The AAOGF, the Foundation for SMFM, and ABOG seek to identify future academic physician leaders in the field of Obstetrics and Gynecology and to stimulate their scholarly development through the support of advanced scientific training. The Scholarship Award is to be used in an academic Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in the United States or Canada to provide research training and experience for a candidate of proven ability who exhibits significant talent, original thought, and evidence of dedication to an academic career. Research training may focus on basic or translational research, disease pathogenesis, clinical diagnostics, interventions and prevention, epidemiology, and health services research.

The Awards

The total annual funding for each scholar is $150,000. Sufficient funds to support travel to the annual fellows’ retreat are included and must be set aside. The balance of funds may be used for salary, technical support, and supplies. The award that is co-sponsored by ABOG is made under the direction of the AAOGF Scholar Committee. The co-sponsored FSMFM award is under the direction of the Foundation for SMFM Scholarly Activities Committee.

The ABOG/AAOGF award and the Foundation for SMFM/AAOGF awards are intended to fund three consecutive years of research and research training based on the proposed application. The initial award is for one year and is renewable annually for two additional consecutive years of research training, based on satisfactory progress of the scholar in meeting programmatic requirements and on the availability of funds. Only one year of the three funded years may be part of a subspecialty fellowship-training program. Indirect costs are not provided.

Recipients must agree to provide career development reports and follow-up after the conclusion of the scholarship on an annual basis and as requested.

It is expected that the scholarship training will be conducted at the same institution for the entire period of funding. Transfer of institutions or change of mentors during the period of funding must receive the prior approval of AAOGF and the respective co-sponsor. Changes in research focus from the original proposal must receive approval of AAOGF and the respective co-sponsor before second- and third-year funding is released. Unexpended funds must be returned to the sponsoring organization unless approval is granted for an extension of the training period. Upon official acceptance of this award, scholars may not apply for other career development scholarship programs.

Application Requirements

Candidates must have been awarded an M.D. (or D.O.) degree and must be eligible for the certification process of ABOG at the time of the award. This award is not intended to fund clinical training leading to specialty or subspecialty certification. However, applicants who are in their second year of an ABOG-approved fellowship can apply for funding through this mechanism to start their training in the third year of fellowship, provided that year is devoted to the approved research project for at least 75% of the year. In addition, candidates for the Foundation for SMFM/AAOGF scholarship must be members of the SMFM. Eligible applicants may use the same application for both the ABOG/AAOGF and/or the Foundation for SMFM/AAOGF awards, but will need to submit through each Foundation’s electronic system separately. Applicants are also encouraged to consider funding opportunities from the Reproductive Scientist Development Program (RSDP). Because of the desirability of early training in scientific principles, residency programs possessing the necessary flexibility and resources are urged to notify their residents of the availability of these scholarships.

At least 75% of the candidate’s efforts should be spent in research training and the conduct of the proposed and approved research project, which may occur in facilities either within or outside of the sponsoring Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Collaborative efforts with other departments (e.g., Pharmacology, Molecular and Cell Biology, Genetics, Immunology, Biochemistry, or Epidemiology) would be a desirable part of the program.

Applications for the subsequent academic year will be accepted only if the application is received electronically by July 1, 2026. There is no application form; however, an application format is provided at the end of this announcement. The application must be countersigned by the candidate, the Chair of the sponsoring department, and the institutional Signatory Official. The following materials must be submitted for the application to be considered complete and be reviewed for funding:

