Cambridge Health Alliance Announces the Richard C. Schwartz Research Fellowship (2026–2027)
Cambridge, MA — October 2025 — The Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA) and its Center for Mindfulness and Compassion (CMC) are delighted to announce a request for application for the Richard C. Schwartz Research Fellowship for the 2026–2027 academic year, generously sponsored by the Foundation for Self Leadership.
About the Fellowship:
This prestigious fellowship will support a postdoctoral fellow or junior faculty researcher in psychology or psychiatry whose work advances rigorous scientific understanding of the Internal Family Systems (IFS) approach as a psychotherapeutic modality. While the fellowship will prioritize applications from psychologists and psychiatrists, strong candidates from all related fields are also able to apply.
As Internal Family Systems has become more widely used by clinicians, with approximately 10,000 active IFS practitioners in the US in 2025, it is imperative that high-quality clinical research be conducted to develop an empirical understanding of this approach, evaluate its efficacy and its limitations, and evaluate its safety for various populations. Hosted within the Department of Psychiatry at Cambridge Health Alliance, a Harvard Medical School affiliate, the Fellowship aims to expand the number of clinical researchers currently investigating IFS and its role in treatment for major public health concerns, such as PTSD, depression, anxiety, substance use, suicidality, and/or eating disorders. The fellowship is looking for fellows with a strong commitment to scientific integrity and impartiality who are seeking to deepen their experience with high-quality empirical investigation methodologies, including clinical trials. Research may also explore translational neuroscientific and psychological mechanisms associated with IFS treatment outcomes.
The selected Richard C. Schwartz Research Fellow will receive an annual stipend aligned with NIH postdoctoral research fellowship standards, along with research-related travel and training funds. The fellow will be expected to conduct IFS-oriented research, publish in peer-review journals, and present findings at academic conferences while also engaging in formal IFS clinical training. In fulfillment of fellowship requirements, clinical practice for 10 scheduled clinical hours a week will be facilitated through CMC’s Mindful Mental Health Service and PARTS Program, which currently uses an IFS-group model for treating PTSD/CPTSD.
Applications and selection for the 2026–2027 Richard C. Schwartz Research Fellowship will be conducted through a rigorous review process led by the Cambridge Health Alliance. Further details about the application process will be announced soon on the Center for Mindfulness and Compassion’s website.
Background:
The Fellowship honors Dr. Richard C. Schwartz, founder of the Internal Family Systems model who is a teaching associate in the Department of Psychiatry at Cambridge Health Alliance, which is affiliated with the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Schwartz developed IFS in the 1980s as an innovative, non-pathologizing approach to psychotherapy grounded in systems thinking and Self-leadership. Today, IFS has become a widely-used form of psychotherapy, and emerging research shows promise for IFS as an innovative treatment for patients suffering from depression or trauma.
The Foundation for Self Leadership, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing emotional and relational healing through the practice of Self-leadership, is funding the Fellowship through CHA to foster high-quality, independent IFS research. The Foundation has previously supported multiple IFS-oriented studies, including a randomized controlled trial of group-based IFS for PTSD at CMC. To learn more about the Foundation for Self Leadership, visit FoundationIFS.org.
The Center for Mindfulness and Compassion (CMC) at CHA is a national leader in integrating evidence-based mindfulness and compassion practices into health care, research, and education. As part of CHA’s Department of Psychiatry, CMC provides a rich academic and clinical environment for advancing innovative research in mental health and has a strong history of clinical and research training fellowships in psychology. For more information about the Center for Mindfulness and Compassion, visitchacmc.org.
Employment Opportunities
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Fellowships
IFS Fellowship
Applicants are expected to complete the online application form and submit the following materials to asanousi@challiance.org by Monday 2/3/2025 at 9am. Learn more here.
Research, Clinical Support, and Community Health Fellowship
Research, Clinical Support, and Community Health Fellows have the opportunity to support a growing center, and to participate in community building, health promotion, and research. These are volunteer opportunities, offered on a semesterly basis, for which students may be eligible to earn course credit. Learn more here.
Community Leadership Fellowship
The Community Leadership Fellowship aims to support community projects, diversity, innovation, and local community leadership. Applications will be accepted until January 31, 2022 for fellowships beginning in April 2022. Learn more here.
Advanced Clinical Fellowship in Mindfulness
The Advanced Fellowship in Mindfulness is a one-year half-time advanced clinical training program that supports advanced mental health clinicians to build expertise in leading mindfulness-based interventions and providing mindfulness-oriented psychotherapy. The Advanced Clinical Fellowship is for psychologists, psychiatrists, and social workers. Learn more here.
