March 5, 2024
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Announcements
Good News!
Funding Opportunities
Upcoming Seminars & Events
Open Research Positions
Research Resources
 
Announcements
 
Vote for UCI in STAT Madness This Week!
STAT Madness 2024 has officially begun! Hosted by STAT, this annual competition brings together the best biomedical research from the past year. Research from institutions across the country face off against each other in a bracket-style matchup in which votes determine the winner.

Vote for our researchers in Matchup 16 for their study on “Stress-Related Brain Disruption.” Our researchers include Tallie Z. Baram, MD, PhD, senior author and UCI Donald Bren Professor and Distinguished Professor in the Departments of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Pediatrics, Neurology and Physiology & Biophysics, as well as lead authors and postdoctoral researchers Matt Birnie and Annabel K. Short. 

To vote, you will need to create a free account. You can vote once a day! Voting for Round 1 is open until Friday, March 8 at 12 a.m. EST (Thursday, March 7, at 9 p.m. PST). Vote now for this important research and help send UCI to the next round! 

Vote Now!
 
LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER: Joint Faculty Research Retreat — Advancing the Frontiers
You’re invited to attend a joint retreat with UCI School of Medicine and UCI Samueli School of Engineering. Please join us for this first-time-ever event! Faculty from both schools will come together to explore grant submissions, further educational opportunities, and promote collaborations at the intersections of medical sciences and engineering innovation. Read for more details and the agenda

Contact Emily Dawidoff if you have any questions.

Monday, March 11, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Location: UCI Student Center 

All Day Event (Check in at 9 a.m. First session at 9:30 a.m.) 
  
Register
 
Register now! All About the NIH Shared and High-End Instrumentation Grant (S10) Programs
Join us for an informational seminar about the NIH S10 mechanism, hosted by the School of Medicine Office of Research! We will review what makes these equipment awards unique, how the School of Medicine can support your application, and hear from S10 awardees on how they approached this mechanism. We encourage all School of Medicine researchers interested in applying for an NIH S10 award to attend.

Featured speakers: Geoff Abbott, PhD; Suzanne Sandmeyer, PhD; and Xiangmin Xu, PhD

Wednesday, March 13, Noon to 1 p.m. 
Via Zoom


Register
 
Call for Nominations: 2024 UCI School of Medicine Research Awards
The School of Medicine Office of Research announces the fourth annual call for nominations. Awards are in six categories to recognize research excellence and outstanding academic achievement in the UCI School of Medicine. Submit your nominations to Emily Dawidoff, edawidof@hs.uci.edu

For more details and a list of past winners, read about our Research Awards

Nominations Deadline: Monday, March 25, 2024
 
Call for Nominations: 2024 UCI School of Medicine Faculty Mentoring Awards
The School of Medicine Office of Academic Affairs announces the fourth call for nominations. There will be four awards to recognize excellence and innovation in mentoring at UCI School of Medicine — specifically in the domain of faculty mentoring other faculty (not students). Submit your nominations to Associate Dean Brian Cummings, cummings@hs.uci.edu and Sophie Wong, snwong1@hs.uci.edu.

For more details and a list of past winners, read about our Faculty Mentoring Awards.

Nominations Deadline: Monday, March 25, 2024 
 
School of Medicine Applications for Bridge Funding Due March 25
Please note that the next UCI Office of Research Deadline for Bridge Funding is Monday, April 1, 2024. Complete applications must include a signed letter of support by your department chair showing financial commitment. Applications are due to the School of Medicine Office of Research via this form by Monday, March 25, 2024. 
 
Request for Applications: School of Medicine New Investigator Faculty Research Grant
The School of Medicine Research Committee is pleased to announce the School of Medicine New Investigator Faculty Research Grant competition. It is the policy of the Committee to support seed research projects from new investigators that have a high probability of obtaining extramural funding as a result of this award. To qualify, the applicant must have the NIH “Early Stage Investigator” status and not yet competed successfully as a PI to receive substantial independent NIH funding. Please submit inquiries to somrd@hs.uci.edu.