1. A description of the candidate’s qualifications, including a curriculum vitae (complete, not merely-NIH biosketch style), bibliography, prior training, past research experience, and evidence of completion of residency training in obstetrics and gynecology or expectation of completion of residency training in obstetrics and gynecology prior to the start of the award. The basis for the sponsoring department’s selection of the candidate should be clear, including future plans for development and faculty appointment or placement. Short and long-term career development plans should be specified.
2. A comprehensive description of the proposed training program, including planned didactic experience, and formal didactic courses. The latter should include at least two formal graduate level courses in areas relevant to the scholar’s area of interest. Applicants who have completed Master’s degree or Ph.D. coursework have fulfilled this requirement and are not required to enroll in formal didactic courses, but are recommended to do so in order to advance their knowledge. Classes must include an exam and a passing grade documented by a letter signed by the course director. Additional components can include: structured conferences, specific laboratory responsibilities, and the extent of non-research related clinical responsibilities. This didactic plan should be consistent with the career development plan.
3. The research project should be described in detail using an NIH grant format but should not exceed 6 pages (with 0.5-inch margin), using number 11 Arial font, including all figures and tables but not bibliography. The goals of the training program and the means of evaluation of productivity and success in meeting these goals must be clearly stated.
4. A description of departmental resources appropriate to the training, including the full-time faculty member responsible for serving as the training mentor, must be provided. The mentor’s NIH-style biosketch (which should include a list of current extramural funding), a list of past trainees, and a letter of commitment are required.
5. The proposed mentor must provide a detailed mentoring plan that includes methods of assessment, expected milestones, and remediation plans if training targets are not met. In addition, a list of any other faculty members with whom the trainee will work, with particular emphasis of their prior experience in mentoring and their time commitment to this undertaking, should be included. Finally, the mentor should make note of available research space, equipment and general resources as well as an account of prior training experience within the unit, and the existence of other departmental support resources.
6. A list of other research grants, training grants, or scholarships previously or currently held by the applicant must be provided. Please include a list of all applications by the candidate that are currently pending review. We also highly encourage our scholars to apply for a K-level or an R01 grant (or the like) as PIs. Once the K grant (or other career development award) or R01 is funded with the scholar serving as a PI, the support from the AAOGF scholarship training program will end, irrespective of the % effort allocated to the K grant (or to the other career development award) or R01 grant.
7. A budget should be provided. As noted, the award may be used for salary support of the scholar, purchase of equipment and supplies, research assistant salaries and/or services and travel expenses related to research training. Planned expenditures should be listed under the following headings: salaries (by individual), supplies, equipment, services, and travel. Please note that no indirect costs will be paid.
8. Documentation of approvals from the Institutional Review Board (Human Subjects) and if applicable, from the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee can follow NIH “just in time” approval rules. However, following granting of the award no funding will be released until full documentation of the necessary approvals are received by the respective Foundation.
9. Applications for the Foundation for SMFM/AAOGF award should focus on an area of relevance to the discipline of Maternal-Fetal Medicine or Obstetrics pregnancy-related fields. Applications for the ABOG/AAOGF award should focus on research in any field of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

AI Based Application Success Predictor

1. Clear alignment with women’s health / OB-GYN research priorities (highest predictor)

AAOGF funding is geared toward advancing obstetrics, gynecology, maternal-fetal medicine, reproductive health, and women’s healthcare research/training. Competitive proposals usually have a direct and measurable link to improving women’s health outcomes.

Strong topic examples:

• maternal morbidity / mortality
• reproductive endocrinology
• gynecologic disease
• fertility / infertility
• clinical OB-GYN outcomes research
• health equity in obstetrics and gynecology

2. Early-career investigator potential

AAOGF scholarships often support:

• residents
• fellows
• junior faculty
• early academic OB-GYN investigators

Successful applicants usually demonstrate strong potential to become future academic leaders in OB-GYN through:

• publications
• abstracts/posters
• conference presentations
• prior research involvement

3. Strong mentor and institutional backing

This is a major predictor for AAOGF.

Applications tend to be stronger when they show:

• committed mentorship from senior OB-GYN faculty
• departmental support
• protected research time
• access to patient population / data / lab resources
• institutional infrastructure to complete the project

A strong mentor letter can significantly strengthen competitiveness.

4. Feasible project with practical methodology

Reviewers generally favor proposals with:

• focused research question
• clear aims/hypothesis
• realistic timeline
• appropriate sample size or study design
• achievable outcomes within the grant period

Pilot projects with a clear completion plan often do well.

5. Potential for future publications and larger grants

AAOGF awards are often seen as career-development or seed funding.

Applications are stronger when the project can lead to:

• peer-reviewed publication
• pilot data for NIH/ACOG/SMFM applications
• future external funding
• career advancement in academic OB-GYN

Showing “what comes next after this grant” is valuable.