Endowed Chair Details and Application Process

• Academy Endowed Chairholders (Academy-based and Matched Endowed Chairs)
  • You can check the year your department's matched endowed chair term ends, as well as the year the academy-based chair term ends.
• Learn about the work of present and past chairholders.

Inclusion criteria

• AME member in good standing.
• Uphold the Academy’s Principles of Professionalism in Health Professions Education.
• Commitment to the UCSF PRIDE values
• Have a > 50% UCSF faculty appointment or faculty appointment in the department.
  • For faculty with joint appointments, eligibility is determined in consultation between the department chair and the Academy director.
  • The primary appointment of the faculty member should be taken into consideration.
• Chairholders for whom a second term is available must re-compete with other eligible AME members from the department and have a successful stewardship review of the first term to be eligible..

Exclusion criteria

• Academy endowed chairholders may not concurrently hold more than one chair.
• Academic leadership positions, such as department chair, or administrative positions, such as associate dean or health systems leader.
• The division chief or vice chair of education may be ineligible, as determined by the Academy director and department chair (for matched endowed chairs) or the SOM vice dean of education (for Academy-based chairs), with consideration for the fair and equitable use of resources.
• Faculty with an emeritus faculty appointment or who are an AME Sustaining Member.

A chairholder who takes on a leadership position may finish out the academic year, but then vacate the endowed chair.

• Generally, the call is sent to eligible candidates in December.
• What should I include in the application packet? Application packets should include: 
  • A proposal for the work that you wish to accomplish during your term as endowed chair,
  • Your plans for your professional growth and development.
  • How you plan to develop other educators.
  • Explain your collaborative approach.
  • How you serve as a liaison between your department and the Academy.
  • How you promote the values of the AME
  • What the work or activities that the income from the chair would support (revirw Summary of Activities). (MyAccess login required)
  • How you will uphold the UCSF PRIDE values..
  • Your current 1-page Educator Portfolio Executive Summary.
  • Your current Advance CV.
• Other Application Tips and Resources
  •  Examples of the Educator’s Portfolio and Community Statement (MyAccess login required)
  • Discuss with your career mentor
  • Consider reaching out to prior/current chairholders

• February: applications are reviewed by a Stewardship Review and Search Committee for that chair.
  • In the Fall of the final year of the chairholder’s term, the AME Director and the CFE Director conduct a review of eligible candidates and meet with the Matched Endowed Chair's  (MEC) Department Chair. For MEC’s,  part of this discussion includes recommending the search and review committee chair and members who will be appointed by the Dean of the School of Medicine.
  • The stewardship review and search committee adheres to the School of Medicine’s review committee requirements. All committees appointed by the Dean shall uphold the UCSF PRIDE values. All committee members must attest to completing the required UCSF Anti-discrimination in Programs and Activities training. 
• Late March: The committee nominates a new chairholder and sends their recommendation for approval to the SOM Dean.
• April:  The appointment decision is announced once the approval process is complete.

• Orientation of the new chairholder
• The new chairholder meets with the AME and CFE directors at the beginning of the term to review:
  • How funds can be managed or spent.
  • Expectations and responsibilities, reporting and reviews.
  • Chairholder’s unique role in the Academy.
  • Mentorship and growth opportunity/seek mentorship beyond their own department.
  • Review committee feedback.

• Review Summary of Activities.
• Funds are available to new chairholders in July. Annual payouts occur in October via a departmental fund (an award under the sole control of the chairholder).
• The principal of an endowed chair cannot be spent.
• The principal's income (~4.5%) forms the annual payout.
• There are annual operations fees assessed by UCSF (6%) and the Academy ($4000).
• Remaining funds at the end of each year within the chair term remain available, but it is not advisable to bank funds for an extended period.
• At the end of a chair term, any unallocated balance as of July 1 from the prior chairholder rolls over for the new chairholder’s use.
• Exceptions include funds committed to Innovations Funding projects/approved equivalent, or approved stop-the-clock agreements (discuss with Academy Director).
• Chair funds are used at the chairholder’s discretion in alignment with the purpose of the chair.
• Chair funds should support activities that advance the incumbent’s professional development as an educator, their creative work within education, and/or advance the professional development of rising educators in the department and the School.