Deadline: Friday, March 15, 2024
Apply via InfoReady
 
Call for applications: Robert & Sylvia Mapel Research Innovation Award
The UCI School of Medicine is pleased to announce a 2024 call for applications for the Robert & Sylvia Mapel Research Innovation Award. This award is aimed at promoting the early exploration of high-risk research ideas focused on emerging areas of basic and applied biomedical science. Funding will support one $45,000 grant to a PhD mentor and PhD student team of UCI School of Medicine-based researchers. 

Application Deadline: Friday, April 5, 2024, by 5 p.m.

Read More
 
School of Medicine Research Development Unit (RDU) can help with your NIH S10 application!
The NIH Shared Instrument Grant (SIG) Program (PAR-22-080) and High-End Instrumentation (HEI) Grant Program (PAR-22-079) encourage applications from groups of NIH-supported investigators to purchase or upgrade a single item of high-priced, specialized, commercially available instruments or integrated instrumentation system.

The June deadlines are approaching, so if you plan to submit an application, please complete this intake form as soon as possible. These applications are quite time-intensive, and at least a three-month lead time is recommended. The RDU can help with obtaining letters of support (e.g., from School of Medicine leadership), collecting and reviewing biosketches, and overall project management support. 
 
2024 UC Irvine Neurodegeneration Community Workshop
Join us for a two-day, hybrid event that will bring together patients, researchers and clinicians from the Southern California neurodegenerative disease community!

Extramural keynote speakers include Gene Yeo, PhD, MBA (UCSD), Tim Shay, PhD (Caltech) and Adys Mendizabal, MD, MS (UCLA), with additional sessions led by Leslie Thompson, PhD, Albert La Spada, MD, PhD and Tahseen Mozaffar, MD, from UC Irvine.

The event is free to attend and lunch will be provided on March 22. Graduate students and postdocs interested in presenting their work are encouraged to submit an abstract for consideration by this Friday, March 8.
  
March 22–23
Location: The Beckman Center, 100 Academy Way, Irvine, Calif.


Register
 
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Good News!
 
We have been collecting information about new awards sent in by the School of Medicine research community and have created this space to share the news.

Gelareh Sadigh, MD (Radiological Sciences), received a grant from the Radiological Society of North America, Inc., titled, “Empowering Latinx patients Lung Cancer Screening Uptake (Empower Latinx).”              

Have you or someone on your research team received a new grant, i.e., research funding? The School of Medicine Office of Research would like to know. Please fill out this short New Funding/Grant Survey form.
 
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Funding Opportunities
 
Find funding opportunities for trainees, postdocs and early career faculty, and all faculty.

To learn more about opportunities and resources for your funding search, visit the Office of Research’s Funding Opportunities page

For a curated, searchable and filterable list of funding opportunities by NIH in their weekly NIH guide listserv, check out the School of Medicine Funding Search Tool.

Postdocs & Early Career Faculty Funding Opportunities
 
Limited Opportunity! 2024 William T. Grant Foundation Scholars Program
The William T. Grant Foundation Scholars Program supports promising early-career researchers from any discipline whose research contributes to a society that values young people and helps them reach their potential in the face of inequality by race, ethnicity, economic standing and immigrant origin status. The foundation is particularly interested in interdisciplinary research that increases understanding of young people, ages 5 to 25 in the U.S.

UCI may nominate one candidate from each school. If you are interested, please email the School of Medicine Research Development Unit (somrd@hs.uci.edu) by Friday, March 8. There may be an internal selection process. 

Internal Deadline: Friday, March 8, 2024 
 
Harold Amos Medical Faculty Development Program
Four-year postdoctoral research awards to pursue advanced research training in collaboration with a senior faculty member; up to $75,000 annual stipend; $30,000 annual grant for research activities. 

