March 12, 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 — Round 2 
Our UCI research team has made it through to Round 2 of STAT Madness 2024. Vote for our researchers in Matchup 8 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 2 is open until Thursday, March 14 at 9 p.m. PT. Vote now and help send UCI to the next round! 

Vote Now!
 
Tomorrow! Register for the NIH Shared and High-End Instrumentation Grant (S10) Programs seminar
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
 
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 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. 
 
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. 
 
Register for UNI 231 STU SEMA: Fellowship Success for PhD Students & Postdocs 
Course Instructors: Drs. David Fruman & Harinder Singh

Purpose of the course: The goal of the NIH Fellowship Writing course is to increase the number and success rate of F-series applications (F30, F31, F32) among UCI trainees. Participants in the course watch short, pre-recorded lectures and attend Q&A sessions with faculty and trainees who have been successful in applying for fellowships. Participants draft a Specific Aims page and a Goals for Training section and meet in small groups for peer review of these writing samples. After the 8-week course, trainees submit polished writing sections to be reviewed by senior trainees and faculty. Course evaluations have been very positive and several participants were successful in obtaining fellowships.

Learning Objectives: Understand the grant review criteria and the principles of grant peer-review; Become familiar with each required component of grant application; Develop practical experience writing Specific Aims and Background/Significance sections, Goals for Training section; Practice peer-review skills

Students in their second or third year of PhD training are encouraged to enroll, with the goal of submitting (or resubmitting) a fellowship application in August or December of 2024. Early-stage postdocs are also welcome. The course number is University Studies 231, and course code is 87959. Postdocs can join as auditors by emailing Dr. Harinder Singh.  
 
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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.

Exciting news regarding the UCI NIH Boot Camp managed by the School of Medicine! NIH Boot Camp mentee Stacy Copp, PhD (Asst. Professor, School of Engineering), was awarded a Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative grant to develop molecular-scale emitters for deep-tissue imaging. Zhongping Chen, PhD, professor of biomedical engineering, director of the Functional OCT Laboratory at UCI Beckman Laser Institute & Medical Clinic, and NIH Boot Camp coach, won Optica’s 2024 Michael S. Feld Award in Biophotonics.      
     

Have you or someone on your research team received research funding or an award? The School of Medicine Office of Research would like to know! Please fill out this short New Research Funding or Award 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
 
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 
 
Call for Cancer Research Proposals
This is a one-year American Cancer Society Institutional Research Grant to fund several proposals up to $60,000 per award, providing pilot funds for research in both basic and clinical cancer-related problems.

Eligibility: Investigators within the first six years of their first independent faculty position and in the following series are eligible: In Line, In Residence, Adjunct, Clinical-X, Clinical and Researcher. Awardees may not hold a competitive grant from a national agency (e.g. NIH, ACS, etc.) or be a previous recipient of an ACS-IRG seed grant. US citizenship, permanent residency, or visa status that permits completion of the proposal is required. Read for more details.

Deadline: Tuesday, April 30, 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
 
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Upcoming Seminars & Events
 
Department of Biological Chemistry BC Seminar Series
Leveraging dynamic epigenetic landscapes to decode macrophage phenotypes in health and disease, by Christopher Glass, PhD, professor, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, UC San Diego School of Medicine

Wednesday, March 13, 11 a.m. to noon  
Location: Plumwood House / Showa Denko Lecture Hall


 
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
 
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! The event is free to attend and lunch will be provided on March 22. 

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.
  
March 22–23
Location: The Beckman Center, 100 Academy Way, Irvine, Calif.


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
 
Monthly on Mondays | Faculty Development Series 
Merits and Promotions for Senate Faculty, presented by Kyoko Yokomori, PhD, and Brian Cummings, PhDMonthly on Mondays, presented by Nimisha Parekh, MD, 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, April 8, 5:15 to 6:15 p.m. 
Location: Via Zoom 


Register
 
Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics Seminar Series 
Barcodes, bottlenecks and influenza A virus population dynamics, by Anice LowenPhD, professor, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine

Wednesday, April 10, 4 p.m. PT
Location: Hybrid event at Plumwood House, Room 166, and via Zoom

Contact Shanti Iyer to join via Zoom. 
 
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 Many Researchers: The FY 2023 Cumulative Investigator Rate
NIH shares their annual snapshot of how many researchers they support. Their cumulative investigator rate is an NIH-wide person-based metric, calculated as the number of unique principal investigators designated on an NIH research project grant award, divided by the number of unique principal investigators who were designated on applications over a five-year period. Read more
 
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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