Consistently a high priority, interdisciplinary women?s health research thrives at the University of Wisconsin- Madison (UW) because of the overall climate of excellence, stellar research career development programs, and dedication to collaboration between diverse disciplines. This exceptional tradition provides an outstanding environment to foster the next generation of leaders in women?s health research. The UW BIRCWH will provide novel, competency-based training and career development opportunities for these future leaders. The vision of the UW BIRCWH program is to improve women?s health by developing a scientific workforce capable of leading independently-funded biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research. The Multiple PIs bring extensive knowledge, experience, and skills in women?s health research, didactic training, mentoring, and research leadership. The program assembles 40 NIH-funded senior faculty mentors from 21 Departments in 11 Schools/Centers across UW to represent the entire translational spectrum. The UW BIRCWH program aims to: a) identify/prepare committed and capable scholars; b) expand scholar knowledge of women?s health and sex/gender research; c) enhance fundamental research skills; and d) foster independent research careers. The UW BIRCWH program will support three early career scholars (assistant professor), for two to three years pending attainment of scientific independence. The UW BIRCWH program will prioritize the goal of gender, racial, ethnic, and sexual orientation equity and diversity in the program, the scientific workforce, and all scientific pursuits. Core competencies will provide the foundation for the UW BIRCWH career development program ensuring that scholars master the concepts that underpin women?s health research, sex/gender differences research, and the intersection of women leaders and the advancement of women?s health. The program will provide scholars with a competency-based curriculum, new courses focused on women?s health, individualized experiential opportunities, and novel team science training. The program will align each scholar with three established faculty mentors, each with designated and complementary roles, to provide interdisciplinary team mentoring with an innovative component that emphasizes career coaching. The program will systematically gather actionable feedback from scholars, faculty mentors, and senior advisors to evaluate both process and outcome measures designed for continuous improvement, for programmatic evolution, and to ultimately meet program goals. The UW BIRCWH program will leverage a highly interdisciplinary environment, committed leadership, and ambitious early career faculty to fuel discoveries and translational activities that will drive the future of women?s health and sex/gender differences research.
The mission of the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW) Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women?s Health (BIRCWH) program is to provide interdisciplinary career development for a diverse cohort of early career faculty (scholars) and foster their successful transition to independent funding in women?s health and sex/gender differences research. The UW BIRCWH will realize this goal by 1) providing career development opportunities aligned with national goals; 2) offering competency-based, mentored research training; 3) creating alliances with programs designed to support underrepresented faculty; and 4) pioneering new approaches to team science and career coaching. Each scholar will emerge equipped to lead a funded interdisciplinary team engaged in groundbreaking research that will positively impact women, families, and communities.
