# Utah's Women's Reproductive Health Research Career Development Program

> **NIH NIH K12** · UTAH STATE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM--UNIVERSITY OF UTAH · 2024 · $340,200

## Abstract

WRHR ABSTRACT/PROJECT SUMMARY:
A subspecialty fellowship alone is insufficient training for most Obstetrician-Gynecologists to pursue independent
research careers. In order to successfully compete with established investigators and researchers who
completed PhD and postdoctoral training and do not have additional clinical obligations, the successful clinician-
scientists of the future require additional intensive mentored training. The Utah Women's Reproductive Health
Research Program (Utah WRHR Program) provides junior faculty members of the University of Utah
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology with mentored research experiences that provide a bridge from clinical
training to research independence, creating a cadre of independent scientific careers addressing clinically
important women's reproductive health issues. The Utah WRHR Program draws Scholars from the University
of Utah's Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology as well as from nation-wide recruitment efforts. Program
mentors come from Department faculty and research communities across the campuses of the University of
Utah Health Sciences Center and our CTSA Cores and partner institutions, with particular emphasis on the Vice-
President's Clinical and Translational science (VPCAT) program. The VPCAT program has well-established,
successful academic career development programs in place that utilize the Matrix Mentoring Model (MMM). The
MMM combines self-mentorship with mentorship from senior faculty, scientific experts, peers, and staff to
produce unparalleled success in academic career development The VPCAT program (and its administrative
predecessor) has had 68% (55/84) of its graduates transition to extramural funding (over $117M to date) in
academic medical faculty positions, including six junior faculty in the Utah Ob-Gyn Department. Utah WRHR
Scholars will have full access to these successful programs. The Utah WRHR Program also draws mentors from
the main University campus. Inclusion of this latter group of mentors bespeaks the multiple dimensions of
women's reproductive health and their importance in overall health. The Utah WRHR Principal Investigator
(Robert Silver MD), Program Director (Michael Varner MD), and Recruitment Director (David Turok MD MPH)
have a combined 79 years of mentoring experience, 50 years of NIH funding, and are committed to developing
the next generation of academic Obstetrician-Gynecologists. An established Advisory Committee meets
quarterly to review Scholar's career development plans, progress, and their mentorship teams. The Utah WRHR
Program funds two Scholars at a time, with appointments for at least two years. Scholars are junior faculty in the
Department, having completed their clinical training within six years of their appointment. The Utah WRHR
Program intends to have all of its graduates pursue full-time academic careers supported by peer-reviewed
extramural funding and is committed to providing the resources needed to succeed.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10850795
- **Project number:** 5K12HD085816-10
- **Recipient organization:** UTAH STATE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM--UNIVERSITY OF UTAH
- **Principal Investigator:** ROBERT M. SILVER
- **Activity code:** K12 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $340,200
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2015-07-17 → 2025-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10850795

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10850795, Utah's Women's Reproductive Health Research Career Development Program (5K12HD085816-10). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10850795. Licensed CC0.

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