December 19, 2023
Research Insider Schedule
Please note that Research Insider will not be distributed during the Winter Administrative Recess Dec. 25, 2023, to Jan. 2, 2024. Research Insider will resume on Jan. 9, 2024.
 
Announcements
 
Application Deadline Extended! How to Draft and Publish Scientific Papers
The School of Medicine Office of Research is pleased to announce a two-day, in-person workshop, “How to Draft and Publish Scientific Papers,” conducted by Dr. Randy Levinson. Dr. Levinson brings extensive experience as a former scientific manuscript editor for Nature Research.

The workshop is organized in three separate but interrelated modules: (1) general concepts underlying effective scientific communication, (2) Method and Logic, or how to optimize the content and structure of a scientific paper, and (3) an explanation of the peer review and publication process. The workshop includes instruction, practical exercises, peer-to-peer interactions, and feedback on participants’ drafts. 

Applicants must be members of the School of Medicine community (junior faculty, postdocs, research staff, clinical fellows and senior graduate and medical students). Attendance is limited to 24 individuals. Learn more and apply here

Jan. 30 & 31, 2024 
Location: College of Health Sciences Building & Irvine Hall on Main Campus 
NEW Application Deadline: Friday, Jan. 5, 2024
Apply
 
School of Medicine Applications for Bridge Funding Due Jan. 25
Please note that the next UCI Office of Research Deadline for Bridge Funding is Thursday, Feb. 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 Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024.
 
Accepting Applications for the School of Medicine Physician Scientist Training Program (PSTP)    
The Physician Scientist Training Program (PSTP) is a two-year structured program providing physician-scientists with intensive mentorship and opportunities to apply for their first independent, federally funded awards (K08, K23) or other equivalent external career development awards. A detailed program description and application requirements can be found under the School of Medicine Physician Scientist Resources.  

Deadline: Friday, Jan. 26, 2024
Apply
 
UCI NIH Boot Camp Informational Sessions – Applications due Feb. 5
The School of Medicine Research Development Unit will be hosting virtual informational sessions about the UCI NIH Boot Camp — a comprehensive, multifaceted mentoring program designed to help faculty and career researchers apply for their first research grants from NIH. Attend a session to learn more about this program and how to apply for the upcoming 2024 UCI NIH Boot Camp
Apply
 
Save the Date: Joint Faculty Research Retreat 
The UCI School of Medicine is excited to announce a joint retreat with the UCI Samueli School of Engineering. 

Date: Monday, March 11, 2024
 
Please plan to join us for this first-time-ever event! Registration and location details will be sent to your inbox soon. Please contact Emily Dawidoff if you have any questions.
 
Cancer Clinical Trial Bootcamp
The Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center (CFCCC) is now accepting applications for the Cancer Clinical Trial Bootcamp – a 16-week program that guides clinical faculty and fellows in systematically designing and writing cancer-related investigator-initiated clinical trial protocols, with the goal of submitting a written protocol by the program's conclusion. Learn more about the program and eligibility requirements. For questions, email Kimberly Castellanos.

Program Dates: Feb. 28–June 5, 2024, every other Wednesday, 6 to 8 p.m. 

Application Deadline: Jan. 16, 2024 
Apply
 
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.
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.

Bharath Chakravarthy, MD, Lindsey Spiegelman, MD, (Emergency Medicine) and Catherine Diamond, MD (Medicine) received a grant from the Public Health Institute with their project, “Emergency Department Syphilis HIV HCV Screening Program.” This project establishes screening, treatment, and navigator linkage of care for patients with syphilis HIV and HCV.

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.
Funding Opportunities
 
Deadline Extended! Cancer Health Disparity Research and Interventional Studies
View for details. For questions, email cfcccpilots@hs.uci.edu

Deadline: Friday, Dec. 22, 2023
 
41st Medical Trust: Call for Research Grant Proposals relating to the Musculoskeletal System
View the Google Form for details.

Deadline: Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023
 
Limited Opportunity: W.M. Keck Foundation Research Program Grants
The W.M. Keck Foundation focuses on basic research enabling pioneering discoveries that overturn prevailing paradigms or promote new solutions to old problems. They encourage development of new technology, but also want to know what new science it will enable. Competitive LOIs will clearly articulate the specific problem you want to explore and how your approach is unique and new. Make a direct link between the new technology/methodology you are developing and the new questions you can ask with that technology. Keck does not want projects that reflect the “next logical step” in your research, but rather encourages out-of-the-box thinking. If your project would be competitive at NIH or NSF, it is not going to be of interest to the Keck Foundation.

