Fellowships
Overview of Innovation Fellowship Program
The VHA Innovation Ecosystem (VHA IE) Innovation Fellowship Program, is a unique
opportunity for emerging leaders with a dynamic presence, passion for innovation, and
vision for the future to gain the experience and skills necessary to make a positive
contribution by leading and spreading their existing innovation to additional sites. The
projects should be directly relevant to either VHA’s mission, or objectives, or both and
will ideally relate to national, regional (VISN-level), or local (facility-level)
strategic priorities and innovation needs. The Innovation Fellowship Program is
currently accepting applications for one-year fellowship positions. Fellows will remain
at their local institutions and work on existing transformational project that may
involve brief placement(s) throughout the year at relevant VA sites.
Based on the maturity and potential impact of the innovation project, applicants will be selected for one of the following opportunities:
Senior Innovation Fellowship (SIF) , For mature, large-scale innovation projects that are ready to scale.
Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR) , For projects with demonstrated success that are ready to be tested for real world impact.
The program focus on educating and empowering Fellows around core innovation competencies. The program will expand Fellows’ innovation capabilities, promote their innovative visions across VHA, and serve as a leadership development opportunity preparing Fellows for potential leadership positions within the local VA Medical Center (VAMC) and/or VHA Program offices. However, the Fellowship does not guarantee participants a future leadership position if selected.
Suzanne Shirley
Director of Partnerships & Community
Suzanne Shirley, LCSW serves as the Director of Fellowships & Community Engagement with the Veterans Health Administration Innovation Ecosystem. In this role, she oversees the Fellowship tracks, the MIT Catalyst Fellowship Program in VHA, and leads community engagement efforts across the ecosystem. Through the strategic implementation of experiential learning opportunities that aim to shape future thought leaders in health care and deliver enterprise-wide solutions, Suzanne engages the skills and talents of a strong community of innovators spanning across government, academia, and industry.Innovation Superpower: Vision
Amanda Purnell
VHA Senior Innovation Fellow, VHA Innovation Ecosystem
G. Eli Kaufman
VHA Entrepreneur in Residence, VHA Innovation Ecosystem
