Research Opportunities

The Institute for Women's Health Research (IWHR) is currently accepting proposals for the third annual IWHR Pioneer Award program. Applicants should hold a faculty-level appointment at Northwestern University or be postdoctoral fellows in laboratories of tenure-line faculty members. The IWHR will fund 3 basic science or clinical research proposals that are specifically designed to evaluate sex and gender differences in health and disease. In addition, the IWHR is soliciting 2 proposals that specifically use or evaluate the Illinois Women's Health Registry, (ideas include, but are not limited to an analysis of trends in women's health across the state, proposing to develop measurement methods of self-reported data, survey validation expertise, or analysis of outcomes and survey data). We encourage applications from those who wish to initiate a new women's health research program. These awards are not designed to provide ongoing support for a long-term project, they are intended to assist in obtaining pilot data required for larger grant applications in women's health.

Application process:

Applicants will submit an electronic proposal that includes:

A panel will review and evaluate, assign priority scores, and recommend proposals to the IWHR director. The IWHR director will select the most meritorious projects based on the reviews and specific criteria requested. The IWHR does not provide individual critiques of submitted proposals.

Awardees will be required to cite the IWHR as a source of support at presentations and acknowledge the IWHR in publications or grants resulting from their proposed research project. It is the responsibility of the awardee to notify the IWHR of these relevant activities.

Awardees must submit a short progress report (science and budget) on March 1, 2010 and a final written report at termination of award money. Award funds must be spent no later than August 31, 2010. Any changes to the originally submitted budget must be approved by the IWHR. Funds come from a variety of sources, and funding distribution will be discussed once awardees are named.

Application deadline: June 19, 2009 with notice of award by August 3, 2009 and an anticipated start date of September 1, 2009 (FY 2010).

Please email all application components as one .pdf file to s-bristol@northwestern.edu

Questions should directed to: Sarah Bristol-Gould, PhD at 312-503-1308.