Eligibility: Historically disadvantaged backgrounds; U.S. citizens, permanent residents or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status; Have or actively are completing formal clinical training; Commitment to four years of research and pursuit of academic career; Dedicated to helping decrease health disparities or serving as role models for students from similar backgrounds. Read for more details

Deadline: Tuesday, March 19, 2024 
All Faculty Funding Opportunities
 
Research Commercialization Funds Available – PoP Grants Request-for-Proposals
UCI Beall Applied Innovation (BAI) has launched the Spring 2024 round of its Proof-of-Product (PoP) program. Through this program, BAI competitively awards grants up to $100K for faculty researchers to advance their discoveries towards market to measurably improve lives.

LOI / Record of Information (ROI) deadline: Friday, March 22, 2024
 
Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Research supplements to promote workforce diversity and enhance utility and use of Common Fund datasets (NOT-RM-24-003)
The NIH has a strong interest in the diversity of the NIH-funded research enterprise (see NOT-OD-20-031) and encourages institutions to diversify their scientific workforce by enhancing the participation of individuals from diverse backgrounds, including those groups identified as underrepresented in the biomedical, clinical, behavioral, and social sciences.

This notice encourages eligible awardees to apply for administrative supplements in response to PA-23-189 (or any reissue of this announcement through the expiration date of this NOSI) with the goal of promoting innovative research that enhances the utility and/or use of selected Common Fund datasets. Providing these supplements may help enhance the utility and use of Common Fund data, promote the diversity of researchers using data generated by programs supported by the NIH Common Fund and, more broadly, may help promote the diversity of the scientific research workforce, which is a key component of the NIH strategy to identify, develop, support, and maintain the quality of our scientific human capital. Review the NOSI

First Available Deadline: Monday, April 8, 2024
Expiration Date: July 1, 2024

 
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Upcoming Seminars & Events
 
Department of Biological Chemistry BC Seminar Series
Integrated CRISPR/Cas13-Based RNA Editing and Nanotechnology for Targeting Transcriptional and Post-Transcriptional Vulnerabilities in Lethal Prostate Cancer, by Qianben Wang, PhD, professor of pathology and cell biology, Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University School of Medicine

Wednesday, March 6, 11 a.m. to noon  
Location: Plumwood House / Showa Denko Lecture Hall


 
Physiology & Biophysics Research in Progress Seminar 

Headshot of Olga Orozco

Olga Orozco 
Graduate Student
Michael Hicks, PhD, Lab
Department of Physiology & Biophysics
UCI School of Medicine  

Headshot of Yasmeen Solano

Yasmeen Rodriguez
Graduate Student
Philip Kiser, PharmD, PhD, Lab
Department of Physiology & Biophysics 
UCI School of Medicine


Standardization of iPSC-derived muscle stem cells toward cGMP conditions via SIX1by Olga Orozco
Carotenoid cleavage enzymes evolved convergently to generate the visual chromophore, by Yasmeen Rodriguez

Wednesday, March 6, 4 to 5 p.m. 
Location: Tamkin Hall F114
 
Third Annual CHOC and UCI Rare Disease Symposium
The Third Annual CHOC and UCI Rare Disease Symposium will bring together over 100 advocates, researchers, clinicians, students and families to share research, knowledge and experience on rare diseases. The 2024 Symposium is hosted in partnership between CHOC and UCI.
  • Grand Rounds (virtual): Wednesday, March 6, 8 a.m. to 9:05 a.m. PT 
  • Poster Sessions (Location TBD): Thursday, March 7, 2:30 to 7 p.m. PT 
  • Virtual Symposium: Friday, March 8, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. PT 
March 6–8
Location: In person & Virtual 


Register
 
Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics Thursday Seminar Series 
Understanding and targeting essential amino acid metabolism for treating TSC kidney tumors, by Cuauhtemoc Ramirez, PhD candidate in Gina Lee, PhD, Lab, Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics, UCI School of Medicine 

Thursday, March 7, 9 a.m. PT
Location: Hybrid event at Plumwood House, Room 166, and via Zoom

Contact Shanti Iyer to join via Zoom. 
 
