NIH Eligibility Policy:

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At the time of appointment to the WRHR Program, candidates for support as WRHR K12 Scholars must:

• Be a physician holding the M.D. or D.O. degree;
• Have completed postgraduate residency training in obstetrics-gynecology;
• Be in the final research year of postdoctoral fellowship training in obstetrics and gynecology if the candidate has chosen to subspecialize;
• Identify an approved mentor or mentors with extensive research experience;
• Be able to devote at least nine months (equivalent to 75%) of full-time professional effort to conducting research and development of research career;
• Not be or have been a PI on an R01, R29 or subproject of a program project (P01), center (P50, P60, U54) grant, independent mentored career development (K99 series) grants, or other equivalent research grant awards. However, individuals who are or were PIs on NIH small grants (i.e., R03s) or exploratory/developmental grants (i.e., R21s) may be eligible, providing they meet the other eligibility requirements.
• Be a U.S. citizen or noncitizen national, or must have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence and possess a Permanent Resident Card (USCIS Form I-551) or some other verification of legal admission as a permanent citizen.

Step 1 – Complete the WRHR application form
Step 2 – Submit it to Lori Rideout with the following supporting documents:

• Current curriculum vitae.
• A one-page statement of the candidate’s career goals and description of her/his expectations from the training period. Discussion should include the total period of desired training (2 or 3 years), the Scholar’s intended area of expertise, and prior research training (if applicable).
• A research proposal of no more than five pages (and up to one additional page of references), structured in an NIH format (abstract and specific aims, background and significance, preliminary data, if available, and experimental design and methods).
• Three letters of recommendation should be sent electronically from the following referees. They should be addressed to Dr. Yoel Sadovsky, WRHR Research Director, and emailed to the Program Coordinator, Lori Rideout, at rideoutl@mwri.magee.edu
• Candidate’s chair, division director or training program director
• Program mentor, confirming the research topic and indicating a potential mentorship plan
• Previous mentors or other physician or scientist familiar with the candidate’s qualifications

Please note that the research proposal need not be the exact research plan ultimately pursued by the candidate if they are accepted to the program. It will serve to help the Advisory Committee assess each applicant’s specific area of interest, grasp of scientific concepts, ability to craft an intelligent research plan, and insight on feasibility

Review Considerations

Each proposal will be reviewed initially by the PI and Research Director to ensure that the application criteria are met. The entire Advisory Committee will then review the application. Out-of-town candidates will be invited to Pittsburgh for a day of interviews. During the interviews, the candidate will meet with the PI/Program Director, the Research Director, and at least two other members of the Advisory Committee. In addition, candidates will be interviewed by mentors in their area of interest, other faculty and collaborators. Applicants may be asked to give a presentation of her or his research achievements or past projects and proposed research plan. We will fully subsidize the costs of travel, lodging and dining for all interviewed candidates from out-of-town.

For further questions, contact: