AIM Center Faculty

The Academic Internal Medicine (AIM) Center is pleased to announce the formation of two new Division of General Internal Medicine AIM Rollins Career Development Professorships each endowed at the $1.5M level. They are designed to support promising junior faculty members in their early academic careers. Typically held for a three-year term, the professorship provides financial resources that can protect time for research grant applications and can allow for faculty to complete transitions from early-career grants, such as foundation or K-awards, to independent funding mechanisms, such as R-awards. The program’s goal is to foster academic growth, enhance career stability, and retain talent within the Division of General Internal Medicine at Emory School of Medicine.  These professorships are made possible due to the generous donation from the Gary W. Rollins Foundation.

Professorship A will be awarded for a 3-year duration without opportunity for renewal.

Professorship B is initially awarded for 18 months, with the option for the inaugural recipient to apply for a 3-year renewal in a competitive process. After that, it becomes a non-renewable 3-year award.

Applicants will be evaluated on:
-Candidate strength: Academic achievements and alignment with division priorities.
-Scientific impact of their line of scholarship: Significance, feasibility, and innovation.
-Potential to garner future program support: Likelihood of transitioning to independent funding.

Applicants meeting eligibility criteria who have submitted all documentation by the deadline will advance to have a panel interview.  All applications and supporting documentation are due February 21, 2025.  Panel interviews will occur in early March 2025.  Awardees will be announced March 15, 2025.

Please be aware that as part of this application you will be asked to upload the following documents:

1. Standard one-page Emory CV (log-in required)
2. Current copy of your CV in the standard Emory School of Medicine format.  
3. Letters of support from 2 mentors or collaborators. (limit 1.5 pages in length each)

Mid-term reviews will occur at 18 months of the 3-year term to assess progress and provide feedback.  During the 18-month awarded term, the mid-term review will occur at 12 months to determine eligibility for renewal. 

Eligibility: 

1. Who is eligible for this award?

*Applicants must have a current primary academic appointment (regular, not adjunct) in the Department of Medicine in the Division of General Internal Medicine. There is an allowance for outside candidates to be considered without a status of “current” academic appointment if there is a pathway to hire and there is an “anticipated” or pending appointment. This is a 3-year rotation award for junior faculty.

2. What is meant by junior faculty?

*Junior faculty status means either an Assistant Professor or an early Associate Professor. There is not a specific year cut-off for those who are already Associate Professors, but those who have been Associate Professors for 6 or more years will likely be less competitive. 

3. What is meant by independence?

*Scholarship evidence now that projects an upward trajectory and progress towards independence in external funding. The selection committee will make a determination as to whether or not the individual is already “independent” based upon specific history of funding. 

     4. What are criteria that distinguish someone eligible for professorship A vs. B?

*There is no difference in criteria for professorship A vs. B. Following the 2025 selection of individuals for these two professorships, competitions will be open at different times (B next September 2026, A in March 2028). The selection committee will attempt to match the professorships to the career trajectory of the candidate so as to best maximize their chance for academic success.

     5. What criteria are being used to define “promising” in reference to promising junior faculty? This helps understand what the letters of support should be focusing on.

*Promising is meant as a forward-looking term that speaks to future academic success and likelihood of achieving independent funding. Strong letters of support will speak to a candidate’s demonstrated early
academic achievements, alignment with division/department/school priorities, scientific impact of work, and the anticipated likelihood of obtaining independent funding.

Benefits:

1. What are the benefits of this program? 

*Holding a professorship such as a Rollins Career Development Professorship is an important milestone and career marker of excellence. It also offers a tight connection to the Academic Internal Medicine program that would include access to faculty and career development resources.  

2. How does this work- does it offer clinical release time that can be directed towards scholarship? 

*Use of funding from the annual income generated each year over 3 years by a $1.5 M professorship: this funding may be used for buy-back of clinical effort for research and scholarship, project support, and/or career development activities (~$50K per year depending upon interest rate).

     3.  What %FTE support would the professorship provide?

*Individuals who hold a career development professorship benefit from the income earned by the endowment behind the professorship. FTE support is one potential support mechanism (project or staff support might be another). Anticipated FTE support for individual would be 10-15%, yet this also depends upon the salary of the individual and the interest rate of the endowment. (it could be as high as 20%, however at a total funding at $50K it would not leave funds for project work expense).

The AIM Center's dedicated funding enables support of faculty members’ participation in professional development activities and in teaching and precepting learners (e.g., medical students, residents, and other healthcare profession trainees). The AIM Center provides its faculty members with dedicated time and resources to engage in applied research and to excel at teaching and precepting.

The AIM Center emphasizes and provides support for collaboration and faculty participation in team-based projects, and also facilitates substantive faculty progress in the academic promotion process.

Faculty Titles Within the AIM Center 

Supported Faculty 

This is the entry-level faculty position and title within the AIM Center. Appointment to this position provides for protected time for academic activities and access to all appropriate AIM Center resources. 

Rollins Distinguished Clinician 

This position is a promotion within the AIM Center based on level of involvement, time at Emory, and academic progress and success. Appointment to this position will affect compensation of AIM-supported non-clinical effort. Nomination is by the Director of the AIM Center, but requires action by the Chairman, Dean, and Provost as per Emory University School of Medicine Process for Distinguished Appointments. 

Rollins Professor 

This is the highest position and title within the AIM Center and a distinctly important University position as well. It is an exclusive position available to some, but not all, based upon success, time at Emory, and merit, but limited by availability. It requires a rank of Associate Professor or Professor. 

Dr. Jason Higdon received the Laureate Award at the 2024 ACP Georgia Chapter Annual Meeting. The Laureate Award honors those Fellow and Masters of the American College of Physicians who have demonstrated by their example and conduct an abiding commitment to excellence in medical care, education, or research, and in service to their community, their Chapter, and the American College of Physicians.

Dr. Higdon also received a 2024 Emory School of Medicine Dean's Teaching Award.

Dr. Reema Dbouk, Dr. Thomas Lall, and Dr. Britt Marshall were recently named Rollins Distinguished Clinicians. 

Dr. Caroline Collins and Dr. Reema Dbouk received the Emory School of Medicine Clinical Distinction designation as Senior Physicians.

Several AIM Center faculty received awards from the Emory Primary Care Consortium

Dr. Jennifer Zreloff - Outstanding Primary Care Site Leadership Award

Dr. Catherine Park - Outstanding Primary Care Physician Award

Dr. Caroline Collins - Transformational Primary Care Leadership Award