UCSF MERC and WHCRC Emerging Health Equity Scholar Award

2025 Application

The Multiethnic Health Equity Research Center (MERC) and the Women's Health Clinical Research Center (WHCRC) are excited to announce the MERC and WHCRC Emerging Health Equity Scholar Award. The purpose of this award is to recognize and celebrate junior researchers’ contributions to racial and ethnic health equity and/or women's health research.

The award will recognize UCSF early career investigators who are conducting health services, community-engaged, clinical, or translational research focused on women's health, racial and ethnic health equity, and/or the intersection of the two.  Eligible individuals can submit a self-nomination available here application by February 28, 2025 by 5pm PST. 

The award includes a small monetary award and an invitation to deliver a brief research presentation at this year’s virtual MERC & WHCRC Research Symposium. The symposium will be held virtually on May 1, 2025, from 11am - 1 pm PST and will include a keynote speaker, Dr. Melissa Simon. The symposium is open to the UCSF community and the public to attend.

Award eligibility (Please contact us at [email protected] with any questions about eligibility criteria)

• UCSF affiliation with any school on campus.
• Early career investigator including Post-doctoral scholars, Fellows, Clinical Instructors, and Assistant Professors within first three years of faculty appointment.
• Research focused on women's health, racial and ethnic health equity, and/or the intersection of the two including health services, community-engaged, practice-based, clinical, or translational research.
• We particularly encourage applications at the intersection of women's health and racial and ethnic health equity, though not required.
• We encourage applications from diverse and/or historically excluded and underrepresented groups in research, though consideration is not limited to these groups.

Self-nomination materials

Completion of application available here that includes:

• Basic demographic information
• Single PDF including:
  • 1-page personal statement to include:
    1. prior and current scholarship in women's health and/or racial and ethnic health equity, and
    2. how this research fits in with your career trajectory and future research agenda.
  • 5-page NIH biosketch
  • 1-page abstract of a completed research project in women's health and/or racial and ethnic health equity (400 words or less; can be published or unpublished work)

Award selection criteria

• Significance and potential impact of applicant’s completed research work and research trajectory in women's health and/or racial and ethnic health equity
• Quality of the abstract of completed research project – writing, appropriateness of methods, significance of results, conclusions/implications of work
• Candidate and career trajectory in women's health and/or racial and ethnic health equity focused research
• We will select for a diversity of disciplines, topics, and backgrounds of candidates.

Timeline

• Self-nomination through completion of application due Friday, February 28th by 5pm PST.
• Awardees will be notified by Monday, March 24^th. We intend to select 3 awardees.
• Awardees will each present their completed research project in the context of their career trajectory in a 10 to 15-minute presentation followed by a moderated question & answer at the virtual MERC & WHCRC Research Symposium on May 1st from 11am-1pm PST.

Past Awardees