IEC Clinical and Research Fellowship Program Details

The IEC Fellowship Program offers two kinds of fellowships—a Clinical Fellowships and a Research Fellowship.

What is an IEC Clinical Fellowship?

Clinical Fellows will be paired with an expert IEC Councilor in a clinical or hospital setting to learn hands on clinical technique for diagnosis, treatment, and management of atopic dermatitis. The program combines in-person mentoring and observation along with distance learning.

Clinical Fellows observe the Mentor onsite for a minimum of 4 weeks. Following the onsite period, the Clinical Fellows and Mentor have planned communications throughout the remaining year (11 months) via in-person meetings, email, video, teleconferences, and other opportunities. Most of the in-person time (80-90%) will be spent on clinical activities with patients.

Clinical Fellowship Awardees will receive a maximum of $5,000 to support their fellowship stipend and a $1,500 facility stipend.

What is the Clinical Fellowship Curriculum?

The curriculum includes prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of AD including conventional and recently approved topical and systemic treatments. Topics may include pathogenesis of AD and differences between different AD subtypes; emerging epidemiologic and diagnostic data on AD; emerging atopic and other comorbidities of AD and its systemic nature in patients with moderate-to-severe disease.

What are the Expectations of a Clinical Fellow?

The Clinical Fellows are required

  • To attend a major scientific dermatology congress with their mentor
  • A choice of
    • conducting a chart review
    • making a presentation at a major conference
    • submitting an abstract or manuscript for publication in a national or international Dermatology journal 

Note: Fellows will also be awarded up to a $2,000 stipend to support travel to a congress. Funds may be used to allow HCPs in training to attend major educational, scientific or policymaking meetings and/or national, regional or specialty medical associations.  Funds may cover registration fees, travel and accommodations.  Funds must not be used to support any meal, snack or reception for program participants for fellowships.

What is an IEC Research Fellowship?

Research Fellows will be paired with an expert IEC Councilor in a clinical research or laboratory setting to monitor, observe, and learn clinical or experimental research technique and participate in research activities in a clinical research setting or laboratory. Research Fellows have a 1-year site commitment: 70-80% will be spent on research activities and 10-20% of the time on clinical activities.

What is the Research Fellowship Curriculum?

The focus of this program is on the AD research project as elaborated by the Fellow and Mentor. The project can be clinical or experimental. Topics may include pathogenesis of AD and differences between different AD subtypes; emerging epidemiologic and diagnostic data on AD; emerging atopic and other comorbidities of AD and its systemic nature in patients with moderate-to-severe disease. Research Fellowship Awardees will receive a maximum of $60,000 to support their fellowship stipend and a $10,000 facility stipend.

What are the Expectations of a Research Fellow?

The Research Fellow is required to

  • attend and present at a major scientific dermatology congress during the fellowship year
  • submit a manuscript to a major national or international dermatology journal 

Note: Fellows will also be awarded up to a $2,000 stipend to support travel to a congress. Funds may be used to allow HCPs in training to attend major educational, scientific or policymaking meetings and/or national, regional or specialty medical associations.  Funds may cover registration fees, travel and accommodations.  Funds must not be used to support any meal, snack or reception for program participants for fellowships.

Post Fellowship Evaluation 

Fellowship outcomes will be determined using various measures and tailored to each match. Evaluations will consist of data collected from participants, surveys, interviews, and the completeness of the presentation, and will be used to measure the Fellow’s increased knowledge, competence, performance, and patient outcomes in the clinical or research setting.

Each Fellowship cohort’s data will be evaluated yearly.

Interested in Applying?

Applications are currently being accepted for the 2023/2024 MDRI/IEC Canadian Research Fellowship until March 31, 2023.

APPLY TODAY 
Currently, fellowships may take place at an accredited Canada and US-based academic institution.  Initial sites are in Chicago, New York, San Diego, Montreal, Canada and Toronto, Ontario, Canada.  International candidates (i.e., outside Canada and the US) are welcome to apply.  Fellowship awards are contingent on the availability of funds and the receipt of sufficiently meritorious applications.

Please review the following requirements, which you will be asked to submit with your application:

  1. Current CV
  2. Letter of recommendation(s): from the department chair, residency program director, clinical supervisor, or IEC Councilor or Board Member attesting to the applicant's character and potential to benefit from the fellowship. This should be addressed to the IEC Fellowship Committee and must be on the letterhead of the author's institution.
  3. Statement of Purpose--description of career goals with focus on AD interest and how you envision the Fellowship to impact your future.
  4. Project Information (for Research Fellow applicants only): Provide a project title and summarize the proposed research project to be undertaken during the Fellowship in the form of a one-page specific aims page as would be provided with an NIH grant.

 Questions contact Alan Stiles [email protected].