PAEA is accepting research proposals for the STAR Program from February 17 to April 17, 2026. The program allows PA faculty researchers to submit up to 10 closed-ended survey questions for inclusion in the 2027 PAEA Student Surveys. Because the survey takes a considerable amount of time to complete, applicants should be conscious of the time demands on survey respondents.
The STAR Program is adapted from the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine’s CAFM Educational Research Alliance Program. The program’s goals are to:
- Increase the quality and frequency of research and scholarly activity among faculty of PAEA member institutions
- Improve the process for surveying constituents with better questions and fewer surveys
- Provide a clearinghouse of data that faculty of PAEA member institutions can use to produce scholarly work
Researchers seeking better data from program directors are encouraged to submit proposals to the STAR program for the PAEA Program Survey, which occurs biannually.
Eligibility
The principal investigator (PI) must be a faculty member at an accredited PAEA member or institutional colleague program in good standing and be employed by the educational institution for a minimum of 20 hours per week for the duration of the project.
Priority will be given to proposals that receive high scores on the evaluation criteria, are likely to yield a high-quality, peer-reviewed publication, and are aligned with PAEA’s current research priorities:
- Increasing capacity in clinical education
- Promoting general fairness in PA faculty and/or student recruitment and retention.
However, projects can investigate a range of issues, including:
- Workforce readiness of PA program graduates
- Understanding and improving didactic education
- Challenges and solutions to issues in clinical education
- Equipping PA students for expanded leadership roles in health care
- Addressing barriers that exist in work environments for PAs.
A proposal is accepted under the condition that the PI makes changes to the questions as requested by the reviewers and the PAEA Research Team (if required).
The primary investigator must sign the PAEA research agreement and complete the research project within 18 months of receiving the data. The PI is to submit a final project report to PAEA Research Team within 90 days of the end of the study. The project will be deemed complete when the final report has been approved by PAEA.
How to Apply
Before submitting your application through the online application system, please carefully review the submission guidelines and required materials. The submission deadline is 11:59 pm EDT on April 17, 2026. Applications that are not formatted correctly or that are missing required elements may be delayed or not considered.
Previous Recipients
- 2025 Recipient: Stephanie Jalaba, MMS, PA-C, assistant professor at Michigan State University
- 2023 Recipient: Shani Fleming, PhD, MSHS, MPH, PA-C, associate professor at the University of Maryland, Baltimore PA Program
- 2020 Recipient: Quincy Jones, MSW, MHS, PA-C, assistant professor at the Duke University PA Program
- 2019 Recipient: Nicholas Hudak, MPAS, PA-C, associate professor at the Duke University PA Program
- 2018 Recipient: Joanne Rolls, MPAS, PA-C, research team lead and an assistant clinical professor at the University of Utah
- 2107 Recipient: James Stoehr, PhD, Midwestern University, Glendale
- 2016 Recipient: Johnna Yealy, MSPAS, PA-C, The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
- 2015 Recipient: Oren Berkowitz, PhD, MSPH, PA, Boston University School of Medicine
- 2014 Recipient: Abiola O. Keller, PA-C, MPH, PhD, Marquette University