BIRCWH Scholars Innovation Program (BSIP)

doctor sitting at desk with hands clasped and looking at laptop with glasses on the desk

In 2022, MUSC SCORE received funding to establish and lead the nation’s first BIRCWH Scholars Innovation Program (BSIP). The mission of the BSIP is to provide training and mentorship centered in the critical public health intersection of substance use/mental health disorders and women’s health research. It is open to current and post 1-year BIRCWH, NIDA K12, and SCORE Career Enhancement Core (CEC) scholars.

Aims

BSIP resources are available to BIRCWH, NIDA K12 and SCORE CEC scholars nationwide. These resources consist of three core components that offer opportunities for BIRCWH scholars to:
(1) Participate in an engaging didactic series regarding key topics related to sex and gender differences in substance use disorders, as well the impact of substance use on women throughout the lifespan.
(2) Request consultation or mentorship to assist and/or guide the integration of substance use/use disorder foci into their research portfolio.
(3) Receive critical feedback on grant proposals germane to women’s health and substance use disorders via either grant review or mock study section review.

Didactics

Our didactic series began in 2023, occurring virtually every third Tuesday of the month. Sessions are open to anyone interested in attending. The 2024 summer/fall schedule is below, with all sessions being held from 1:00-2:00PM EST. Please email Amanda Wagner to obtain Zoom link/calendar invites for following sessions:

6/25/24 (4th Tuesday): Substance Use & Older Adults

7/16/24: Emerging Trends in Substance Use

8/20/24: Postpartum Depression & Emerging Treatments

BSIP learning platform is here!

picture of an open laptop with graphs on the screenBSIP resources and requests are now centrally housed in a comprehensive learning management platform, MUSC Academy, to which all BSIP scholars have access. This platform contains archived BSIP didactic lectures, BSIP mentor and scholar profiles, online request form for consultation and mentorship, and a growing list of substance use disorder research resources. Eventually we plan to add grant review and mock study section requests via this platform. If you are a BSIP scholar who needs platform log-in credentials, please email Amanda Wagner.