Overview

The AAPA-PAEA Research Fellowship seeks to build the research capacity of PAs and PA faculty and develop leaders to represent, advance, and elevate PAs in health professions research.

The Fellowship seeks to:

1. Fund-protected time to allow fellows to conduct research and expand their research agendas.
2. Broaden the fellows’ knowledge of the medical research community and data sources and build their professional networks with prominent medical research organizations.
3. Build a strong cohort of research leaders who mentor future PA researchers and become PA research experts who advance the profession.

For more information about eligibility, applicant evaluation criteria, and application requirements, please download the 2024-2025 AAPA-PAEA Research Fellowship Submission Guidelines.

If you would like to read about the experiences of Bettie Coplan, PhD, MPAS, PA-C during her Fellowship application and read her tips, she was featured in a PAEA article.

If you have questions about the process or the Fellowship itself, we are happy to help! Just send us an email and allow 2 business days for us to respond.

Description of the Fellowship

PAEA and the American Academy of PAs (AAPA), offer up to three one-year research fellowships annually. PAs must be involved in research if the profession is to demonstrate their role in the healthcare environment. In addition, PA faculty face the pressure to publish original research, while educating students and practicing clinically. This program provides a substantial investment to strengthen the research skills and productivity of qualified PAs to conduct high-quality, publishable research.

The Fellowship will provide PAs with

• Funding for protected time to allow Fellows to conduct research and expand their research agendas;
• Broaden Fellows’ knowledge of the medical research community, data sources, and build their professional networks with prominent medical research organizations; and
• Developmental support to join a strong cohort of research leaders who mentor future PA researchers and become PA research experts who advance the profession.

The AAPA-PAEA Research Fellowship provides financial support for PAs with a strong interest in research about the PA profession and PA education. A grant covering 20 percent of the recipient’s base salary up to $30,000 will be allocated to the fellow’s institution to permit a 20 percent time release from teaching and other activities to allow them to focus on scholarly activities of interest to the PA profession and PA education. There is no allowance for institutional indirect costs.

The Fellowship will include a two-to-four-day seminar at the PAEA offices in Washington, DC, or at the AAPA offices in Alexandria, Virginia. Fellows will participate in exclusive Fellowship sessions and earn more than 25 hours of CME. Travel expenses for fellowship events will be covered in full, however, the COVID-19 pandemic may alter these plans and require virtual components.

Fellows are expected to use the release time to develop their research skills by completing and providing to AAPA and PAEA a research project under the guidance of a mentor, engaging in educational activities, and broadening their knowledge of PA education and the PA profession. By the conclusion of the Fellowship, fellows should have completed their research and have their findings prepared for publication and presentation.

Work Requirements for Fellows

The fellowship will run from November 1 through October 31 for each Fellowship year.

• Commitment to scholarly activity for the equivalent of one day per week (.2 FTE)
• Completion of a research project including publication in or submission to a peer-reviewed journal or other project approved by PAEA and AAPA within one year of fellowship completion
• Interim reports providing updates on project progress and obstacles due to the funder at six and 12 months of the fellowship
• Attendance at the PAEA Education Forum (kick off), AAPA Conference, and PAEA Education Forum (closing presentation)
• Attendance at webinar seminars
• Attendance at regular check-in meetings with the funder regarding project progress
• One to two in-person meetings in the Washington, DC, area

Upcoming and Past Fellowship Events

Upcoming Fellowship Events

2024 Summer Seminar Series

Thank you to the PAs, Fellows and guests who attended the Research Fellowship Summer Seminar Series at the AAPA headquarters in Alexandria, VA from July 15-18. We look forward to hosting more events like this in the future.

Past Events

2023 AAPA-PAEA Research Seminar Series

Thank you to the PAs, Fellows and guests who attended the Research Fellowship Summer Seminar Series at the PAEA headquarters in DC from June 12-14. We look forward to hosting more events like this in the future.

2022 Summer Seminar Series

AAPA and PAEA are inviting all PAs and PA students to participate in the 2022 AAPA-PAEA Research Seminar Series.  Topics included learning about secondary data, grant writing, publications, and more.

Learn to Leverage CASPA Data to Advance Your PA Program and PA Research

Friday, September 24, 2021, from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm EST

PAEAs Research and Admissions Teams will delve into the Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA). This webinar will discuss the history of CASPA, its benefits to PA school applicants and PA programs, as well as highlight the utility of the data and its limitations in terms of PA programs and researchers.

2021 Summer Seminar Series

Thank you to the PAs, Fellows and guests who attended the Research Fellowship Summer Seminar Series. We look forward to hosting more events like this in the future.

Important Dates for 2024-2025

• Applications close – June 2025
• Hold interviews – June-July 2025
• Send offer letters – July 2025
• AAPA 2025 – May 2025
• Summer Seminar Series – July 2025 (Washington, DC)
• PAEA 2025 – October 2025 (TBD)

Meet the Research Fellows

Meet the 2024-2025 Fellows

Congratulations to Katherine Thompson, MCHS, PA-C and Sarah Bolander, DMSc, PA-C on their acceptance into the 2024-2025 AAPA-PAEA Research Fellowship. Learn more about the fellows and their research topics.

All Research Fellows

Find out more about the Fellows and their Fellowship-Related publications.

2023-2024 AAPA-PAEA Research Fellows

• Hayden Middleton, DMSc, PA-C
• Marcia Bouton, DMSc, MHPE, PA-C
• Quincy Jones MSW, LCSW, MHS, PA-C

2022-2023 AAPA-PAEA Research Fellows

• Bethany Grubb, MPAS, MPH, PA-C
• Chris Roman, DMS, PA-C

2021-2022 AAPA-PAEA Research Fellows

• Alice Eggleston, MPH, PA-C
• Yolanda Freeman-Hildreth, PhD, PA-C, of the University of Detroit-Mercy
• Nick Hudak, MPA, MSEd, PA-C, of Duke University

2020-2021 PAEA Research Fellows

• Adrian Banning, DHSc, MMS, PA-C of Drexel University
• Stephanie Neary, MPA, MMS, PA-C of Yale School of Medicine PA Online Program

2019-2020 AAPA-PAEA Research Fellows

• Kari Bernard, MS, PA-C, of MEDEX Northwest
• Vanessa Bester, EdD, PA-C, of Augsburg University

2018-2019 AAPA-PAEA Research Fellows

• Bettie Coplan, MPAS, PA-C, of Northern Arizona University
• Morgan Nowak, MS, PA-C, of Shenandoah University
• Ryan White, MS, MPH, PA-C, of Rutgers University

2017-2018 AAPA-PAEA Research Fellows

• Christy Hanson, MPAS, PA-C, of Bethel University
• Virginia Valentin, DrPH, PA-C, of University of Utah
• Alicia Quella, PhD, PA-C, of Augsburg University