March of Dimes: Reproductive Scientist Development Program

The RSDP program is more flexible in terms of research proposals

Due to its focus on young scientists who may not have had rigorous experience or training in scientific inquiry or publication, recipient acceptance into the program does not imply a need to conduct and publish novel, breakthrough scientific work in the OB/GYN space, as this in and of itself is rare. Rather, the program is a March of Dimes effort to recognize and strengthen the wide breadth of human talent in the OB/GYN field and spark a lifelong confidence, passion and commitment to maternal fetal health research that will undoubtedly change not only clinical outcomes, but lives, in the decades to come

As such, research proposals must be translational in nature and relate to the field of maternal fetal health – with a focus on prematurity, maternal and infant morbidity and mortality and health equity – but the outcome of the work is less important than the training and shaping of the recipient during the grant period

This program is administrated by a host institution and is funded by a coalition of organizations including the March of Dimes, with coalition members pooling funding to support the research work of about a dozen grant recipients annually, the grant structure has recently changed, with each coalition organization funding a specific recipient.

Areas of Research: obstetrics and gynecology and their subspecialties (e.g. reproductive endocrinology and infertility)