Center for Health Optimization & Implementation Research
Post-Doctoral Fellowship
CHOIR is a multi-disciplinary research center that has academic affiliations with many top-quality institutions, including Boston University School of Medicine, Boston University School of Public Health, UMass Chan Medical School, and Harvard Medical School. Our two campuses are located at the Boston and Bedford VA Medical Centers, both in the Boston metropolitan area.
We offer rigorous two-year post-doctoral fellowships in health services research for qualified candidates with either a PhD (or equivalent) or MD seeking to work with senior investigators on research projects in such areas as: patient-centered care, care coordination, organizational transformation and culture change, implementation science, patient safety, public health communication, telehealth, medication optimization and effectiveness, and mental health recovery. The program is designed to develop and enhance skills in conducting health services research to support candidates toward the goal of becoming an independently funded researcher.
Fellows participate in research projects at CHOIR and develop their own individual projects. The program draws upon the rich interdisciplinary environment of CHOIR, which includes researchers trained in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing, psychology, anthropology, sociology, organization theory, management science, economics, statistics, epidemiology, operations management, implementation science, health services/policy, and public health.
Senior investigators serve as mentors, guiding fellows in the application and use of health services research methods, quantitative and qualitative analysis methods, implementation science methods, and the design and conduct of clinical trials involving health service innovations.
PhD Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Health Services Research
This fellowship provides training and research opportunities for recent PhDs (or equivalent) in health services research, social science, psychology, nursing, management science, or related fields.
MD Fellowship in Health Services Research
This fellowship provides training and research opportunities for physicians and other health professionals who have completed residency training or clinical fellowships. MD fellows without a prior master’s degree have the opportunity to earn a Masters of Science in Clinical Investigation from the UMass Chan Medical School during their fellowship.
Fellowships are funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Academic Affiliations (OAA) and administered in collaboration with the Health Services Research & Development (HSR&D) service. Stipends are according to fixed VA OAA rates for PhD fellows. Other health professional fellow salaries are commensurate with PGY level. Physician applicants must have completed U.S. residency training and be board certified or board eligible with an active, unrestricted license to practice medicine in the United States. Professionals from fields other than medicine (e.g., PhDs) must be U.S. citizens. All fellows must reside in the Boston Locality Pay area during their fellowship.
Learn more about fellowship information for Academic Year 2025-26. For more information on applying to the program please e-mail CHOIRFellowship@va.gov.
Fellowship Directors: Amy M. Linsky, MD, MSc and Stephanie Shimada, PhD.
CHOIR is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. We recognize and value the power of a diverse community; we strongly welcome applications from individuals with varied life experiences, perspectives, beliefs, and backgrounds.