Budget requests may be for up to $1.3 million and may be expended over three years. The Keck Foundation does not pay indirect costs, nor does it allow for tuition and fees for graduate students.

Interested applicants are asked to submit a preliminary concept paper to the VCR’s office by Jan. 4, 2024, via UCI Review.

Deadline: Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024
 
DOE ARPA-E-Inspiring Generations of New Innovators to Impact Technologies in Energy (IGNIITE) 
ARPA-E IGNIITE will make awards (20 total and $10M in total funding) to support a new cohort of early-career innovators to develop the most disruptive and unconventional ideas into transformative new technologies across the full spectrum of energy applications. Read the funding announcement.

Deadline: Friday, Jan. 5, 2024
 
2023–24 UCI Center-scale Multi-Investigator Research Seed Funding Program
The 2023-24 UCI Center-Scale Multi-Investigator Research Seed Funding Program is aimed at investing in promising convergent research directions where internal seed level investment can lead to externally funded “center-scale” research programs. The UCI strategic plan identifies convergence research as one of the keys to achieving the vision of research growth that makes a difference. Here convergence refers to deep integration of knowledge bases, tools, techniques and ways of thinking from physical sciences, life sciences, engineering, computing and social sciences, humanities, arts, business and law to address major societal challenges. View the proposal guidelines.

Deadline: Monday, Jan. 15, 2024
 
Faculty Seed Grants in Cancer Research Funding Opportunity
The Cancer Research Coordinating Committee (CRCC) is pleased to issue a Request for Proposals (PDF) for the 2024–25 Faculty Seed Grants. The CRCC is a systemwide, faculty-directed cancer research program that provides one-year seed grants for topics in any discipline that address any aspect of cancer, including its origins, prevention and cure. CRCC funds support meritorious research spanning all areas from basic research to applied clinical and community-based research in any field relevant to cancer. Eligible PIs must be members of the Academic Senate at one of the 10 UC campuses.  

Please view the Request for Proposals (PDF) for other eligibility and submission requirements. Access additional links and more information on the “How to Apply” page

Recommended applicant webinar: 
Register here for Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, 1:30 p.m. PT

If you are a first-time applicant and/or new to SmartSimple, attendance is highly recommended.

Required Letters of Intent Due: Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024, noon
 
Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Research on the Health of Women of Understudied, Underrepresented and Underreported (U3) Populations (Admin Supp Clinical Trial Optional) (NOT-OD-24-032)
The Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH) announces the availability of administrative supplements to support research highlighting health inequities among women in the United States who are understudied, underrepresented and underreported (U3) in biomedical research. Review the NOSI for eligibility requirements and more information. 

Deadline: Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024
 
Limited Opportunity: 2024 Packard Fellowships for Science and Engineering
The Packard Fellows program is for highly creative young faculty researchers in the natural, physical sciences and engineering during their first three years as faculty. According to The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Packard Fellows are inquisitive, passionate scientists and engineers who take a creative approach to their research, dare to think big, and follow new ideas wherever they lead. The foundation emphasizes support for innovative PI-led research rather than extensions or components of large-scale, ongoing research programs. Up to 20 recipients will receive individual grants of $875,000 over five years.

Workshops for Interested Applicants: Packard Fellowship proposals are only two pages and must be able to communicate big ideas to a broader audience of scientists than is typical. For these reasons, they are difficult to write. These workshops will help you hone your idea and present it in accessible, compelling language. Previous attendees have found that the exercise of preparing a Packard Fellowship proposal improved their ability to conceptualize and communicate research in other settings. Letters of recommendation are required, and the best letter writers can evaluate the future potential of the applicant, rather than just review past successes. The internal process will take these concerns into account; the workshop can help you determine your best referees as well as how to best frame your research to appeal to the Packard Foundation. Prof. Arthur Lander, past Packard Fellow; and Prof. Chang Liu, Beckman Young Investigator and Moore Inventor Fellow, will lead the workshops.

Informational Webinar: Monday, Jan. 8, 2024, 3 p.m. Register to join via Zoom
  • In-person Workshop 1: Pitching your idea, Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024, 1 to 3 p.m., ISEB 4020
  • In-person Workshop 2: Feedback on LOI, Friday, Jan. 26, 2024, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., includes lunch, ISEB 4020
UCI may submit only two nominations; therefore, interested applicants should apply via the UCI Review application system by Feb. 15, 2024.

