Application Process

Complete the following steps to apply for a grant from the Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health (BIRCWH) program at Mayo Clinic.

  1. Determine eligibility. Appointees must have received an advanced degree such as an M.D., D.Phil., O.D., Ph.D. or comparable degree by the beginning date of the training grant appointment.

    Additionally, applicants must:

    • Be employed by Mayo Clinic.
    • Have completed any postdoctoral training generally expected for a faculty appointment in their field.
    • Have no more than six years of research or research training experience beyond their last doctoral degree or fellowship program.
    • Identify mentors with extensive research experience.
    • Devote a minimum of 75% of full-time professional effort to the BIRCWH program during their appointment.
    • Not be or have been a lead investigator on an R01 or subproject of a Program Project (P01), Center (P50, P60, P20, P30, U54) grant, independent mentored career development (K series) grant, or another equivalent research grant award, except for R03 and R21.

    Appointees receiving funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) also must be citizens or noncitizen nationals of the United States or must have been legally admitted as permanent residents.

  2. Identify a mentor. Identifying a primary mentor is one of the most important steps in applying to the BIRCWH program. With input from your primary mentor, you will identify appropriate co-mentors in other disciplines who will bring additional expertise to your research proposal and career.

  3. Submit a letter of intent to apply. A letter of intent is not required but is recommended. Letters of intent are due two weeks before the application due date. Address your letter to the BIRCWH executive advisory committee and include:

    • A brief paragraph describing what you hope to achieve by participating in the program.
    • A brief paragraph describing the research you would like to conduct as a part of the program.
    • The name and specialty of your primary mentor.

  4. Submit the application and required documentation. The application deadlines vary and will be announced to the Mayo Clinic community. Applications should include:

    • Candidate statement (2 pages). Provide a statement on your training, qualifications and goals relating to research on women's health, sex or gender differences, or a combination of these topics.
    • Career development plan (2 pages). Describe your projected professional milestones and propose activities to progress toward these goals. The plan should include the role of your mentoring committee.
    • Research plan (4 pages). Describe your proposed research project, including aims and approach.
    • Mentor letters. Provide letters from your mentors stating their commitment to your career progress and the resources they will contribute. Include letters from your primary and secondary mentors, who should be from differing disciplines.
    • Department or division letter. Provide a letter from your department or division chair stating that research effort commitments will be honored in the event of a successful application and that any salary cap fallout will be covered by the division or department.
    • Biosketch. Provide your NIH biosketch.
    • Mentor biosketches. Provide your primary and secondary mentor's NIH biosketches.

Application review and program acceptance

Applications are reviewed by members of the BIRCWH executive advisory committee, who score the applications following BIRCWH program guidelines. Applicant scores are tabulated and ranked, and the top applicants are interviewed by the BIRCWH executive committee.

The following factors are considered:

  • Candidate's qualifications and dedication to women's health and research.
  • Availability and commitment of qualified mentors.
  • Scientific and technical merit of proposed research.
  • Demonstrated potential for becoming a successful investigator and leader in women's health or sex- and gender-based research.

Contact

Email letters of intent, application materials and any additional questions to the BIRCWH senior program coordinator, Patricia R. Simonson, M.H.A., at simonson.patricia1@mayo.edu.