This is a competitive renewal application for continued support for the Reproductive Scientist Development Program (RSDP), a multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional research career development program for obstetrician-gynecologists in cell and molecular biology and related fundamental sciences. The objective of this program is to educate obstetrician-gynecologists in contemporary basic science research related to reproductive medicine and biology in order to prepare them for research careers in academic medicine. The overall goal is to help ensure that academic obstetrics and gynecology fulfills its mission to increase research and discovery in the reproductive sciences. Outstanding MD/PhD, PhD, and MD scientists with broad research experience serve as faculty mentors. A unique feature of this program is that outstanding individuals, upon completing a residency in obstetrics and gynecology, and in many cases two or three years of clinical subspecialty fellowship, spend two years (Phase I) in fundamental science research laboratories under the supervision and mentorship of experienced, highly regarded accomplished scientists. During Phase I, Scholars are dedicated to full-time research with no clinical obligations. Following this experience, Scholars spend an additional two-year period establishing their research program in a Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology (Phase II). Here, the Scholar serves as a junior faculty member with at least 75% time devoted to developing an independent research career. For the past five (5) years salary support for scholars has been provided by NICHD, while support for research related expenses has been provided from the various non-federal agencies who contribute to the RSDP program. This funding mechanism will continue, and, NIH funding will support up to 2 Scholars for the duration of Phase I and Phase II. This program will continue to educate young physician scientists in Obstetrics and Gynecology and replenish the pipeline of reproductive scientists. The RSDP has a rich history of accomplishing this goal already and is committed to continuing its objective of producing the next leaders of our academic departments.
The Reproductive Scientist Development Program plan for career development serves as a model for postgraduate medical education, and assures that some of the most promising young physician-investigators in the country will remain in academic investigative obstetrics and gynecology. A great majority of the Scholars who have finished Phase II of the Program have dedicated themselves to research in the reproductive sciences and have developed major independent funding support. To date their productivity has been outstanding, has contributed greatly to the reproductive sciences, and is a credit for the Program.
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