Women's Health Innovation Scholar (WHINS)
Women's Health Innovation Scholar Program
The Women’s Health Innovation Scholar Program (WHINS) is an internal grant mechanism funded by philanthropic supporters of the Ludeman Family Center for Women’s Health Research that fosters mentored research career development of early-career faculty who wish to develop independent careers focused on women’s health or sex differences research.
The Ludeman Center provides WHINS scholars with up to $100,000/year in salary support and up to $25,000 in benefits for two years with a third-year negotiable. The Ludeman Center also provides $25,000 in annual project support during the funding period. WHINS scholar’s departments/divisions must agree to cover salary/benefits gaps as well as $10,000 in annual project support funds.
Letters of Intent due September 26, 2025 by 5 p.m.
Important Dates for 2025 Funding Cycle
Date | |
Announcement Date | August 25, 2025 |
LOI Deadline | September 26, 2025 by 5 p.m. MT |
Invitation to Submit Full Proposal | October 9, 2025 |
Full Proposal Deadline (by invitation only) | November 14, 2025 by 5 p.m. MT |
Award Notification | December 12, 2025 |
Projected Start/End Date | January 2, 2026/December 31, 2027 |
Requirements:
- Must participate in WHINS-related meetings and events
- Must dedicate to research 75% of time for MDs and clinicians, 100% for PhDs
- Departments/divisions must commit to providing salary above the $100,000 limit from WHINS, if there is a salary gap
- Departments/divisions must also commit to providing $10,000 for project support for the successful candidates for each year of funding awarded (independent of salary gap augmentation)
- Must be postdoctoral fellow, instructor or assistant professor
- Must be an MD, PhD, PharmD or DO
- Preference will be given to projects that illustrate a pathway for translation to patient care
- Areas of focus for the WHINS include: cardiovascular disease, diabetes/metabolism, or the intersection of mental and physical health
Our Scholars in Action
Christina Metcalf, PhD
Dr. Metcalf is an assistant professor and clinical psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry. Dr. Metcalf’s project aims to understand how childhood adversity creates this risk through a series of assessments of mood, cognitive function, and biological response to a current stressor. The results of this project will inform interventions to help women with childhood adversity build resilience to stress as they proceed through the menopause transition.
Suet Nee Chen, PhD
Dr. Chen is an assistant professor and basic scientist in the Division of Cardiology and a Boettcher Scholar. Her focus is on molecular genetics and pathogenesis of inherited cardiomyopathies. WHINS has given Dr. Chen the opportunity to delve into sex differences in cardiomyopathy and generate exciting results to form novel hypotheses to prepare for an R01 grant proposal.
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Ester Oh, PhD
Dr. Oh is a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Medicine, Division of Renal Diseases and Hypertension. Dr. Oh's project aims to investigate how the loss of estrogen caused by chronic kidney disease (CKD) contributes to impaired blood vessel function. Dr. Oh's project will look at the use of equol (a phytoestrogen) can be used in women with CKD to improve blood vessel function.
To learn more about the Women’s Health Innovation Scholar Program, contact Carly Pilius
Email: [email protected]
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