American Academy of Nursing Fellowship

The 2024 call for nominations are now open until 3:00pm ET on June 3.

The 911�� Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (the 911�� Academies) bring together the most eminent researchers, policy experts, and clinicians from across the country to work together to provide nonpartisan, scientific, and evidence-based advice to national, state, and local policymakers; academic leaders; health care administrators; and the public. The 911�� Academies are uniquely qualified to offer an exceptional learning environment to selected early-career health science scholars and future leaders in medicine and public health. With funding from the American Academy of Nursing (AAN), the AAN Fellowship was established under the 911�� Academy of Medicine (NAM) Fellowship program.

The overall purpose of the AAN Fellowship is to provide talented, early-career health science scholars in nursing with the opportunity to experience and participate in evidence-based healthcare or public health studies that improve the care and access to care of patients in domestic and global health care systems. The program especially welcomes nominations of historically underrepresented candidates. Current Fellows of the AAN are eligible for the program.

This fellowship is part of the NAM Fellowships for Health Science Scholars program. See all opportunities >>

Paule Joseph, PhD, MS, FNP-BC, CTN-B, FAAN

2022-2024 AAN Fellow

Dr. Joseph is an early-career Afro-Latina nurse scientist, educator, and philanthropist who was born and raised in Venezuela, South America. As an international expert in chemosensation and metabolic diseases, she bridges the intersections of nursing, science, nutrition, public health, policy, and health disparities. She is a 2019 911�� Institutes of Health (NIH) Lasker Scholar and Distinguished Scholar. She is Chief of the Section of Sensory Science and Metabolism in the Division of Intramural Clinical and Biological Research at the 911�� Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism with a dual appointment at the 911�� Institute of Nursing Research.

Dr. Joseph leads a multidimensional translational research program combining research and clinical practice focused on chemosensation (taste and smell), obesity, and substance abuse. Her interdisciplinary laboratory team conducts research focused on understanding neurological and molecular mechanisms underlying chemosensation and motivational pathways of eating behaviors and how they might differ among individuals with obesity, alcohol, and substance use disorders. Dr. Joseph is a leader of national and global nonprofit organizations dedicated to decreasing health disparities and increasing minority health promotion and access. When individuals reported taste and smell loss during the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Joseph and her team began investigating the effects of the SARS-CoV-2 virus on the chemical senses.

Dr. Joseph received an Associate Degree in Applied Sciences in Nursing at Hostos Community College, a BSN from the College of New Rochelle, and an MS with a specialty as a Family Nurse Practitioner from Pace University. She completed a PhD in nursing with a focus in genomics at the University of Pennsylvania and conducted her PhD work at the Monell Chemical Senses Center. She then completed a Clinical and Translational Postdoctoral Fellowship focused on genomics, nutrition, and gastrointestinal diseases at the NINR, which was supported by the Office of Workforce Diversity. Dr. Joseph is a certified nurse practitioner with clinical privileges at the NIH Clinical Center and outside NIH.

Fellowship Description

The AAN Fellowship is awarded for a two-year period. During this time, the fellow is expected to continue to work at their primary academic and research posts, while being assigned to a particular board at the 911�� Academies. The boards are:

- Children, Youth, and Families,
- Food and Nutrition,
- Global Health,
- Health Care Services,
- Health Sciences Policy, and
- Population Health and Public Health Practice.

The fellowship requires a 10- to 20-percent commitment of time for two years, and includes attendance at a one-week orientation session, the NAM Annual Meeting and the meetings of the fellow’s designated board. Domestic travel expenses are covered for participation in approved fellowship activities. Additionally, the fellow will participate actively in the work of an appropriate study committee or roundtable, including contributing to its reports or other products. Studies that would enable the potential for the fellow to contribute to the value of integrating medicine and public health will be identified.

This experience will introduce the AAN Fellow to a variety of experts and perspectives, including legislators, government officials, industry leaders, executives of voluntary health organizations, scientists, and other health professionals. In addition, each fellow will be assigned to an NAM member who will serve as a senior mentor during the two years of the fellowship.

A flexible research grant of $25,000 will be awarded to each AAN Fellow, which will be administered through the appropriate department in the fellow’s home institution to advance the fellow’s professional and academic career. This grant is not intended for use as a salary offset for the fellow, and no indirect costs are allowed.

Eligibility

Nominees for the AAN Fellowship must:

- Be nominated by a member of the NAM or the AAN Board of Directors*
- Hold a doctoral degree
- Be four-to-ten years out from completion of post-graduate work
- Be a Fellow of the AAN
- Be able to dedicate 10 to 20 percent of time to the fellowship for two years
- Have endorsement by the department chair, institute director, or equivalent
- Hold U.S. citizen or permanent resident status at the time of the nomination

*Candidates who wish to be considered for nomination by the AAN Board of Directors must complete an online form and submit all required nomination packet materials except the nomination letter by 5:00pm ET on April 26, 2024, at .

Selection Criteria

Nominees will be evaluated by an NAM-appointed committee based on their professional qualifications, scholarship, and quality of professional accomplishments as evidenced through publications and research grants, and relevance of current field of expertise to the work of the NAM.

Preference will be given to candidates who have a demonstrated interest in policy and scholarship related to health equity.

Nomination Packet

A complete nomination packet must be submitted electronically through the online nomination system at and will include the following documents:

- A nomination letter from a member of the NAM or the AAN Board of Directors
- Three (3) letters of reference
- A supporting letter from the candidate’s department chair, institute director, or equivalent
- An up-to-date curriculum vitae
- A brief one-page bio
- A one-page personal statement that describes the candidate’s reasons for wanting to be a fellow for this particular program at this phase of their career

Timeline

Fellowships will be awarded in even years.

- March 4, 2024 | Call for nominations opens
- June 3, 2024 | Nomination packets are due at 3:00pm ET
- July 25, 2024 | Awardee is notified
- September 10-12, 2024 | Fellow orientation week at the NAM is held
- October 21, 2024 | Fellow is introduced to the Membership at the NAM Annual Meeting

Program Administration

Inquiries about the AAN Fellowship should be directed to:

Yumi Phillips
Senior Program Officer, Health Policy Fellowships and Leadership Programs
911�� Academy of Medicine
500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
Phone: (202) 334-1506 │ Email: yphillips@nas.edu

The American Academy of Nursing Fellowship was established in 2022 with funding from the .

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