Academy Endowed Chair Program

1. To support teaching excellence, career development and professional identity as an educator for the chair holder and expand their impact at UCSF and beyond. 

2. For the chair holder to help develop the next generation of educators.  

3. For the chair holder to serve as liaison between their department, the School of Medicine and the Academy. 

4. For the chair holder to use this discretionary income to pursue new “value added” education work beyond specific roles in education such as course or clerkship director. 

5. To promote the AME values of community, diversity, advocacy, service and innovation.

Guided by the vision of the former dean of the UCSF School of Medicine, Haile T. Debas, the Academy of Medical Educators facilitated the establishment of a portfolio of matched department- and Academy-based endowed chairs Academy Endowed Chair Program launched in 2001

• Twenty matched endowed chairs established with $250,000 from the School of Medicine’s Dean's Office and at least $250,000 in academic departmental funding
• Three Academy based chairs established with School of Medicine funds and philanthropy
• One Academy based chair which supports the Academy Director position established through philanthropy
• More than $10 million has been committed to this program since its inception

Academy endowed chair holders are selected via a competitive search process and are appointed for a five-year term. To support fair and equitable use of resources, most of the endowed chairs are limited to a single term. 

Eligible faculty are identified as part of a pre-search process and included in the call for applications.    Link to full eligibility criteria in how to apply section. 

• AME member in good standing. 
• Uphold the Academy’s Principles of Professionalism in Health Professions Education 
• Completed foundational DEIA training.
• UCSF faculty appointment
  • For matched endowed chairs, faculty appointment in that department.

• Chair holders for whom a second term is available must re-compete with other eligible AME members and have a successful stewardship review of the first term to be eligible.

• Academy endowed chair holders 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.

Application Timeline

• Stewarding chair to meet endowed chair program
• Academy member of good standing
• Uphold the Academy’s Principles of Professionalism in Health Professions Education
• Collaboration/mentoring of junior faculty
• Departmental liaison between the department and the Academy

Mid-term review

• Occurs in the third year of the chair holder’s term
• The chair holder provides a written mid-term report
• Input from AME director, SOM Vice Dean for Education and department chair (MEC)
• Mid-term review goals
  • Endowed chair holder to share their growth as an educator and accomplishments to date, any challenges, and focus for the remainder of the term
  • Leaders to provide feedback and support for successful tenure of the chair and confer about sustainability of the work after the chair
• Oversight to ensure funds are being spent 

Stewardship review

• A fifth-year stewardship review is required at the end of the chair holder’s term.
• The chair holder provides a written stewardship report
• The stewardship of the chair is formally reviewed by a stewardship/search committee with a recommendation to the SOM Dean

For more detailed chairholder review information, see the TITLE section/page

Chin-Hong P, Loeser H, Peterson A, Ramachandran R, O'Sullivan PS. Impact of an Innovative Endowed Chair Program on Medical Educator Recipients. Acad Med. 2022 Nov 1;97(11):1650-1655. doi: 10.1097/ACM.0000000000004599. Epub 2022 Jan 18. PMID: 35044975.

This study aimed to assess the impact on faculty members who received an endowed chair for education. The authors conducted qualitative interviews with chairholders from the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine who had completed at least one 5-year term. The results showed that receiving an endowed chair had significant symbolic value, indicating quality and increasing visibility and status within the institution and externally. Chairholders reported that the resources provided by the endowed chair allowed them flexibility to pursue valuable activities for themselves, their mentees, and the organization. Holding the chair also facilitated professional development for both the chairholder and others. The impact of receiving an endowed chair extended beyond the term and led to increased visibility and opportunities in education. This study highlights the importance of endowed chairs for career development in education and institutional enhancement.

Poncelet A, Collins S, Fiore D, Rosenbluth G, Loeser H, Sawaya GF, Teherani A, Chang A. Identifying Value Factors in Institutional Leaders' Perspectives on Investing in Health Professions Educators. JAMA Netw Open. 2023 Feb 1;6(2):e2256193. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.56193. PMID: 36795413; PMCID: PMC9936339.

This qualitative study aimed to explore the value factors that health professions leaders placed on educator investment programs, including intramural grants and endowed chairs. The study used semi-structured interviews with 29 leaders from UCSF and its affiliated systems. The results identified value factors across five domains: individual, financial, operational, social or societal, and strategic or political. Individual factors emphasized the impact on faculty career and development, while financial factors highlighted the importance of these investments as inputs rather than outputs. Operational factors focused on educational programs and faculty recruitment, while social and societal factors emphasized scholarship and dissemination benefits. Strategic and political factors highlighted the impact on culture, innovation, and organizational success. These findings suggest that health sciences and health system leaders find value in funding educator investment programs beyond direct financial return on investment and can inform program design and evaluation for future investments.