Cedars-Sinai Spatial Biology Symposium
Join the Second Spatial Biology Symposium, a gathering of spatial biology researchers across Southern California, celebrating their work in three fields: cancer, stem cells and developmental biology, and neuroscience.

The symposium is hosted by the Spatial Molecular Profiling, Applied Genomics, and Proteomics Shared Resources of Cedars-Sinai, and it will be held in person and virtually with the chance to network over lunch and happy hour. Trainees who submit an abstract with their RSVP may have the opportunity to present in lightning talk sessions.

Thursday, March 7
Location: Hybrid event at Cedars-Sinai, Pacific Design Center, Green Building, 5th Floor, and via Zoom


Register
 
Monthly on Mondays | Faculty Development Series 
Merits and Promotions for Health Sciences Clinical Faculty, presented by Nimisha Parekh, MD, and Mohammad Helmy, MDMonthly on Mondays, presented by Dr. Parekh and Brian J. Cummings, PhD, associate deans of faculty development, is a monthly seminar series covering a wide range of topics focused on faculty development. 

Monday, March 11, 5:15 to 6:15 p.m. 
Location: Via Zoom 


Register
 
ICTS Brown Bag Lunch Series Workshop: Big Data and the Future of Discovery in Biology and in Medicine
Big Data and the future of discovery in biology and medicine: A tale of three elephantspresented by Arthur Lander, MD, PhD. This series by the UCI Institute for Clinical & Translational Science is an opportunity to bring ICTS scholars and trainees together with senior experts in a small setting for conversations about research, career paths, medicine and more. In this session, Dr. Lander will lead a discussion on how theory, hypotheses and big data need to work together to fulfill the promise of the big data revolution.

Tuesday, March 12, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. 
Location: UCI Thorp Conference Center, Gross Hall, 4th Floor


Register
 
Physiology & Biophysics Seminar Series
Protons at the cell border: the good and the bad, by Francesco TombolaPhD, professor, associate dean, Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, Department of Physiology & Biophysics, UCI School of Medicine

Wednesday, March 13, 11 a.m. to noon  
Location: Hybrid event at Tamkin Hall F114 and via Zoom upon request


Contact Dorota Skowronska-Krawczyk to join via Zoom. 
 
CHOC Research Education
Epigenetic Gene Regulation in Development and Disease, by Oliver Bell, PhD, Assistant Professor, Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine of USC

Wednesday, March 13, Noon to 1:15 p.m. PT
Via Zoom


Register
 
Anatomy & Neurobiology Seminar Series 2024
A translaminar space-time code supports touch-evoked traveling waves, by Krishna Jayant, PhD, assistant professor, Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University. Hosted by the Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology.  

Thursday, March 14, 11 a.m.
Location: Plumwood Room 166


 
Physician Scientist Collective: Distinguished Speaker Series
Translational Ophthalmic Research: Pathways & Opportunities for Physician Scientists, by Mark Pennesi, MD, MPH, Professor, Ophthalmology, Oregon Health & Science University

Thursday, March 14, 4 to 5 p.m. PT
Location: Sprague Hall, Conference Room 105


Register
 
Presidential Leadership and Disability 
The age of presidential candidates has become a salient concern, but age is not the only physical factor that should concern citizens. Presidents can also suffer various forms of illness, both physical and psychological. This talk highlights the nature of these concerns and how we might work to mitigate their impact on political outcomes. Learn more

Friday, March 15, Noon to 1:15 p.m. PT
Via Zoom 


 
CHOC Research Education
Innovation and Research in Diagnostic and Interventional Cardiac MRI, by Sanjeet Hegde, MDPhD, Associate Clinical Professor, Pediatrics, UC San Diego School of Medicine

