The Nomination and Election Process

The 2025 AcademyHealth call for Methods and Data Council nominations is now closed. 

Methods and Data Council Terms and Duties

Members of the Methods and Data Council are selected for a two-year term and may serve up to two consecutive terms. They are expected to participate fully in the activities of the Council, which are aligned closely with the AcademyHealth priorities as described in the Strategic Plan. These activities may include advising on topics and speakers for invitational sessions at the ARM; participating in invited ARM sessions either as a moderator or presenter; serving as mentors for AcademyHealth Diversity Scholars and other mentoring programs; exchanging relevant information with other Council members (e.g., upcoming conferences or funding opportunities); and attending three Council meetings per year. On request, they may also provide input to the AcademyHealth Committee on Advocacy and Public Policy to inform the development of AcademyHealth’s official public comments.   

The Methods and Data Council meetings occur in person in June at the Annual Research Meeting and twice via a web-based meeting in the Fall and Spring. The Methods and Data Council also conducts business by as-needed conference calls and through e-mail exchanges. Council members can also serve on ad hoc subcommittees and may be elected to serve on the Executive Committee of the Council, which is made up by the Chair, Vice Chair, and the AcademyHealth Vice President of Evidence Generation and Translation. 

Nomination Criteria and Eligibility

Membership and participation in AcademyHealth programs are seen as evidence of commitment to the organization and its goals to strengthen health services and policy research and promote its use in policy and practice. Therefore, anyone who offers nominations on behalf of themselves or someone else must be an individual member of AcademyHealth or become an individual member of the organization during the nomination process. Having Organizational Membership status with AcademyHealth does not satisfy the requirement that nominators and nominees be individual members of AcademyHealth. If you would like to become an individual member now or renew your membership, please visit the AcademyHealth Membership page. 

In considering nominations, the AcademyHealth Strategic Execution Team will balance the importance of established leadership and continuity of Council membership with the need for candidates who represent the next generation of health services research leaders and emerging methodologic training needs based on changes in the field. The Executive Committee also values a range of perspectives and backgrounds, ensuring representation from various professional settings such as academia, independent research organizations, and researchers working within health systems.   

In any given membership cycle, the Council may have a greater need for candidates who are experts in particular methodologies.  

In 2025, the Council has a special (not exclusive) interest in recruiting members with the following expertise and/or affiliation: 

  • Quantitative analysis (e.g., survey research; statistical modeling and analytics econometrics)
  • Qualitative research (e.g., observational studies, interviewing, focus groups)
  • Mixed-methods research
  • Community-engaged and patient-engaged research
  • Data science and informatics
  • Implementation science methods
  • Machine learning, artificial intelligence, predictive analytics, and other big data methods
  • Public health systems and services research methods
  • Familiarity with the Learning Health System Core Competencies for HSR (developed by AHRQ)
  • Student in a masters or doctoral-level degree granting program in a field related to health services and policy research, public health, biostatistics, or informatics
  • Employer in various settings of health services and policy research (e.g., contract research organization, embedded researchers in health systems, etc.)  

Instructions for Submitting Nominations 

As a reminder, nominators and nominees must be individual members of AcademyHealth, or must become individual members during the nomination process. 

All nominations must include the name and contact information for the nominator and nominee, a curriculum vitae (CV) of the nominee, and a statement of support (500 words or less) from the nominator. Self-nominations are welcome. 

The statement should describe:  

  • Why the nominee would be a valuable addition to AcademyHealth’s Methods and Data Council; and
  • The nominee's specific strengths and clear examples of how the nominee meets one or more of the eligibility criteria.