The SMHS Academy of Education Scholars

Academy Directors
	Zareen Zaidi, MD, PhD  Associate Director for Education Research and Scholarship  Co-Director, CFE Academy of Education Scholars Dr. Zaidi's GW Faculty page Dr. Zaidi's Publications page
	Anthony R. Artino, Jr., PhD  Associate Dean for Education Research  Co-Director, CFE Academy of Education Scholars Dr. Artino's Faculty page

Vision

To develop a community of practice of educational scholars who collaborate both inside and outside of the Academy to promote educational research and scholarship, positioning GW SMHS as a global leader in medical and health professions education research and innovation.

Objectives

Within GW SMHS, the Academy and its members aim to…

• Develop faculty expertise in educational research and scholarship. 
• Foster a culture of responsible research and scholarly thinking in medical and health professions education.
• Identify a cadre of recognized experts to advise school leadership on ways to enhance our educational mission, as well as to serve as mentors and role models to early-career faculty, residents, and students.
• Provide a forum to recognize and reward faculty who have demonstrated excellence in educational scholarship.
• Demonstrate the school’s commitment to the continuous quality improvement of its educational programs through educational scholarship.

Specific Goals

The specific goals of the Academy and its members are to…

1. Nurture and support GW SMHS faculty in their pursuit of educational scholarship. 
2. Host medical and health professions education events and invited speakers.
3. Offer educational research skill development sessions and journal clubs.
4. Provide educational research methodology consultations.
5. Assist faculty with innovation in medical and health professions education scholarship.
6. Assist faculty members in obtaining grant funding for educational research projects.
7. Identify platforms and speaking opportunities for faculty to disseminate their medical and health profession education scholarship.
8. Build intra- and inter-school collaborations promoting research and innovation in educational scholarship.
9. Create an awards program to honor the best educational scholarship by GW SMHS faculty.
10. Identify and nominate faculty for institutional, regional, national, and international educational research awards.
11. Promote educational scholarship focused on issues related to social justice and activism in medicine.

Membership Responsibilities

GW SMHS faculty who demonstrate evidence of outstanding performance in educational research and scholarship, and those with growing interest and expertise in educational research and scholarship, will be invited to apply to the Academy. Each year the Academy selects about three new members to join and help support its mission.

Academy members are responsible for the following activities… 

• Actively participate in Academy events. A minimum of 10 hours of service per year is required for members. Service includes, for example, mentoring other Academy members, planning and presenting at Academy events, attending and contributing to one or more CHEERS Consultation sessions, and contributing to skill-development sessions.  
• Serve as mentors for peers and early-career colleagues who are working on educational scholarships.
• Support the effectiveness of the Academy by serving on subcommittees, facilitating and presenting at sessions, and assisting in organizing Academy events.
• Provide an annual summary of educational research scholarship achievements. These will be consolidated by the Academy leadership into an annual report that will be shared with the GW SMHS leadership.
• Volunteer to plan and run sessions such as, but not limited to, CHEERS consults, journal club, Academic Medicine Last Page review sessions, and skill-based sessions.

Funding

Academy members can request up to $1,000 per member per year for research-related costs. These requests will be processed on a case-by-case basis and are dependent on GW SMHS funds availability. 

Publications

Please see the links below for lists of publications and scholarly work from Academy members. 

2022 Report of Academy Publications

Applications are now open.

Academy Application Process

Faculty who are interested in joining the Academy of Education Scholars are asked to submit the following three supporting documents:

1. A letter of interest. A short letter (no more than 1 page, single-spaced) briefly describing your interest in joining the Academy. Include your educational role at GW and a brief statement about your interest, experience, and expertise (if any) in educational research and scholarship. The Academy of Education Scholars would like to ensure diversity in medical education scholarship. The term “diversity” is broad by definition and can represent race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and disabilities, as well as many different traits or experiences. Please include in your letter a brief statement about how you would contribute to the diversity of the Academy. 
2. A complete CV. 
3. An Educational Scholarship Portfolio. The portfolio should illustrate and emphasize your unique strengths and contributions. A portfolio template can be found here. More information about educator portfolios can be found at the AAMC website. 
   Early career faculty are encouraged to apply and provide information in the portfolio about scholarships they are involved in which could include course development, assessment, etc.

Please submit all documents as one PDF document by July 31, 2024, via this link. All submissions will be reviewed by a nominating committee comprised of current Academy members, and final sections will be made by August 31, 2024.