Postdoctoral Fellowship Training Program

The Postdoctoral Fellowship Program provides advanced training in outcomes research to nurses who have received a doctoral degree from an accredited university in nursing or a field relevant to nursing outcomes research and would like the opportunity to further develop their research career in the area of health outcomes.

Postdoctoral fellows receive University funding to pursue meaningful research.

	Dr. Christin Iroegbu is investigating “The Influence of Nursing Resources on Mortality among Hospitalized Racial and Ethnic Minorities Diagnosed with Chronic Kidney Disease” with support from a Leonard Davis Institute pilot grant.
	Dr. K. Jane Muir’s Sigma Research Grant, titled “Evaluating Work Environment Variation, Patient Care Quality, and Nurse Job Outcomes in High Acuity Settings,” aims to enhance critical care in emergency and intensive care units. Dr. Muir completed her postdoctoral fellowship in June and is now serving as Assistant Professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing.
	Dr. Jacqueline Nikpour recently concluded her research on “Work Environments and Job Satisfaction of Black Nurses and Nurse Practitioners, and Outcomes of Recently Discharged Black Patients,” funded by a postdoctoral grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Dr. Nikpour completed her postdoctoral fellowship in April 2024 and has since assumed the role of Assistant Professor at Emory University.
	Dr. Rachel French’s study, “Exploring an Innovative Approach to Address Treatment Gaps for Hospitalized People who Inject Drugs,” investigates a team-based approach to treating hospitalized patients who inject drugs with a pilot grant from the Leonard Davis Institute. Dr. French also participated in the National Clinician Scholars Program during her postdoctoral studies.

The CHOPR Postdoctoral Fellowship is intended for U.S. Citizens or Permanent Residents only. The program places a high priority on having diversity in background.

Interested candidates should submit the below listed items by email to:

Irene D. Hung, MPH
Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research
University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing
375 Claire M. Fagin Hall
418 Curie Boulevard
Philadelphia, PA 19104-4217

Email: irenedh@nursing.upenn.edu

The application should include:

Cover letter describing goals for the postdoc training, their career goals, and a sentence or two about the topics the applicant would like to focus on for program of research;
CV with a list of publications;
Copies of any publications or samples of academic writing such as dissertation proposal or first chapter; and
Names/email addresses of 3 references who can speak to candidate’s research experience and expertise.

Fellows receive stipends for coursework in advanced methodology and statistics.
The level of mentorship and guidance allows fellows to explore independent scholarship while planning a career trajectory in research. The CHOPR Faculty provides direction as the postdoctoral fellow strives to hone skills in grant development, project management, and manuscript preparation.
Fellows are given the tools to network with other interdisciplinary researchers and research centers across the school of nursing and the University of Pennsylvania.
Fellows gain access to a broad range of datasets spanning 15 years of researchand are encouraged to attend scientific conferences and meetings.

PhD (or equivalent) and interest in developing a research career with a focus on nursing outcomes research.
Completion of graduate level course work in advanced quantitative methods.
Written recommendations from at least three individuals who can speak to the applicant’s research potential, one of whom is a representative of the applicant’s dissertation committee.
Review of the applicant’s scholarly written work, including dissertation and publications.
Written statement of goals including justification of the fit within the conceptual area of nursing outcomes research.
An interview with CHOPR faculty.

Match with the overall goals and objectives of the training grant and affiliated Center.
Match with the T32 and Center-affiliated faculty advisor.
Scholarly potential for nursing science inquiry that has a high impact.
Commitment to a research career in a research intensive environment.
Scholarly productivity during and/or after the research doctoral training.

Deena Kelly Costa, PhD, RN, FAAN
Associate Professor of Nursing, Yale School of Nursing

“The opportunity to train with leaders in this field has opened doors for me and has demonstrated to me how impactful a nursing research agenda can be to improving patient care and outcomes.”

Postdoctoral Fellowship Training Program

Postdoctoral fellows receive University funding to pursue meaningful research.

How to Apply

Program Benefits

Admission Requirements

Criteria to Consider Before Applying

“The opportunity to train with leaders in this field has opened doors for me and has demonstrated to me how impactful a nursing research agenda can be to improving patient care and outcomes.”

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