Call for UK BIRCWH program applications open through June 30

LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 4, 2026) — The University of Kentucky Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women’s Health (BIRCWH) program is currently accepting applications from all UK colleges for scholars and associates interested in research to advance women’s health and address sex differences.

UK’s BIRCWH program is one of the founding BIRCWH programs and has consistently received funding from the National Institutes of Health, and most recently through the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Applications are due Tuesday, June 30, for up to two scholar positions and up to two associate positions. Scholars and associates will be appointed for one year beginning Aug. 1 and will develop a specific research project with the potential for further funding.

Since its inception 26 years ago, the UK BIRCWH program has trained more than 60 early-career faculty members. The program provides protected time, mentorship and resources, like grant-writing workshops, to help participants become independently funded researchers.

One of the program’s recent success stories is Hend Mansoor, Pharm.D., Ph.D., an assistant professor in the UK College of Pharmacy. Mansoor’s research uses advanced machine learning to prevent stroke and cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in Kentucky. Through the BIRCWH program, she secured funding from the American Heart Association through the Early Career Investigator Database Research Seed Grant, using data from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association Quality Improvement Programs, and from the American College of Cardiology through the National Cardiovascular Data Registry CathPCI Research Grant.

“I feel deeply honored to be part of the UK BIRCWH program,” Mansoor said. “Working through BIRCWH teaches you the nature of diverse fields — from neurology to data science — and has been instrumental in fostering my growth toward becoming an independent researcher.”

The program’s impact is felt directly across the Commonwealth by addressing specific health disparities faced by Kentucky women, particularly in cardiovascular care.

“The BIRCWH program is unique because it does more than just fund research; it builds a community of scholars dedicated to closing the health equity gap for women in the Commonwealth,” said Ann Coker, Ph.D., the Verizon Wireless Endowed Chair in the Center for Research on Violence Prevention and BIRCWH research director. “We are looking for applicants who are ready to lead the way in innovative, life-saving discovery.”

Thomas Curry, Ph.D., principal investigator and professor in the UK College of Medicine, emphasized the program’s interdisciplinary approach is key to its success.

“By fostering collaboration across colleges like pharmacy and medicine, we tackle complex health challenges from multiple angles,” Curry said. “Seeing scholars like Dr. Mansoor succeed on a national stage demonstrates the caliber of talent we are growing right here at the University of Kentucky.”

Tenure-track assistant professors, including physician-scientists, from all UK colleges are eligible to apply. Interested faculty can find more information online at the BIRCWH application page or by contacting Emily Clear at emily.clear@uky.edu.

Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number K12DA035150. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.