Deadline: Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024
 
DoD-DARPA-Young Faculty Award (YFA)
DARPA YFA program aims to identify and engage rising stars in junior research positions in academia, particularly those without prior DARPA funding, to expose them to DoD needs and DARPA’s mission. Read the funding announcement

Deadline: Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024
 
For More Funding Opportunities
For more funding opportunities and resources for your funding search, visit the Funding Opportunities page on the new and updated website for the UCI School of Medicine.

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.
Upcoming Seminars & Events
 
NSF Biosketches required to use SciEncv (for all proposals due after 10/23/23)
​​​​​​The National Science Foundation (NSF) will require biographical sketches and current and pending support to be generated using the online platform, SciENcv, for all NSF proposals due on or after Oct. 23, 2023. In preparation for complying with this requirement, UCI libraries has provided information on their websites and office hours on Wednesdays from 2 to 3 p.m. to assist with SciENcv questions, NIH and NSF documentation for Biosketches and current & Pending/In-Kind reporting.

Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2 to 3 p.m. 

Join Zoom
 
All of Us Researcher Workbench Support: Train-the-Trainer Sessions
Train-the-Trainer sessions are for researchers interested in learning to proficiently use the All of Us Researcher Workbench. Sessions include Introduction to the Workbench, Creating a Dataset: Workspaces, Phenotypes and Cohorts, and Genomic Analysis: Genome-wide association study (GWAS) and phenome-wide association study (PheWAS).

Attendees must be registered to use the Workbench. Visit ResearchAllofUs.org to register. Train-the-Trainer, an 8-week training course, is hosted by Baylor College of Medicine’s All of Us Evenings with Genetics Research Program. Sessions build on one another, but you can join sessions at any time.

Fridays in December, noon PT
Register
 
Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics Seminars 
Transcriptional control at coding and non-coding RNA loci, by Karen Adelman, PhD, professor, Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass.

Wednesday, Jan. 3, 4 p.m. 
Location: Hybrid event at Plumwood House / Showa Denko Lecture Hall and via Zoom

Contact Shanti Iyer to join via Zoom. 
 
Genetics, Biomedical Computing and Genomics Monthly Meeting
What's New in Genomic Technologies?, by the Genomics Research and Technology Hub (GRT Hub) staff, including Melanie Oakes, PhD, manager of GRTH, Quy Nguyen, PhD, project scientist, Jenny Wu, PhD, director of the Chao Family Cancer Center Bioinformatics Shared Resource, and Ivan Chang, PhD, bioinformatics engineer 

Tuesday, Jan. 9, 10 to 11 a.m. PT
Location: Via Zoom 

Meeting ID: 980 4294 1324
Passcode: 251322

Join Zoom
 
Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics Seminars 
Splicing Dysregulation and Antisense Targeting in Cancer, by Adrian R. Krainer, PhD, St. Giles Foundation Professor, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York

Wednesday, Jan. 10, 4 p.m. PT
Location: Hybrid event at Plumwood House / Showa Denko Lecture Hall and via Zoom

Contact Shanti Iyer to join via Zoom. 
 
UCI Conte Center Seminar Series 
Functional Implications of Developmental Heterogeneity by Pat LevittPhD, Chief Scientific Officer, Senior Vice President and Director, The Saban Research Institute, Simms/Mann Chair in Developmental Neurogenetics, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, WM Keck Provost Professor of Neurogenetics, Keck School of Medicine of USC. Hosted by the UCI Conte Center

Tuesday, Jan. 16, 4 to 5 p.m. PT 
Location: Hybrid event at Plumwood House lecture hall and via Zoom  

Passcode: 764583

Join Zoom
 
Neurodegeneration & Neurotherapeutics Collaboratory Symposium
Join us for this symposium in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the La Spada Lab! Speakers include: Harry Orr, PhD, University of Minnesota; Kenneth (Kurt) Fischbeck, MD, NINDS / NIH; Jessica Young, PhD, University of Washington; Constanza Cortes, PhD, USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology; Helen Miranda, PhD, Case Western Reserve University; and UCI faculty. Registration for this event is not required. 

Thursday, Jan. 18, 9 a.m. to 5:45 p.m.
Location: Sue Gross Auditorium, 854 Health Sciences Quad, Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute, UCI Medical School Campus 

 
Grand Rounds and CME Symposia
For Continuing Medical Education (CME) opportunities, view the weekly Grand Rounds & CME Symposia email.
Open Research Positions
 
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
Research Resources
 
What kind of grant support does the Research Development Unit (RDU) provide?
 
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.
COVID-19 Information
 
UCI’s COVID-19 information hub, UCI Forward, has been retired. All employee-related information has migrated to the Human Resources Working Well webpage, and student-related information has moved to the Student Health Center 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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