The funding is for $50k (plus fringe) per year. The salary that this is calculated on is full professional salary (clinical and research) with the intent of protecting 20% of professional effort up to a $50k cap.
Jefferson Emerging Medical Scholars Program Junior Faculty Award
The Jefferson Emerging Medical Scholars Program (JEMS) Junior Faculty Award is an initiative between the Office of the Provost and the Jefferson Clinical Research Institute (JCRI) to support junior faculty in developing their careers in clinical research. This award provides a unique opportunity for Jefferson to strengthen efforts to bridge the gap to success for selected early career clinician-scientists by protecting 20% of their effort + fringe rate for two years (up to $50,000 of direct salary support each year).
Eligibility for Submission
Any Jefferson faculty that holds that status of Instructor or Assistant Professor and is within the first five years of their appointment is encouraged to apply. Applicants must able to identify a faculty-clinician scientist mentor in their selected area of expertise.
Mentorship & Application Requirements
Each application will need to include a personal statement, mentoring plan, proposed research project that will be the primary focus for the awardee, and letters of support from the mentor and department chair. Current external funding to support applicants effort will be considered.
New for the 2025 cycle: JEMS Awardees can apply for and receive up to $25,000 in pilot funds to support research projects in addition to the awarded salary support.
The application deadline for the 2025-2026 pilot award cycle has passed. 2026 award information and application deadlines will be available in February 2026.
New for the 2025 cycle: JEMS Awardees can apply for and receive up to $25,000 in pilot funds to support research projects in addition to the awarded salary support.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. The intent of this award is to provide protected time for any clinician-scientist at Jefferson. Non-physician clinicians are encouraged to apply.
Yes. As long as the early career clinician is only submitting one application, the same mentor can be listed in multiple applications.
Questions regarding the Jefferson Emerging Medical Scholars Program may be addressed to Tyler Kmiec
Awardees
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Avinoam Nevler, MD; Surgery Mentor: Charles J. Yeo, MD FACS; Chair, Department of Surgery Targeting Hypercapnia-Induced Chemotherapy Resistance in Pancreatic Cancer |
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Katherine Hunzinger, PhD, ASCM-CEP, CPT; Exercise Science Mentor: Laura Krisa, PhD; Professor, Department of Occupational Therapy Bi-directional Associations of Traumatic Brain Injury with Gait and Physical Function in Older Adults |
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Kavita Vinekar, MD, MPH, Obstetrics & Gynecology; Mentor: Kristin Rising MD, MSHP A patient-centered approach to managing pregnancy of unknown location |
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Stephanie Jackson Cullison MS, MD, PhD, Dermatology; Mentor: My Mahoney, PhD Defining biomarkers predictive of immune checkpoint inhibitor response in patients with advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma from plasma-derived small extracellular vesicles |
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Kevin Anton, MD, PhD, Radiology; Mentor: Ethan Halpern, MD; John Eisenbrey, PhD Contrast-enhanced ultrasound for diagnosis and therapy of cholangiocarcinoma |
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Anahid Modrek, PhD, Population Health; Mentor: Dr. Bill Oglesby, PhD, MBA Cognitive Determinants of School Health Can Inform Adolescent Outcomes |
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Sarah Kamel, MD, Radiology; Mentor: Ethan Halpern, MD Cost-effective diagnostic imaging algorithm for the assessment of hip pain and the added value of MRI |
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Jennie Ryan, PhD MSN, Nursing; Mentors: Brooke Worster, MD, Phil Veliz, PhD, and Erica Sood, PhD Assessing Risk of Cannabis Use in Adolescents with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder |
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Leila J. Mady, MD, PhD, MPH, Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery; Mentor: Pamela H. Dalton, PhD, MPH The Association of Olfactory Dysfunction and Frailty in Head and Neck Cancer |
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Amy Szajna, PhD, PMHNP-BC, Nursing; Mentor: Patricia Kelly PhD, MRN Exploring the Feasibility, Acceptability, and Effect Size of a Brief Behavioral Activation Intervention for Women with Postpartum Depression in South India |
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Rupsa Boelig, MD, MS, Obstetrics and Gynecology; Mentor: Walter Kraft, MD Aspirin for preeclampsia prevention: pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and pharmacogenomics of platelet response and pregnancy outcomes |
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Iyad Alnahhas, MD, MSc, Medical Oncology/Neurology; Mentor: Pierluigi Porcu, MD Exploring the Role of Methylthioadenosine Phosphorylase (MTAP) in Primary Central Nervous System (PCNSL) Lymphoma |
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Hristelina Ilieva, MD, PhD, Neurology; Mentors Davide Trotti PhD, A.M. Rostami MD, PhD Proteomics and transcriptomics analysis of exosome enriched fractions obtained from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and neurologic control patients |
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Efrat Kean, MD, Emergency Medicine; Mentor: Kristin Rising MD, MSHP Characterizing Successful Interventions in Pandemic Disease Response in Long-Term Care Facilities: Lessons Learned During COVID-19 and Evidence-Based Guidelines For Future Outbreaks |
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Aparna Kumar PhD, MPH, MSN, Nursing; Mentor: Roseann Schaaf, PhD, OTR/L The STIGMA study - Breaking down S-Screening, T-Treatment, and I-Integrated care, for G-Generational M-Mental Wellness and A-Action: A family based approach to improving mental health in the perinatal period and beyond |
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Ruth Jeminiwa, PhD, Pharmacy; Mentor: Diane Abatemarco, PhD, MSW Rethinking Care for Pregnant Women with Opioid Use Disorder |
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Neda Nikbakht, MD, PhD, Medical Oncology; Mentor: Pierluigi Porcu, MD The malignant microenvironment in early cutaneous T-cell lymphoma |
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Paul Chung, MD, Urology; Mentor: Flemming Forsberg, PhD, MS Contrast Enhanced Ultrasonographic Evaluation of Urethral Stricture Disease |
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Namrata Grampurohit, PhD, OTR/L, Occupational Therapy; Mentor MaryJane Mulcahey PhD, OTR/L Clinical Trial Endpoints of Observed Function in Spinal Cord Injury |
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Nathan Handley, MD, MBA, Medical Oncology; Mentor: Kristin Rising MD, MSHP Evaluating telehealth as a potential tool for reducing the opportunity cost of seeking cancer care |