BIRCH Trainee Support Grants help fund a variety of activities for doctoral students, fellows, and junior faculty which are directly relevant to their career development. The purpose of the program is to provide modest support (up to $1000 per award) to enhance career development of trainees and junior investigators pursuing research careers in integrating mental health into HIV/AIDS prevention, care, and treatment.
Semi-Annual Application Deadlines
June 6th, 2022
December 5th, 2022
One application per person per semi-annual deadline. Apply here.
Eligibility
Applicants must be graduate students or trainees (pre- or post-doctoral, acting or junior faculty with a rank of Assistant Professor or below) and have a demonstrated commitment to a career in research on mental health and/or HIV/AIDS. International graduate students and trainees committed to HIV research careers may also be eligible if they are both stationed in an Eligible Low and Middle Income Country and have a primary mentor who is appointed at UW and a BIRCH member.
Eligible applicants must also be BIRCH Members, or have applied for membership at the time of their TSG submission.
Types of Activities
Eligible activities must relate directly to advancing an applicant’s HIV/AIDS research career development plans, collaborations and dissemination.
“Mental health and HIV-related research” is defined broadly and should include mental health and HIV variables/themes/outcomes. Types of studies can come from the basic sciences, clinical research, behavioral epidemiological research, implementation science, and health services research.
Examples of eligible activity expenses include scientific meeting registration fees, and travel costs for educational activities supporting research collaborations. Also, scientific meeting participation costs are eligible only insofar as the applicant has been selected to make an oral or poster presentation. Ineligible expenses include activities and equipment to conduct research, such as salaries, stipends and computers, and publication charges.
Funding Available
Up to $1000 for conference registration and travel. TSGs are awarded and reviewed semi-annually. Maximum one award per person. No mentors will be allowed to have more than two mentees receive an award per year. Unsuccessful applicants may apply again for a different request.
Award Criteria
Demonstration that the activity will contribute toward a trainee’s development as a mental health and HIV/AIDS investigator (e.g. foster collaborations, acquire new knowledge, new skills, new experience, etc.). Priority will be given to applicants with a doctoral degree for whom participating in the activity is dependent on the BIRCH award.
Post-Award Requirement
Awardees must report to the BIRCH Developmental Core on how the award contributed toward their development as a mental health and HIV/AIDS investigator. Note that there will be SEMI-ANNUAL DEADLINES and reviews for these awards. If the request is to attend a meeting other than one of the major HIV/AIDS meetings, please include a link to the meeting webpage. Please also indicate the status of your anticipated charges. If you have questions, please contact uwbirch@uw.edu.