• Submit an annual summary of their endowed chairholder activities as part of the AME annual summary, requested of all AME members.
• Attend bi-annual endowed chair meetings, generally in the summer and fall.
• Engage in collaboration/mentoring of junior faculty.
• Serve as departmental liaisons between the department and the Academy, and meet periodically with their department chairs and with other Academy members in their departments to facilitate Academy support for all educators.
• Committee service: may be asked to serve on an endowed chair stewardship and search committee
• Mid-term Review: when and what’s expected:
  • When: In the third year of the five-year term, from March to May, the mid-term review is conducted.
  • Purpose: for the chairholder to be able to share with the Academy Director, the SOM Vice Dean for Education, and the Department Chair (for MECs) their growth as an educator and accomplishments to date, any challenges, and their focus for the remainder of the term. 
  • This is an opportunity to receive feedback on how well they are stewarding the chair, as well as recommendations and support/advocacy to optimize their tenure in the chair. 
  • It is also an opportunity to open a conversation about the chairholder and how their work can be sustained after the term is completed.
  • Process:
    • March: CFE Director requests a one-page report from the endowed chairholder addressing the following points:
      • Your growth and career as an educator through holding the chair.
      • Your efforts to develop other educators.
      • Ways in which you have served as a liaison between the AME and the department.
      • The work the chair is currently supporting and the focus during the final two years.
      • Plans to spend the remaining funds
    • April - May: the Academy Director meets with the chairholder to discuss the report, soliciting feedback from the SOM Vice Dean for Education, and then meeting with the department chair for input.
      • This discussion also includes the following talking points:
        • Roles, programs,, or innovations that you would like to continue after the term is completed.
        • How funding might be replaced after the term if chair funds are being used for salary support.
      • The Academy Director provides a summary of their compiled feedback and guidance to the chairholder.
• Stewardship Review: When and what’s expected
  • When: In the Winter, generally January – March, of the final year of the five-year term, the stewardship review is conducted, marking the end of the MEC or AME EC term.
  • Purpose: A stewardship review is required by the chancellor’s office. The review packet includes a stewardship report prepared by the chairholder, the original proposal for the chair, and the annual summary of activities over the term of the chair (Academy service and endowed chairholder activities).
  • Process:
    • January: CFE Director requests a 3-5 page report from the endowed chairholder addressing the following points:
      • Describe how holding the chair supported your growth and career as an educator.
      • Describe how you developed other educators and served as a liaison between the department and the Academy
      • Describe the work made possible by the chair funding over the five-year term, including publications or other outcomes of this work.
      • Describe the impact of the work on the mission of the Academy, the school, and the department
    • March: The stewardship and search committee reviews the chairholder’s stewardship report and sends their recommendation to the SOM Dean to affirm a successful stewardship.
    • April:  The SOM Dean’s approval of the successful stewardship is announced once the approval process is complete.
• Renewal of Chairholder Appointment/Chair terms
  • Academy-based chairs are limited to a single five-year term. 
  • Appointment to most Academy of Medical Educators Matched Endowed Chairs is for one five-year term, in support of fair and equitable use of resources. 
  • In special circumstances (e.g., few eligible candidates), the department chair and the Academy Director may agree to allow:
    • Two terms with reconsideration at each subsequent search cycle. If available, a second term requires a competitive formal search. 
    • Terms are not required to be completed consecutively. 
    • Otherwise-eligible candidates who have already successfully completed two terms may apply if there is no other eligible Academy member for the specific matched endowed chair. 
      • In this case, the department chair and Academy director must submit an “exceptional justification request” for approval by the SOM dean.
    • Regardless of appointment date, terms are normalized to begin on July 1 after the appointment and end five years later on June 30.

The Academy is committed to supporting members who take a leave of absence or temporarily move to part-time (<50% time) for 6 months to 1 year for professional, personal, or family needs. Chairholders on planned or unexpected leave should connect with the Academy Director to learn more about the Academy’s guidelines.