Wednesday, March 20, Noon to 1:15 p.m. PT
Via Zoom


Register
 
UCI Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute (SSIHI) Research Webinar
Interplay of Nutrition and Stress: Potential role of mindfulness in the treatment of diet-related chronic diseases, by Karen Lindsay, PhDRDN, Early Career Samueli Endowed Chair, assistant professor, Department of Pediatrics, Diet and Nutrition Counseling, UCI Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute 

Wednesday, March 20, Noon to 1 p.m. 
Location: Via Zoom 


Register
 
11th Annual Conte Center Symposium
Please join us for the 11th Annual Conte Center Symposium on March 26 at the Beckman Center. The theme is The Power and Potential of Big Data and Consortia for Studying Mental Health and Disease. In addition, we will be holding a poster session. For more information, visit the Conte Center’s website.

Tuesday, March 26, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. 
Location: The Beckman Center 


Register
 
NIH K Award Grant Writing Workshop Series 
The Institute for Clinical and Translational Science (ICTS) has coordinated a four-week K-Club grant writing series intended for early-career faculty and postdoctoral scholars preparing to submit applications for NIH Mentored Career Development awards. These awards are designed to promote the career development of scholars looking to transition to research independence. The objective of this series is to prepare candidates for submission of NIH K awards, to create the strongest possible funding proposal, and guide scholars through the K application components. Those seeking informational insight to determine if the K award mechanism is right for them are also encouraged to attend. Register by March 29. Learn more

Mondays, April 1, 8, 22 and 29, 9 to 10:30 a.m. 
Location: UC Irvine Campus, Hewitt Hall, Large Conference Room, Room 1042
 
Grand Rounds and CME Symposia
For Continuing Medical Education (CME) opportunities, view the weekly Grand Rounds & CME Symposia email.
 
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Open Research Positions
 
Postdoctoral Scholar - Immuno - Virology and Vaccine Development
The Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology of the UCI Gavin Herbert Eye Institute has two postdoctoral scholar openings. Applications are being sought from recent PhD, or MD/PhD graduates in the Biological/Immunological Sciences. Interdisciplinary skills and approaches in Genomics, Bioinformatics, RNA Sequencing, CyToF, FACS, Advanced Imaging, Biochemistry, Immunology and Cell Biology are strongly desired.

PI: Lbachir Benmohamed, PhD
View the posting in AP Recruit
Closing date: May 15, 2024 
 
Postdoctoral Scholar-Della Martin Fellowship / Psychiatry and Human Behavior
An exciting and unique opportunity to study neuropsychiatric disorders at the molecular level and develop translational research programs in clinical populations using state-of-the art technologies including single cell RNA-seq, spatial transcriptomics, and cellular models derived from patients and controls. Successful candidate will be familiar with molecular and cellular laboratory methods and bioinformatics.

PI: William E. Bunney 
View the posting in AP Recruit.
Closing date: Sunday, June 30, 2024
 
Postdoctoral Scholar in the Marazzi Lab / Biological Chemistry
The Marazzi Lab is seeking a highly motivated and talented individual to fill the position of Postdoctoral Researcher. A successful candidate will join a dynamic and innovative research team dedicated to advancing our understanding of epigenetic mechanisms and their role in human health and disease.

PI: Ivan Marazzi, PhD 
Contact Dr. Marazzi if interested. View the posting in AP Recruit
Closing Date: Sunday, June 30, 2024 

 
Postdoctoral Scholar in Neuroscience / Conte Center 
Wish to manipulate new stress-sensitive projections? Discover how early-life stress/adversity impacts brain maturation? Postdoc in amazing South California? Join the team!

PI: Tallie Z. Baram, MD, PhD
View the posting in AP Recruit
 
Do you have an open research-related position you would also like announced in Research Insider? Please fill out this form to have your open position listed.

