Funding opportunities Join the circle Supporting leadership opportunities for women with GCAW S
IR Foundation is offering an opportunity to build a community that uplifts, supports and engages
generations of women IR.
The Giving Circle for the Advancement of Women (GCAW) not only provides career development opportunities but allows individuals to come together to thoughtfully and intentionally donate.
“My motivation came from seeing the disparities that still exist within interventional radiology,” said Kirema Garcia-Reyes, MD, who serves as the GCAW co-chair with Gloria Hwang, MD, FSIR. “I wanted to be part of a concrete solution that not only highlights these disparities but actively works to reduce them by creating pathways for women to succeed.”
Creating pathways GCAW serves a dual purpose: both by empowering women in IR and empowering those who are invested in change with the chance to create opportunities for leadership, knowledge and networking growth. With support, women in IR can then better serve the specialty and broader IR community, which will ultimately benefit patients, said founding member Alan H. Matsumoto, MD, FSIR.
According to Dr. Matsumoto, fewer than 10% of practicing IRs are women, while more than 50% of medical students are women—as well as roughly half the U.S. population.
“We know that patients, if given their choice, may prefer to have a physician of their same gender and ethnicity providing their healthcare,” he said. “Given the relative low numbers of women practicing IR, it is also understandably more difficult for these women to develop professional networks and opportunities for mentorship and sponsorship.”
How does it work?
1. Members join the Giving Circle for the Advancement of Women through a gift to SIR Foundation.
2. The giving circle members are presented with opportunities to fund, and the opportunity with the most votes receives the donated dollars.
3. Interested applicants will apply for the specified opportunity and will be funded.
4. One year later, the impact of their collective giving is shown to the GCAW and then the GCAW chooses the next round of opportunities to fund.
What opportunities are supported?
GCAW members vote on funding opportunities each year. In 2025, support opportunities included: • American College of Radiology (ACR) Leadership Summit • 2026 Radiology Leadership Institute (RLI) Leadership Accelerator Course • RLI From Peer to Leader: Practical Skills for the New Radiology Leader
• American Medical Writers Association (AMWA) ELEVATE Certificate in Leadership for Women Physicians
• 2025 Radiology Business Management Association (RBMA) Certificate Programs
• Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Early Career Women Faculty Leadership Development Seminar
• Harvard Leadership Development for Physicians in Academic Medical Centers program
Those applying for GCAW can request up to $2,500 in funds to support a myriad of opportunities, from travel stipends to the cost of professional development courses.
“My hope is that GCAW becomes a meaningful resource that helps
women advance their careers in ways that align with their individual passions—whether through research, leadership development, education or other professional opportunities,” said Dr. Reyes. “Ultimately, I see GCAW as a catalyst for building equity and representation in IR.”
irq.sirweb.org | 27
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40
