Program Overview

A joint initiative of the University of Michigan Department of Learning Health Sciences and the Michigan Institute for Clinical & Health Research (MICHR) (previously supported by AHRQ and PCORI in 2024-2026), the MEL-STaR Center will support the didactic and experiential training of up to Learning Health System (LHS) scientists over the course of five years, to be known as “MEL-STaR Scholars.” The program is based in the Department of Learning Health Sciences.

Application Timeline

• August 27, 2026: Call for Applications released

• Oct 15, 2026: Applications due

• Nov 15: 2026-2027 MEL-STaR Scholars announced

• Jan 1, 2027: Program begins

Program Information

Improve Individual and Population Health While Promoting Patient Centeredness and Fair Access to Healthcare 

The MEL-STaR training experience will prepare the scholars for careers to improve individual and population health by employing methods that combine identification of gaps in care, data analytics, generation of new knowledge, and implementation of knowledge into practice. MEL-STaR Scholars will be embedded in the settings where improvement is needed, and their work will be grounded in fundamental principles of patient centeredness and fair access to healthcare. The fields of informatics and implementation science are cornerstones of the work of MEL-STaR Scholars.