Submit Form
 
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Research Resources
 
How to Handle Changes in Resubmission Applications
When resubmitting your NIH application, any changes made should only be outlined in the Introduction attachment. NIH recently released a guide notice to clarify that any type of markups should not be used to identify changes. Read more
 
NIH All About Grants Podcast: Ins and Outs of Training Grants (miniseries)
Institutional training grants help prepare undergraduates, predoctoral students and postdoctoral scholars for careers in biomedical and behavioral research. Part 1 of this NIH All About Grants podcast miniseries dives into considerations for developing training grant applications and the review process, and part 2 focuses on post-award monitoring, mentorship, and provides insights for trainees. Read more and listen to the podcast.
 
Seeking Ideas on Using Common Data Elements for NIH-Supported Clinical Research
Do you have thoughts on how common data elements (CDEs) may be used in NIH-supported clinical research? If so, please share them in response to a recently released Request for Information. Read more and respond.
 
Did you know about these UCI-offered resources?
These three books are available to download and can be accessed via the UCI Libraries (must be on campus or using VPN): UCI Apporto Virtual Computer Lab VCL (free)
  • Apps available now: Stata, SPSS, Cran R, R Studio and Matlab
  • Apps available soon: ArcGIS and Eviews  
 
What kind of grant support does the Research Development Unit (RDU) provide?
 
NIH Training Grant Incentive Program
Training Grants (e.g., NIH T32) play a key role in supporting graduate students and postdoctoral fellows and increases our ability to recruit the best among them. The School of Medicine Office of Research appreciates the time commitment required to prepare and direct training grants and has the Training Grant Incentive Program for first-time submissions of new or competing renewal applications. Read the guidelines on the intake form.

Also, the School of Medicine Research Development Unit supports the preparation of training grant proposals; email somrd@uci.edu to get started. View current UCI Training Grants. View active NIH T32 funding calls.
 
Interested in submitting for an NIH multi-component grant?
If you are interested in submitting for an NIH multi-component grant, such as the P or U mechanism, please remember to reach out to Dr. Al La Spada, Associate Dean for Research Development (alaspada@uci.edu). He can guide you through the process and connect you with potential collaborators.

Also, remember that the Research Development Unit (RDU) provides
project management support for these mechanisms.
To request RDU services, submit this Grant Support Request intake form. There is also an incentive program for these submissions, with more details in this Incentive Program intake form.
 
Are you considering applying for Limited Funding Opportunities?
In most cases, interested applicants submit a pre-proposal to the Office of Research where a committee reviews all submissions and makes a recommendation to the Vice Chancellor for Research about which proposal should go forward from UCI. Limited opportunities are advertised on fundopp.uci.edu with a link to apply. However, if you do not see a limited opportunity listed, please contact the Research Development Unit. We can relay your application plans to the UCI Office of Research so they are aware of the number of interested PIs/units on campus and, if necessary, coordinate PIs or create a review process.
 
Intramural & Foundation Funding Opportunities Lists
The Research Development Unit (RDU) has created lists of intramural funding opportunities and foundation funding opportunities. If you have additional opportunities that should be included, please do not hesitate to email at somrd@hs.uci.edu.
 
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COVID-19 Information
 
Respiratory infection reminders
COVID-19, flu and RSV continue to circulate in the area at high levels. Some reminders:
  • Employees are encouraged to stay home when ill to help reduce the spread of infections.
  • Employees, including student employees, are strongly encouraged to report cases of COVID-19 to Contact Tracing and Vaccine Navigation Services at contacttracing@uci.edu or 949-824-2300. CTVNS will follow up with a case investigation and employee close contact notifications.
  • Free COVID-19 antigen tests continue to be available to employees at various locations on campus.
Free masks and N-95 respirators are also available to employees at various locations.

All employee-related information can be found at Human Resources Working Well webpage. For UCI Health updates, please visit UCI Health's COVID-19 page on SharePoint.
Contribute to Research Insider!
 
Submit your funding opportunities and events to next week's email here: Seminar/Event or Funding Opportunity.

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