Frequently Asked Questions

1. How strict is the 6 years post graduate training eligibility requirement?
   
   At the time of their application, scholars cannot have more than six years of research experience beyond their terminal doctoral degree. However, in order to accommodate the needs of those interested in participating in this program who may have had a career hiatus because of family responsibilities, uniformed service, etc., there is no absolute limit on time elapsed since completion of training. IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION REGARDING WHETHER YOU ARE ELIGIBLE FOR A POSTION ON THE BIRCWH please contact Diane O’Connor at 612-626-1125 or at wmhealth@umn.edu to clarify this BEFORE YOU APPLY!

2. How important is it to choose a mentor from the mentor’s list provided on the website?
   
   The mentor’s list provided is not all-inclusive. However, each mentor we have identified is senior faculty and has an established record of obtaining NIH funds for research and training junior colleagues who also became successful in obtaining faculty positions and grant funding. You may choose a mentor not identified on the list but at least one of your mentors must meet the criteria listed above. An important aspect is that he/she has stature and knowledge in research to provide a quality mentoring experience for the scholar. We are requiring that you have at least two mentors from different disciplines. Many scholars have three or four mentors. One of the mentors needs to have statistical or methodological expertise.

3. Must a mentor be located at the University of Minnesota?
   
   The primary mentor must be at the University of Minnesota. Implicit in the mentoring relationship is frequent contact between mentor and mentee.   This is less likely to occur if mentor and mentee are separated by distance, so the case must be made that there will be regular and frequent contact and that the relationship meets the definition of a good mentoring relationship. Mentors are also expected to attend the mentoring workshop offered as part of the BIRCWH and to attend BIRCWH seminars when their scholar is presenting data.

4. Should I be selected as a scholar, what can I plan on as the start date for the BIRCWH Program?
   
   There is no absolute start date. However, according to the regulations of the Office of Research on Women’s Health at NIH two scholars need to start in September of 2010, and another scholar or two will need to start later in the fall of 2010 or January 2011 at the latest. The date can be negotiated based on teaching and clinical responsibilities and how quickly these responsibilities can be reduced.

5. If I am a post-doctoral fellow, rather than junior faculty, am I automatically disqualified as eligible?
   
   The Scholar position is a full-time faculty position, e.g., tenure or clinical track, We are not accepting applications from post doctoral fellows. At the time of the award, candidates must have a clinical doctorate or Ph.D. degree or its equivalent, have completed any postgraduate training normally expected for a faculty appointment in their field (including clinical or postdoctoral fellowship training, or residency if they have chosen not to subspecialize), and be junior faculty who have the potential to establish their own funded research programs.
   
    
6. Can I submit a training plan that lasts for more than 3 years?
   
   You are required to submit a 2-year plan. We expect all scholars to have independent funding in two years A third year may be possible if our grant is renewed.

7. Do I need to identify a statistician or can a mentor chosen also play the role of a statistician?
   
   One of your mentors may serve as a statistician or methodologist if they are qualified.

8. How many scholars will be selected this year? What about next year?
   
   This year at least two scholars will be selected for a two year period since we are in the final two years of our BIRCWH award. If we are awarded another BIRCWH grant in 2011 as a result of our competitive renewal you may be awarded an additional year as a BIRCWH scholar.

9. Will there be funds available to conduct research?
   
   The BIRCWH scholars who have been on the BIRCWH for the last three years received a research stipend supplied by their respective Deans. Due to the recent budget constraints we are not certain that these stipends will be available. We are currently contacting the Deans to see if these stipends will be available and will post the information as soon as we know. 

10. Does my proposal need to include attaining a degree?
    
    No, you do not have to obtain a degree. The decision to attain a degree as part of your program or to take specific courses as a non-degree student should be based on the amount of research training you have had in the past. If you have not had research training, we highly encourage completion of a MS in Clinical Research, MPH, or equivalent degree as relevant to your field of research.

11. Is there any training on mentoring available to mentors through this program?
    
    The mentoring team will be required to attend a mentoring workshop. More details will be provided shortly.

12. Does my application have to go through Sponsored Programs Administration (SPA)?
    
    You do not have to submit a budget and your application does not need to go through SPA.

13. Do I need to apply for other grants while I am on the BIRCWH grant?
    
    Yes, you are expected to apply for seed grants from internal and external sources to help support collection of preliminary data for a Federal grant. In the first year, you will be expected to submit for intramural grant funding. In the second year, you will be expect to submit for small extramural grants to support your pilot work. Twelve to eighteen months into your training program you will be expected to work on a larger Federal grant.

14. How should I include references in my proposal?
    
    References should be included at the end of the 3-5 pages of text. Any reference format can be used and the references are not included in the 5 page limit.

15. How much detail do I need to include about my research project?
    
    
    It is important to give the context of how your research project fits in the current literature in your area. You need to have a specific aim or aims that will guide your research project and you need to give a general idea of what methods you will be using. Details of methods and analyses are not required.