The purpose of the BIRCWH program at The Pennsylvania State University (PSU-BIRCWH) is to foster interdisciplinary research relevant to the expanding research agenda in women's health, including the study of sex and gender differences, with strong potential to improve women's health and health care services. This will be accomplished through the mentored research career development of junior faculty scholars in multiple disciplines and departments within the University who are committed to becoming leading researchers in women's health or gender differences. The specific objectives of the program are:(1) To recruit talented junior investigators committed to conducting interdisciplinary research to improve the health of women, who are either members of the faculty at Penn State or newly recruited candidates for faculty positions at Penn State. 2) To provide advanced, intensive and individually tailored mentored research career development in women's health or gender-based research for 2 to 5 years for each scholar by matching the scholar with a core research area, identifying a primary and secondary mentor who will work together to provide each PSU-BIRCWH Scholar with the breadth of skills and expertise needed to become successful, funded, independent scientists in their chosen area of research. Didactic components of the training program will provide each scholar with an array of relevant courses to choose from offered by the College of Medicine Master of Science program in Health Evaluation Sciences, the graduate programs at the PSU main campus and classroom sessions offered by the Penn State College of Medicine Junior Faculty Development Program. In addition, the scholars will meet regularly and network with faculty in a cross- campus PSU-BIRCWH seminar series devoted to women's health and gender differences research topics, and (3) To provide focused feedback and oversight of each PSU-BIRCWH Scholar and to monitor the success of the program on a regular basis by assessing scholars'attainment of program milestones, including submitting at least one application to NIH or AHRQ within the first two years of support and manuscripts reporting results of their research, and by soliciting scholars'and mentors'feedback for mid- course program improvements. Penn State is uniquely well positioned for this program because of its cadre of outstanding and well-funded scientists conducting research relevant to important women's health and sex/gender related issues;large pool of outstanding scholar candidates to recruit from;long tradition of cross-disciplinary programs;strong ties between the medical and main campuses, and excellent graduate- level educational opportunities in health research methods.
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