NRSA for Primary Medical Care - The Michigan Primary Care Research Training Program is an innovative two-year postdoctoral fellowship that addresses a critical gap in the primary care research workforce pipeline. By training postdoctoral clinician investigators and PhD scientists, the Program will develop future leaders capable of conducting rigorous, high-impact research to improve primary care delivery, quality, value, and outcomes. Anchored by individualized training, multidisciplinary mentorship, professional skill development, and immersion in a nationally recognized research and training environment, fellows will gain the expertise needed to become independent investigators via: Individualized methodologic training to conduct primary care research: Fellows will receive structured instruction in research skills and apply them through experiential research projects. Clinician fellows will complete a master's degree in health and health care research, along with additional advanced training such as coursework, workshops, and seminars. PhD fellows will pursue tailored training, including selected coursework and other advanced opportunities to deepen their research expertise. All fellows will complete two applied primary care research projects to gain hands-on experience. Multidisciplinary mentorship: All fellows will develop an individualized development plan (IDP) tailored to their professional interests and development needs. The implementation and enhancement of this IDP will be overseen through a comprehensive mentorship structure. This structure includes a primary mentor and a multidisciplinary mentorship committee that will connect fellows with additional project-specific research mentors. Professional skills for impact in primary care research: Fellows will participate in weekly primary care research seminars led by experienced faculty mentors from the University of Michigan (U-M) Departments of Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, and Pediatrics. These seminars will provide fellows with opportunities to develop competencies in specific professional and leadership areas, including scientific communication, project management, team science, and community engagement. Immersion in a nationally recognized research environment: The Program builds on U-M’s exceptional research training infrastructure, including the U-M National Clinician Scholars Program and its predecessor, the U-M Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholars Program, which have produced generations of nationally recognized primary care and health services researchers. Fellows will also have access to the U-M Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, the nation’s largest university-based health services research community, with more than 800 faculty across 17 schools and colleges and broad expertise in primary care, health policy, chronic disease, implementation science, behavioral science, and population health. To ensure the Program meets its goals, a structured evaluation plan will monitor implementation, fellow progress, and mentorship quality. We will collect and review data for measures such as fellow recruitment, retention, mentorship quality, research productivity, and employment outcomes for at least one year after graduation. The Program team will also collect required HRSA performance data, including National Provider Identifier numbers for eligible fellows. Findings from the evaluation will guide continuous quality improvement efforts. The Michigan Primary Care Research Training Program will create an essential, durable pipeline for clinician investigators and PhD scientists committed to primary care research careers. By strategically integrating training, mentorship, and skill development within a rich primary care research ecosystem, the Program will prepare fellows to become independent investigators and national leaders in research that transforms primary care delivery and improves health outcomes for patients, communities, and populations.
