MERC Emerging Health Equity Scholar Award

2024 Application Closed

The UCSF Multiethnic Health Equity Research Center (MERC) in the Division of General Internal Medicine (DGIM) is excited to announce the third annual MERC Emerging Health Equity Scholar Award. The purpose of this award is to recognize and celebrate junior researchers’ contributions to health equity research and commitment to achieving health equity.

The award will recognize UCSF early investigators who are conducting health services, community-engaged, clinical, or translational research focused on health equity.  Eligible individuals can submit a self-nomination application available here by February 16, 2024. 

The award includes a small monetary award and an invitation to deliver a brief research presentation at this year’s virtual MERC in DGIM Research Symposium. The symposium will be held virtually on April 24, 2024, from 11am - 1 pm and will include a keynote speaker, Dr. Arleen Brown. The symposium is open to the UCSF community and the public to attend.

Award eligibility (Please contact us at [email protected] with any questions about eligibility criteria)

• UCSF affiliation with any school on campus.
• Early investigator per Early Stage Investigator (ESI) criteria, including Post-doctoral scholars, Fellow, Clinical Instructors, and Assistant Professors.
• Research focused on health equity, including health services, community-engaged, practice-based, clinical, or translational research.
• We encourage applications from diverse and/or historically excluded and underrepresented groups in research.

Self-nomination materials

Completion of application available here that includes:

• Basic demographic information
• Single PDF including:
  • 1-page personal statement to include:
    1. prior and current scholarship in health equity,
    2. how health equity research fits in with your career trajectory and future research agenda, and
    3. how a MERC award would highlight or advance your research.
  • 5-page NIH biosketch
  • 1-page abstract of a completed research project (400 words or less)

Award selection criteria

• Significance and potential impact of applicant’s completed research work and research trajectory in health equity
• Quality of the abstract of completed research project – writing, appropriateness of methods, significance of results, conclusions/implications of work
• Candidate and career trajectory in health equity focused research
• We will select for a diversity of disciplines, topics, and backgrounds of candidates.

Timeline

• Self-nomination through completion of application due February 16^th by midnight PST.
• Awardees will be notified by March 18^th. We intend to select 2- 3 awardees.
• Awardees will each present their completed research project in the context of their career trajectory in a 10 to 15-minute presentation followed by a moderated question & answer at the virtual Annual MERC in DGIM Research Symposium on April 24^th from 11-1pm.

Past Awardees