Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women’s Health (BIRCWH)
About BIRCWH Heading link
The University of Illinois at Chicago’s (UIC) women’s health and sex/gender-based research career development program, Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women’s Health (BIRCWH), is an NIH-funded, K12 training grant to mentor scientists in women’s health and sex/gender-based health research. The UIC BIRCWH program trains a diverse group of junior faculty scholars, and postdoctoral fellows, to become independent women’s health or sex/gender-based research investigators. The program consists of a core and tailored curriculum, research training, mentoring (by a team of two or more senior women’s health or sex/gender-based health researchers), individualized career planning, and research projects.
LInks Heading link
Our Goals Heading link
The overall goal of the UIC BIRCWH Program is to align with the 2019-23 Trans-NIH Strategic Plan for Women’s Health Research to “promote training and careers to develop a well-trained, diverse, and robust workforce to advance science for the health of women” (NIH ORWH, 2019). Through evidence-based mentoring practices, innovative training strategies, and strong internal and external multidisciplinary collaborations, the UIC BIRCWH improves recruitment, retention, and advancement of women and URMs as scientists and academic leaders in interdisciplinary women’s health and sex/gender differences research.
Our long-term objective is to promote training and career development of a new generation of researchers equipped with the knowledge and career skills necessary to advance science for the health of women in the next decade and beyond. We are based in the UI College of Medicine, but draw on the interdisciplinary strengths of UIC’s seven health colleges.
Our Scholars Heading link
Initially funded in 2007, the UIC BIRCWH program has fostered the academic careers of 25 faculty Scholars and one postdoctoral Trainee, including 35% under-represented minorities (URM). The companion program Women’s Health Research (WHR) Associates Program has supported 11 Associates (38% URM).
BIRCWH Scholar Application Heading link
-
BIRCWH Scholar Application
The University of Illinois Chicago’s (UIC) women’s health and sex/gender-based research career development program, Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women’s Health (BIRCWH), is an NIH-funded K12 training grant to mentor scientists in women’s health and sex/gender-based health research. During the funding period, the UIC BIRCWH program will train junior faculty BIRCWH scholars to become independent women’s health or sex/gender-based research investigators.
The program consists of a core and tailored curriculum, research training, mentoring (by a team of two or more senior women’s health or sex/gender-based health researchers), individualized career planning, and a research project. Scholars include a diverse group of junior faculty members who focus on research in alignment with the 2019-2023 Trans-NIH Strategic Plan for Women’s Health Research.
Core Activities: Scholars are required to devote 75% of professional effort to program activities including research, core and tailored curricula, and other BIRCWH program activities. Surgeons are required to devote 50% of professional effort to these activities.
The BIRCWH program will fund 75% of the scholar’s salary (50% for surgeons), up to a maximum of $100,000.00/year (salary plus fringe benefits) for a minimum of two years conditional upon meeting program requirements. The program will also fund $35,000 annually in research support. The scholar’s college and/or department will be responsible for the remaining 25% of salary. Additionally, the dean of each scholar’s college will be asked to commit $25,000 in career development funds annually to their scholar in the BIRCWH program.
We request that applications be submitted by Monday, February 28, 2023 at 5:00pm CDT. Additional time may be granted upon request. If you have any questions, please contact Pauline Maki, PhD at pmaki1@uic.edu and Irina Buhimschi, MD at irina@uic.edu.
Program Leadership:Pauline M. Maki, PhD
Professor of Psychiatry, Psychology & Ob/Gyn
Director of Women’s Mental Health Research
pmaki1@uic.edu
312-996-6941Irina A. Buhimschi, MD
Professor and Director, Research Division
Director, Perinatal Research Laboratory
Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology
irina@uic.edu
312-996-8786Program Coordinator:
Willow Alber-Martin
walber3@uic.eduSource of Support:
National Institutes of Health Office of Research on Women’s Health, National Institute on Child Health and Human Development.
Women’s Health Research Scholars Program Heading link
-
Women’s Health Research Scholars Program
The Women’s Health Research Scholars Program is a mentorship program at UIC for MD clinician scientists led by Dr. Pauline Maki, CRWG Senior Director of Research. The program has its origins in the UIC’s K12 NIH-funded Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women’s Health (BIRCWH) program. The goal of the program is to train a cadre of junior faculty to advance women’s health and sex/gender-based science. The College of Medicine Dean’s Office and the Scholar’s department provide funding to support the Scholar’s independent research program, including protected time and a research stipend. The Women’s Health Research Scholars Program uses a team- and peer-based mentoring approach to achieve the goal of submitting a K- or R-level NIH grant at the end of the training period.
Former Women’s Health Research Scholars and Associates:
- Sirimon Reutrakul, MD, Professor of Medicine Division of Endocrinology
- Natasha Crooks, PhD, RN, Assistant Professor, College of Nursing
- Laura E. Hirshfield, PhD, Associate Professor, College of Medicine
- Melissa Lamar, PhD, Associate Professor, Rush University Department of Behavioral Sciences
- Bernice Mann, MD, MS, University of Chicago Clinical Pharmacy Manager
- Kristine Molina, PhD, University of California, Irvine, Associate Professor of Psychological Science
- Yamile Molina, PhD, MPH, MS, Associate Director for Community Outreach and Engagement, Associate Professor, Community Health Sciences
- Terry Moore, PhD, Director of Graduate Studies, Assistant Professor, College of Pharmacy
- Judith Schlaeger , PhD, CNM, LAc, FACNM, FAAN, Associate Professor, Department of Human Development Nursing Science
- Lisa Tussing-Humphreys, PhD, MS, RD, Associate Professor, College of Applied Health Sciences
- Minjie Wu, PhD, University of Pittsburgh, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry
BIRCWH Partners Heading link
-
BIRCWH Partners
Midwestern BIRCWH Program
- University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
- Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
- University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI
Institutional (UIC) Partners