Description
Created to uphold and promote inclusion, diversity, equity, and anti-racism (IDEA) values and increase representation of minorities in academic psychiatry.
The Fellowship will sponsor participation in the Master Educator program and facilitate networking with a dynamic community of highly creative, dedicated educators. Opportunity to network and obtain mentoring
Number: maximum of 2, selected annually to begin in the fall session.
This program highlights AAP’s strong commitment to uphold and promote inclusion, diversity, equity, and anti-racism (IDEA) values and increase representation of minorities in academic psychiatry. We aim to support early career faculty from groups underrepresented or historically excluded from medicine. We are dedicated to enriching the pipeline of psychiatric educators who will teach the next generations of learners and contribute to better patient-centered and culturally-responsive mental health care, ultimately improving patient care outcomes. The AAP IDEA Master Educator Fellowship will sponsor participation in the Master Educator program and facilitate networking with a dynamic community of highly creative, dedicated educators.
Deadlines:
THIS FELLOWSHIP OPENS JANUARY 2, 2026.
Fellowship Award Application Deadline: April 1, 2026
Fellowship Award Notification: June 15, 2026
Application Requirements
Application Requirements:
Complete online application form, including a brief explanation of the way the applicant identifies as underrepresented or historically disadvantaged or information showing they are underrepresented at their institution.
Curriculum Vitae
One support letter from a peer, vice chair, chair, or supervisor (max 300 words. Prompt: Please describe the applicant's contributions to education to date, current educational role(s), quality of teaching, and future growth opportunities as an educator in your department/program).
Personal statement (max. 300 words describing your current educational roles, what your favorite parts of those roles are, your career plans as an educator, and how the fellowship will benefit career goals).
Optional, but encouraged: Teaching evaluations (e.g., didactic or clinical teaching).
Thank you for your interest. The Awards Portal is NOW OPEN! Click here to enter the portal. Submissions for this award will be accepted until APRIL 1, 2026.
For further inquiries, contact Lisa Hedrick at lhedrick@academicpsychiatry.org.
Eligibility
Participants are and remain AAP members in good standing at least throughout the duration of the fellowship.
Applicants should be junior faculty (clinical instructor/assistant professor) at the time when they will enter the Master Educator Program.
Applicants belong to a group that is underrepresented in psychiatry or otherwise disadvantaged nationally or at their institution (e.g., racial or ethnic minority, gender, gender identity, LGBTQ+, first generation college graduate, foster care recipients, international medical graduates, etc.).
Selection Criteria
Demonstrated interest, track record, and quality of teaching and/or curriculum development for medical students, residents, and/or in the community
Designed learning sessions (or full curricula, if applicable)
Compelling personal statement.
Benefits
The Master Educator Program registration fee will be waived for all sessions required for certificate completion. If applying as a new Master Educator participant, the award will cover a maximum of 3 sessions. If the applicant has already completed part of the Master Educator program, the award will cover the remainder of the sessions required to complete the program.
Participants must complete the Master Educator Program within four (4) years of receiving the IDEA Fellowship award. Extensions may be granted by the Master Educator Committee only under extenuating circumstances.
The AAP membership fee will also be waived for the first year of participation in the Master Educator Program for IDEA Fellowship award recipients. Membership must be maintained and in good standing to continue award benefits.
The IDEA Fellowship benefits commence with the 2026 Master Educator Program Fall (September) session.
AAP Master Educator IDEA Fellowship Award Recipients
2025
Kalyan Kandra, MD Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, IL
Juan Sosa, MD University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX
2024
Hannah Potvin, MD University of California – San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
Vanessa Torres-Llenza, MD, FAPA Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD
2023
Fiona Fonseca, MBBChBAO, MS Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
Certina Ho, BScPhm, MISt, MEd, PhD University of Toronto, Toronto, ON
2022
Paulo Marcelo Gondim Sales, MD, MS University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL
Lucy Ogbu-Nwobodo, MD MGH/McLean, Boston, MA
2021
Christopher Castenada, MD Texas Tech University, HSC, El Paso, TX
Dana Ross, MD, MSc, FRCPC University of Toronto, Toronto, ON