Funds are requested to establish a BIRCWH program at the University of Pennsylvania to increase the number of independent investigators in women's health and gender biology utilizing multidisciplinary research paradigms. The proposed program will have a steady state of 5 IWHR Scholars. It will benefit from the pre-existing Center for Research on Reproduction and Women's Health and Center of Excellence in Women' s Health (CRRWH-COE), which provides umbrella support for research, training and educational activities relevant to women's health. Individuals holding the M.D., Ph.D. or equivalent degrees that have completed clinical fellowship or post-doctoral training will be nominated or recruited for IWHR Scholarships by academic units. Scholars will be selected by the BIRCWH Advisory Committee based on past academic and research accomplishments, commitment to women's health, and the relevance of their research interests to the field. Individualized career development plans will be formulated in collaboration with a designated research mentor. Scholars will be expected pursue a research program leading to independence, with space and additional funding for start-up costs being provided by the nominating academic unit during the transition to independence. Scholars will participate in required BIRCWH activities including bi-monthly """"""""chalk talks"""""""" and a writing and grant preparation workshop as well as other academic enrichment activities offered in their chosen research discipline as well as the programs of the CRRWH-COE. CRRWH-COE core facilities and support functions as well as CRRWH-COE pilot grant support will be available to all Scholars. The BIRCWH Advisory Committee will monitor the progress of Scholars on a periodic basis with guidance from the research mentor. IWHR Scholars will relinquish support from the BIRCWH program when they receive an R01 or equivalent grant as principal investigator. The success of the BIRCWH program will be measured in the short term by the Scholars' progress in gaining research skills, their research productivity, the visibility of their work in their chosen fields, and the attainment of independent investigator status with extramural funding. The long-term impact of this program on women's health research can only be traced beyond the scope of the initial period of support. The BIRCWH program will track the career trajectories of Scholars and will continue to serve as a resource in terms of career counseling and research advice.
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