BIRCWH K12 Program | Duke Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology

BIRCWH – K12 Institutional Career Development Program

Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women’s Health

Annual Symposium

Each year, faculty, fellows, postdocs, students and staff from across the US and Canada gather in the Trent Semans Center Great Hall at Duke University for the Women’s Health & Career Development Symposium. With a multidisciplinary focus, many departments are represented - including biostatistics, public health, surgery, nursing, community health. The event features invited speakers, scholar presentations, a poster showcase, and interactive sessions. Anyone interested in women's health research is welcome to attend!

Save the Date! Women's Health Symposium Feburary 6, 2026

About the BIRCWH Career Development Program

The Duke University School of Medicine and North Carolina Central University (NCCU) are recipients of a National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women’s Health (BIRCWH) grant. The BIRCWH program is led by the NIH Office of Research on Women's Health (ORWH), along with nearly a dozen other NIH Institutes and Centers. The BIRCWH is a K12 Institutional Training Grant that provides junior faculty at Duke or NCCU 75% salary support (50% for surgical specialties) for up to $100,000 per year for two years. Scholars will receive up to $33,000/year towards their research project. The program provides research development support to pursue research careers related to women's health and builds upon existing interdisciplinary faculty relationships to foster productive and innovative collaborations.

In 2022, our 5-year renewal was awarded, which will lead to 25 years of continued funding for the BIRCWH program.

BIRCWH NIH Video Image — *Click image to hear the story of BIRCWH at Duke from leaders, scholars, and alumni.*

Purpose

The purpose of the BIRCWH Faculty Development Program is to promote the career development of junior faculty pursuing interdisciplinary basic, translational, behavioral, clinical, and/or health services research relevant to the health of women and, where appropriate, the influence of sex as a biological variable on health and disease.

The BIRCWH also aims to strengthen the Women’s Health Research enterprise at Duke and NCCU. The BIRCWH Program provides advanced research training, mentoring and career guidance. BIRCWH research spans the entire spectrum of women’s health topics, and the program is open to all types of clinicians and non-clinicians.

BIRCWH scholars also participate in the Research Scholars Educational Training (ReSET) Program which provides structured, real-time grant writing support and welcomes all OBGYN trainees, faculty, and K12 scholars. Lectures and workshops are held on the 4th Wednesday of each month at Baker House Room 214 from 9:30 - 11:00 AM.

- Scholars, are you submitting an external grant in the next 3-6 months? Request a personal Grant Development Support (GRADS) Team to help you get your grant out the door.

Learn more on the ReSET website.