THE BIRCWH PROGRAM IS NOT CURRENTLY ACTIVE
The Penn State BIRCWH Program provides mentored research career development for junior faculty members at Penn State who are interested in women’s health or in sex/gender differences related to biology, health, or disease. The Program, which began in 2007, is funded by a K12 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). According to NIH, the goal of the national BIRCWH Program is to increase the number and skills of investigators who “will be engaged in interdisciplinary basic, translational, behavioral, clinical, and/or health services research relevant to women’s health and, where appropriate, the use of both sexes to better understand the influence of sex as a variable on health and disease.”
BIRCWH Scholars are junior faculty members (Assistant Professors) who devote 75% effort (or 50% effort for surgeons) to research career development activities for a minimum of 2 years. The Program provides salary support for the portion of salary that is devoted to the training program up to $100,000 plus fringe annually, plus $25,000 annually for research support and travel to scientific meetings. During the period of funding, BIRCWH Scholars are required to limit their teaching or clinical activities to allow for the required 75% effort (or 50% effort for surgeons).
Scholars are selected by the BIRCWH Advisory Committee from applicants in the participating colleges at Penn State, which currently include the College of Medicine, College of Health and Human Development, and College of Liberal Arts. BIRCWH Scholars are required to have a defined research project and training plan; an interdisciplinary mentor team consisting of at least 3 senior mentors from both the Hershey and University Park campuses; attendance at the monthly K Seminar Series; and attendance at the annual BIRCWH Scholars’ Meeting at NIH.