Women’s Health Research & Innovation Scholarship
About 1 in 20 people with a menstrual cycle live with Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) or Premenstrual Exacerbation (PME). That's an estimated 119 million people worldwide. The average time to diagnosis: 12 years. Up to 34% of those with PMDD have attempted suicide.
PMDD is a cyclical mood disorder, not simply PMS or a hormone imbalance, in which the brain responds severely to the normal hormonal shifts of the menstrual cycle. PME involves the premenstrual worsening of existing conditions like depression, bipolar disorder, PTSD, ADHD, and anxiety. Both can be devastating. PMDD only received formal diagnostic recognition in 2013, and PME still hasn't. Neither is yet part of routine healthcare. These are not rare conditions. They rank among the most underdiagnosed, undertreated, and underfunded conditions in women's health, and they remain largely absent from standard clinical training and diagnostic practice.
We believe PMDD and PME must become a standard part of how clinicians are trained, how patients are screened, and how the medical community responds. This scholarship is inspired by over a decade of direct experience searching for solutions and regularly educating the very doctors who were sought out to help. We're investing in students who will help make that experience unnecessary through research, clinical practice, education, or product innovation. If your work is meaningfully connected to PMDD or PME, we encourage you to apply.
To apply, tell us what inspired you to pursue a career in women’s health and how you hope to make a difference through your work. Additionally, please feel free to upload an example of a project, product, work, or research you’ve executed in women’s health and/or links to your research, linkedin profile, or other supplemental information/portfolio.
Selection Criteria:
Demonstrated Passion – A clear commitment to advancing women’s health, reflected in personal stories, experiences, or projects.
Potential for Impact – Compelling vision for how your research, product ideas, or future endeavors could benefit women’s health on a larger scale, whether that’s through innovative devices, consumer products, medical/mental healthcare practice or foundational research.
PMDD and PME affect an estimated 119 million people worldwide, yet both remain widely unrecognized in clinical practice and medical training. What draws you to this specific area, personally and/or professionally, and what is one concrete way your current or future work could help move PMDD and/or PME from the margins of healthcare into routine clinical recognition and care? Please be specific about your focus area and approach. You're welcome to include links to published research, a personal website, or any materials that help illustrate your work or commitment.
Winners and Finalists
August 2025
Winning Application
Explore All Kinds of Scholarships for All Kinds of Students
FAQ
The application deadline is Aug 1, 2025. Winners will be announced on Aug 30, 2025.
Your privacy is a top priority on the Bold.org platform, and you can find our privacy policy in full here. You may opt out of communications from Bold.org at any time, and unless we’ve first notified you and gotten your consent, you’ll never receive communication from any third parties related to personal information you give us.
Award amounts per winner are designated by the donor. Check the award amount for a detailed breakdown.
The winner will be publicly announced on Aug 30, 2025. Prior to the announcement date, we may contact finalists with additional questions about their application. We will work with donors to review all applications according to the scholarship criteria. Winners will be chosen based on the merit of their application.
Award checks will be sent to the financial aid office of the winner's academic institution in their name to be applied to their tuition, and in the name of their institution (depending on the school's requirements). If the award is for a qualified educational non-tuition expense, we will work with the winner directly to distribute the award and make sure it goes towards qualified expenses.
Before we award the scholarship, the winner will be required to confirm their academic enrollment status. Depending on the circumstances, verification of Student ID and/or their most recent transcript will be required.
If you have any questions about this scholarship or the Bold.org platform, just email contact@bold.org and we’ll get back to you as quickly as we can.
Yes. The terms and conditions for this scholarship can be found here.
