Health Disparities Research and Training Fellowship

• Application Submission: Accepting submissions from October 1, 2026 - November 2, 2026

• Funding Decisions: Early December 2026

• Fellowship Start Date: January 1, 2027

• Fellowship End Date: June 30, 2028

• Current first-year medical students enrolled at the University of Kentucky in good academic standing are welcome to apply.

• The 18-month fellowship will start January 1, 2027 (spring of the student’s 1^st year of medical school) and will end on June 30, 2028 (end of the student’s 2^nd year).

• Fellowship awardees will be required to take one course on health disparities during the Spring of their first year (see details below)

• Stipend award for personal use in the amount of $5,000; the stipend will be dispersed across two installments ($2,500 in January 2027, $2,500 in June 2027).

• A research award of up to $2,000; IRB or other regulatory approvals (if required for the project) must be obtained in order for the research funds to be released.

• The application requires a one-page description of a research project (in the form of a Specific Aims page, see application instructions below). The research project should focus on an aspect of alleviating health disparities or enhancing the health and well-being of those disproportionately impacted by health disparities. Clinical science, basic science, community-engagement, health humanities, or educational intervention projects will be considered

• Proposed projects must meet the following criteria: 

  • Applicants are required to select a PI mentor who has an ongoing project in their area of interest.   

  • Applicants should take the lead on reporting a specific outcome, either one that the applicant proposes and can be feasibly incorporated into the mentor’s existing project, or a previously planned outcome that the mentor agrees the applicant can lead.  

  • Applicants must clearly articulate and describe the feasibility of their role in the project.

• The applicant is not required to recruit participants, collect, or analyze all data independently. However, the project should reflect a balanced team effort, with the applicant contributing a reasonable and well-defined portion of the work. 

Mentorship

• Applicants are required to work with a research mentor from the UK Department of Behavioral Science (see current list: Behavioral Science Faculty). 

• The mentor will support the student in developing the application and carrying out the proposed research. See “Mentor Responsibilities” section below and share this information when discussing potential mentorship with the Behavioral Science faculty member. 

  Optional: Students may collaborate with an additional co-mentor outside of the Department of Behavioral Science, if the proposed project requires additional expertise beyond that of the BSC primary mentor. Students must communicate with both mentors and ensure their willingness to serve as co-mentors prior to submitting their application. Letters of support will be required from both mentors.  

• Applicants are advised to contact potential mentors early in the application process to discuss research ideas and confirm their willingness to serve as a mentor. If applicants experience difficulty identifying a mentor, please email Dr. Darlingtina Esiaka at dkesiaka@uky.edu for assistance. 

1. January – March 2027: Development of detailed research proposal. After the applicant receives the notice of the research fellowship award, they will spend the first several months of their fellowship fully refining the details of the research project and develop a full, detailed research protocol (along with their Behavioral Science mentor).
2. April 1, 2027: Deadline for submission of full research proposal and 3-month check-in. The final detailed research protocol is submitted to the Fellowship Committee for review and feedback. The fellow must provide a 3-month check-in, preferably in person to receive feedback on their research proposal.
3. August 2027: Deadline for research project initiation. The project should have received regulatory approval (if needed), and the majority of the data collection should be collected by the start of M2. The project and analyses should remain active through Spring 2026.
4. November 2027: Submission of a 1-page progress report. The fellow should submit a summary reporting on their research activities and progress.
5. March 2028: Project completed by end of March or the start of dedicated study for STEP.
6. May/June 2028: Research presentation. The fellow will create a 15–20-minute presentation to describe the background, methods, and data obtained from their research project.  This will be an open forum open to the campus community; friends and family of the applicant are welcome.
7. Summer 2028: Brief exit interview via a 30-min Zoom meeting to offer thoughts/suggestions.

• **Fellowship awardees are required to enroll in the following elective course during the Spring of their 1^st year of medical school – please note that enrollment will be required shortly after fellowship awards are granted.
  • Spring 2027: MD 825: Race, Racism and Health Disparities among African Americans in the U.S
• All abstracts, posters, presentations and publications that result from this fellowship should acknowledge the support of the Department of Behavioral Science Health Disparities Research & Training Fellowship. 

The primary research mentor must be a faculty member from the department of behavioral science. However, faculty members outside of the department may serve on the applicant's mentorship team (although these additional mentors are not required). Each mentor will assume the responsibility of overseeing the applicant’s research and progress. 

The primary mentor is expected to assist the applicant with the following activities: 

• Development of the fellowship application and research plan.
• Project implementation, including overseeing data collection and completion of the project.
• Development of full project proposal (due April 1, 2027).
• Completion of progress reports describing the fellow’s progress (written by the fellow with mentor’s input and guidance).
• Preparation of a brief final presentation of the fellow’s project (May/June 2028).
• Completion of a final evaluation of fellow’s progress/exit interview (Summer 2028).

Applications must be submitted online by 11:59pm EST on November 2, 2026 at the following link: https://medicine.uky.edu/departments/behavioralscience/health-disparities-research-training-fellowship. Letters of recommendation must be sent directly to BSCConcert@uky.edu by the letter’s author by 11:59pm EST on November 2, 2026.

Application Components 

1. Application Form: Complete and sign the application form: HDRT Fellowship Application

    

2. Personal Statement: Provide a personal statement of no more than 600 words that describes: 
   1. Any previous service or leadership experience as it relates to alleviating health disparities or enhancing the health and well-being of those disproportionately impacted by health disparities.
   2. Commitment to addressing health disparities.
   3. Describe why the Behavioral Science faculty mentor was selected for this project.

   4. How the HDRT Fellowship will benefit the applicant in their training as a future physician.

       

3. Research Proposal: Submit a 2-page research proposal that includes the following elements:
   1. Specific aims page (1 page) (examples and general guidance if needed: NIH SA Page)
   2. Project timeline (approx. ½ page) using the research timeline above as a general guide
   3. Itemized budget justification (approx. ½ page); $2,000 maximum budget for the duration of the project 

   4. Questions regarding allowable costs should be directed to: Alicia Colliver (ajduna0@uky.edu) 

       

4. Resume or CV: Include educational history, previous/current research activities (if any), employment, and extracurricular activities, and awards/recognitions

    

5. Two letters of recommendation:
   1. One letter from a previous or current mentor or supervisor who can speak to the applicant’s involvement working with an interest in health disparities research
   2. One letter from the applicant’s Behavioral Science faculty mentor
   3. Letters should be submitted on official letterhead and include a signature
   4. Letters of recommendation must be sent directly to BSCConcert@uky.edu by the letter’s author. Letters should have the applicant’s name as part of the file name and in the subject line of the email.

Virtual Interview 

After an initial review of applications, CONCERT will extend interview requests to selected applicants. It is anticipated that interviews will take place the week of November 9, 2026. 

The Department of Behavioral Science Council on Community, Education, Research and Training (CONCERT) will review all applications. The Council will prioritize candidates who express a commitment to working toward alleviating health disparities or enhancing the health and well-being of those disproportionately impacted by health disparities. 

Applications will be evaluated on the following criteria:

• Applicant’s potential to carry out a project that aims to address health disparities.
• Faculty mentor(s) ability to provide adequate mentorship for the proposed project.
• Project feasibility (timeline, scope of data collection, applicant’s previous research experience as it pertains to feasibility).
• Strength of proposed research idea.

For questions regarding the HDRT Fellowship, please contact Dr. Darlingtina Esiaka at dkesiaka@uky.edu.