Bayer HealthCare

Bayer Women's HealthCare Research Awards FAQs

What are the purposes of the awards?
Who is eligible for the Basic Science Research and the Droegemueller Clinical Research Awards?
What are the amounts and terms of the awards?
If I were to win an award, what are my requirements?
Who should I contact regarding my request?
Why did the process change?
Who sits on the Grant Review Committee?
What documents are needed to support my request?
Is there a deadline for these award requests?
When will I be notified of the decision?
I’m interested in the Reproductive Scientist Development Program. Who should I contact?
I’m interested in the C. D. Christian Lectureship Who should I contact?
I would like to attend the Exxcellence in Faculty Development program. Who should I contact?

What are the purposes of the awards?
The Bayer Award in Basic Science Research provides the opportunity for clinician-investigators who wish to initiate new studies or who are currently conducting promising basic science research in the area of reproductive medicine to continue work on their projects for an additional year.

The Bayer Droegemueller Award in Clinical Research is intended to support studies that are specifically focused on clinical research in obstetrics and gynecology. Its goal is to promote excellent clinical research by young investigators in the areas of diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis. This award is not intended for support of basic science research or animal studies.

The Reproductive Scientist Development Program(RSDP) is a national postdoctoral career development program designed for young obstetrician-gynecologists who are committed to careers in academic medicine. It provides two to three years support of intense, full-time basic research under the mentorship of internationally recognized senior scientists.

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Who is eligible for the Basic Science Research and the Droegemueller Clinical Research Awards?
These awards are limited to obstetricians/gynecologists permanently living and working in the United States. Applicants must have an M.D. degree and have completed residency training in obstetrics and gynecology. As these awards are intended to support early career development, the applicant must be in the last year of fellowship training or in the first five years of a full-time faculty positoin.
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What are the amounts and terms of the awards?
The total amount for each award is $110,000 for a period of 24 months. It will be paid out in two installments of $55,000 with the second installment being subject to the completion of a written report by the end of the first year of research. The award is made to the institution at which the candidate will conduct the research. As a guideline, $40,000 of the award per year may be used for salary support of the candidate and the balance be designated for laboratory and other uses. None of the funding can be used for the institution’s indirect costs. However, distribution of the funds should be allocated according to the needs of the Awardee. The award also requires that a minimum of 20 hours per week be protected for the research project. One site visit is usually done during the first year of support; this visit helps the recipient trouble-shoot problems, monitors research progress and assures Bayer that the required protected time is being provided.
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If I were to win an award, what are my requirements?
It is expected that the candidate will devote a minimum of 50% of his/her time to the research activity. The funding of the second year is contingent upon the receipt of a progress report by the end of the first research year. A progress report, six months after the receipt of the award and a final year-end report are required. It is expected that the candidate will prepare a manuscript for publication in a peer-reviewed journal
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Who should I contact regarding my request?
You can email BMRG at slisanti@bmrgroup.org or call 201-385-1808 to find the status of your submission regarding the Bayer Award in Basic Science Research or the Bayer Droegemueller Award in Clinical Research.
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Why did the process change?
In 2007 Berlex Laboratories, Inc. was acquired by Bayer Healthcare. At that time a business decision was made to manage all educational grant requests consistently and through the established Bayer Grant Review Committees.
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Who sits on the Grant Review Committee?
The Committee consists of Bayer’s medical organization and other Bayer Healthcare professionals. An independent advisory board of leading researchers and academicians in obstetrics and gynecology support the Committee in the evaluation process.
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What documents are needed to support my request?
You need to provide the following:
- CV
- Statement of career goals (maximum 1 single-spaced, typed page)
- Letter of recommendation from your Department Chair-should indicate agreement to enable 20 hours per week of your time for the research activity
- Letter of recommendation from your research mentor or director of the laboratory in which the investigation will be conducted
- Research proposal in NIH format; should not exceed 6 typewritten pages and include a one page budget summary (exclude indirect institutional costs or overhead); proposals for randomized clinical trials should cover all elements recommended by CONSORT guidelines (JAMA 1996; 276;637-639) and require Institutional IRB approval
- Summary of any other pending, concurrent applications for the same research project
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Is there a deadline for these award requests?
For the Bayer Award in Basic Science and the Bayer Droegemueller Award in Clinical Research, the deadline is Oct 1of any given year for the 2-year award period following that calendar year, eg. for award period 2009/2010 the deadline is Oct 1, 2008. For the other programs, please see the questions/answers to #12-14.

NOTE: Research Award applicants from areas hit by the recent hurricanes have their deadline extended to October 8, 2008.
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When will I be notified of the decision?
Applicants selected for the award will be notified by the Bayer Grants Manager no later than December 15 of the calendar year preceding the 2-year award period, eg. selected applicants will be notified by December 15, 2008 for the award period 2009/2010.
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I’m interested in the Reproductive Scientist Development Program. Who should I contact?
The Reproductive Scientist Development Program (RSDP) is a national postdoctoral career development program designed for young obstetrician-gynecologists who are committed to careers in academic medicine. It provides two to three years support of intense, full-time basic research under the mentorship of internationally recognized senior scientists. The RSDP grant provides $25,000 annually to co-fund a position with the NIH. Application and Award Review is made through the RSDP office at the University of California, San Francisco. Please contact:

Dr Robert Jaffe
University of California, San Francisco
Box 0922
San Francisco, CA 94143-0922
Tel: (415) 476-9047

Maro Minasi, RSDP, Program Director
minasim@obgyn.ucsf.edu or www.rsdp.org
Telephone: 415-476-9047

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I’m interested in the C. D. Christian Lectureship Who should I contact?
As in the past under the Berlex Foundation, Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals continues to sponsor the C.D. Christian Lectureship at the annual meeting of the Society for Gynecologic Investigation. This award provides an opportunity for internationally distinguished scientists to share their insights and experiences with colleagues in the area of reproductive medicine. The award winner is selected each year by the Society. Any questions should be directed to the Society for Gynecologic Investigations.
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I would like to attend the Exxcellence in Faculty Development program. Who should I contact?
This program provides individuals with the opportunity to participate in a week-long intensive workshop concentrating on epidemiology, clinical trial design, statistical analysis, and skills necessary for publication in the peer-reviewed literature. You should contact Nancy Dent at the Foundation for Exxcellence at www.exxcellence.org or call 214-721-7501.
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Last updated: August 2008

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