Advancing womens reproductive health through research: the UNC WRHR Career Development Program

PROJECT SUMMARY Obstetrician-gynecologists have an integral role to play in women’s reproductive health research. However, Ob- Gyn investigators have historically been underrepresented in the field, leading to critical missed opportunities to generate clinically relevant research questions and translate new findings into clinical practice. To address this important gap, we established the Women’s Reproductive Health Research Career Development Program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Our aims are to catalyze the early career development of promising Ob-Gyn clinician investigators and support collaborative cutting-edge research that advances the health of women worldwide. This program provides mentorship, structured career development activities, and at least 75% protected research time for two faculty scholars annually. We designed our curriculum to meet the needs of early career Ob-Gyn researchers. First, our scholars are embedded in a vibrant research environment within the Department of Ob-Gyn, which is supported by more than $26 million in annual research funding from NIH, other federal agencies, and foundations. The breadth of women’s reproductive health research at UNC allows scholars to study conditions and diseases across the life course, with an emphasis on populations traditionally underrepresented, underserved, and underreported in science. Second, our scholars will be mentored by experienced faculty. Mentorship committees are led by NIH-funded Ob-Gyn investigators and supported by collaborating faculty from the UNC Schools of Medicine, Public Health, Pharmacy, and Social Work. Third, we have developed a robust career development curriculum that leverages existing institutional resources at UNC (including university-wide K12 activities), while remaining distinct in its goals and purpose. These activities provide a vital platform for professional networking, shared learning, and peer-to-peer mentorship, while minimizing the risk of academic isolation. Fourth, our program has exceptional institutional support from the UNC School of Medicine. This includes a commitment of significant cost-sharing to ensure competitive junior faculty salaries, commensurate with their specialty and subspecialty peers in the department. Scholars also have access to substantial institutional resources through university-wide centers and institutes. In the current grant cycle, this career development framework has resulted in high scholar productivity. Collectively, the program’s two funded scholars have published 49 peer-reviewed articles to date (including 28 as first or senior author) and raised more than $1.5 million in additional research funding. In the coming five years, we will build on this robust foundation to enhance and enrich our research, mentorship, and training activities. These improvements further strengthen our program to successfully develop the next generation of independent NIH investigators in women’s reproductive health.