We intend to create a program to attract new fellows (M.D. and Ph.D.) for research and training in basic and clinical reproductive biology and to provide research support to outstanding investigators outside the area of contraception development to entice them into working on contraception. We believe there is currently a shortage in the number of new investigators entering the field of reproduction research, especially as it relates to contraceptive research and development. We hope to attract three types of individuals to our Center. The first are outstanding Ph.D. trained fellows who have achieved significant accomplishments in research areas within and outside of mammalian reproduction. The goal is to attract creative young scientists with original ideas. In some cases, these fellows will have been trained as graduate students in reproduction research. However, we especially want to attract fellows who have received graduate training in research areas outside of reproduction. We believe these fellows will bring fresh outlooks and will have a high chance of success in making the transition to independent investigators. Our second group of fellows will be those trained as medical doctors or as physician scientists. Medical fellows will be recruited from residency and fellowship programs in obstetrics and gynecology, reproductive endocrinology, medicine and urology. We believe it is important to attract medical fellows to the Center, as they should be better trained in the practical considerations related to translating research in contraceptive development from basic research to studies in humans and eventually into the practice of medicine. Fellows will be recruited both locally and nationally. Lastly, we will provide research funds for 1-2 year pilot projects to new investigators in reproduction research. New investigators are defined as researchers at any stage in their career that are new to the field of reproduction and who are proposing research related to contraception. This includes new Assistant Professors just starting their labs and established Full Professors who have not previously worked in the field of contraception but who are interested in initiating new studies in this field. We fully expect that these pilot projects will translate into preliminary data for new R01 proposals from these individuals.
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