.S. health policy experts. Fellows study health care delivery system reforms (e.g. insurance expansion and exchanges, bundled payments, accountable care organizations, innovative approaches to care for high need high cost patients)  and critical issues on the health policy agenda in both the U.S. and their home countries.

It is important that applicants propose a project that falls within the Fund’s priority areas of interest and is relevant to the Fund’s mission to support a high performance health care system. Projects should fit with the Fund’s program priorities for  improving access to care and health insurance coverage and the quality and efficiency of health care services, including for high need/high costs patients with complex care needs(e.g. frail elderly with multiple chronic conditions, homebound or dementia),  and vulnerable populations, e.g. the uninsured, minority Americans, undocumented immigrants, who may  have complex health and social care needs. A peer-reviewed journal article or policy report for Health Ministers and other high-level policy audiences is the anticipated product of the fellowship. Harkness Fellows have published their findings in top-tier journals, including: BMJ, Health Affairs, and New England Journal of Medicine.

Each fellowship will provide up to U.S. $119,000 in support, with an additional supplemental family allowance (approximately $55,000 for partner and two children up to age 18).

Further information can be found on the Harkness Fellowship website

Applications process:

The Centre for Health Policy, Institute of Global Health Innovation will coordinate applications on behalf of Imperial College and Imperial College NHS Trust. The Centre will nominate one candidate from each organsisation.  Please see attached criteria for applying.

Please note that we require confirmation from the candidates Head of Department via letter/email for a one year sabbatical, please include this as part of the submission process.

Please submit the following documents to Nicolette Davies by 5pm, Monday 20th October 2014:

• Statement of professional objectives
• CV
• Preliminary proposal (max 5 pages) outlining the following headings: 

• Purpose & context
• Research design
• Expected contributions of the proposed research
• Dissemination strategy
• Workplan
• Proposed placement in the US
• Proposed home country mentor (if applicable)
• Research references / footnotes

• 3 Referees
• 3 Published articles/reports
• Letter/email of support from HoD

The deadline for applications is  5pm, Monday 20th October 2014. Nominations for each organisation will be forwarded to the Commonwealth Fund, the candidate will then be contacted directly to submit a formal application by the 17th November 2014.

For further enquires please contact Nicolette Davies: nicolette.davies@imperial.ac.uk