May 2, 2023
Announcements
 
Congratulations to the School of Medicine New Investigator Faculty Research Grant Awardees!
The overall goal of this funding mechanism is to help early-stage investigators in the School of Medicine obtain extramural funding and to promote collaborative interdisciplinary research. Applications are evaluated based on the potential for positive impact on future extramural funding. Interdisciplinary research is encouraged and this competition is released annually. Out of 11 applications, four projects were funded.
Read more about the faculty research grant awardees.
 
Postdoctoral Slots Available!: Partnerships for Research in Implementation Science for Equity in Heart and Lung (PRISE-HL) NIH T32
The goal of the PRISE-HL diseases T32 program is to provide support to outstanding post-doctoral scholars with interdisciplinary training in implementation science and health equity approaches to help transform the uptake and delivery of evidence-based interventions for heart and lung diseases in clinical and community settings. Trainees will benefit from a team-based approach to mentoring through a career development committee that includes one faculty member with content expertise in clinical or translational research in heart and lung diseases, one faculty member with methodological expertise in implementation science-based methods, and one faculty member with expertise in health equity research (if not already covered). There are two open UCI positions to start on or before July 1, 2023. Read the full announcement, which includes application requirements.

Application deadline: Wednesday, May 10, 2023
 
Update on Improving Fellowship Review: A Request for Information
NIH is recommending changes to the peer review of Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) fellowship applications by restructuring the review criteria. Read the full update on improving fellowship review.  

Through the RFI, NIH continues to seek public comment on the proposed changes before moving forward with implementation. The RFI will be open for a 60-day period, until June 23, 2023.
 
Have You Received a New Award?
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 Recently Added to Calendar
 
2024 Pew-Stewart Scholars Program for Cancer Research
The UCI Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center (CFCCC) is among a select number of institutions invited to nominate a candidate for the Pew-Stewart Scholars Program in Cancer Research. This grant supports assistant professors of outstanding promise in science relevant to the advancement of a cure for cancer. The award provides $300,000 in flexible support—$75,000 per year for a four-year period. In line with The Alexander and Margaret Stewart Trust's mission to invest in innovative, cutting-edge, basic cancer research that may accelerate and advance progress toward a cure for cancer, applications are invited from nominees conducting cancer research. Qualified candidates should be conducting creative, interdisciplinary, basic, or translational cancer research. This program is not designed to fund clinical trial research. Strong proposals will incorporate particularly creative and pioneering approaches to basic and translational cancer research. Ideas with the potential to produce an unusually high impact are encouraged. The CFCCC may nominate one candidate. Please submit your internal application via the UCI Review application portal.

Deadline: Wednesday, May 3, 2023, at 11:59 p.m.
 
ICTS Funding Opportunity for Junior Faculty
ICTS invites applications for the NIH Faculty Career Development KL-2 Award. There is one open position for a KL-2 Scholar. The appointment must begin by July 1, 2023. The KL-2 awards are intended to support a period of mentored or independent career development in preparation for a role as an independent researcher (mentored K), or to enable and expand the grantee’s potential to make significant contributions (independent K) in the biomedical, behavioral, and clinical sciences. Generally, K awards require the candidate to hold a full-time appointment at the applicant organization and devote a minimum of 75% of that appointment to the career award. The goal is to increase the quantity and quality of exceptionally gifted clinical researchers and translational scientists throughout the training pipeline. All application documents must be submitted online. Learn more  about the ICTS KL-2 Career Development Program.

Applications due: Monday, May 8, 2023 by 5 p.m.
 
Robert A. Winn Diversity in Clinical Trials: Career Development Award (WINN CDA)
The Winn CDA is an innovative 2-year program, which includes a $240k award (i.e., $120k/yr), designed to support the career development of early-stage investigator physicians who are underrepresented in medicine, and physicians who have a demonstrated commitment to increasing diversity in clinical research, to become independent clinical trial investigators who are engaged in advancing health equity through their research and mentoring. The Winn CDA trains and develops a new generation of community-oriented clinical trialists (COCT) who have the knowledge, skills, and commitment to become effective partners with communities to design and conduct clinical trials that will yield new treatments that are effective in all populations. For more information about this program, please register for the next informational webinar. Read more about the program and application here.

Deadline: Friday, May 12, 2023
 
Call for Proposals: W.M. Keck Foundation Research Program Grants
The W.M. Keck Foundation focuses on 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. 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 $1.2 million and may be expended over 3 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 via UCI Review.

Deadline: Monday, May 15, 2023
 
Emergency Awards: HEAL Initiative- New Innovator Award (DP2 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) (RFA-TR-23-011)
The participating NIH Institutes and Centers are issuing this NOFO in response to the declared public health emergency issued by the Secretary, HHS. Please see Determination that a Public Health Emergency Exists Nationwide as the Result of the Opioid Crisis as renewed in Renewal of the Determination that a Public Health Emergency Exists Nationwide as the Result of the Continued Consequences of the Opioid Crisis.

The Helping End Addiction Long-Term (HEAL) New Innovator Award supports a postdoctoral or newly independent Early Stage Investigator of exceptional creativity who proposes novel, original and insightful research concepts with the potential to produce a major impact, test scientific paradigms, or advance key concepts on broad, important problems in biomedical research related to pain, opioid use disorder (OUD), and/or overdose (OD). Applications proposing unexpected convergence of disciplines, new scientific directions, or the use of novel methodologies are encouraged. View the NOFO here.


Deadline: Monday, May 22, 2023
 
Emergency Awards: HEAL Initiative: Translational Science Career Enhancement Awards for Early and Mid-career Investigators (K18 Clinical Trials Not Allowed) (PAR-23-161)
NCATS is issuing this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) in response to the declared public health emergency issued by the Secretary, HHS. Please see Determination that a Public Health Emergency Exists Nationwide as the Result of the Opioid Crisis as renewed in Renewal of the Determination that a Public Health Emergency Exists Nationwide as the Result of the Continued Consequences of the Opioid Crisis.

This NOFO invites applications from early and mid-career investigators (i.e. postdoctoral fellow/associates – associate professor) who strive to expand their research trajectories through the acquisition of new knowledge and skills in the areas of therapeutic drug, biologic, or device development. The development of novel treatments for pain, addiction, and overdose is a vital component to address the ongoing opioid epidemic. This development will be most effective if performed by scientists with experience in translational science. For many scientists, acquiring needed expertise through participatory involvement in the various fields that are required to compile an investigational new drug (IND), investigational device exemption (IDE), or new drug application (NDA) is extraordinarily difficult given the broad variety of these domains.

This NOFO is designed for early- and mid- career scientists with pain or opioid abuse expertise interested in receiving hands-on experience in translation at an industry laboratory, or an academic or government research center performing therapeutic development activities. The selected research environment should have the requisite capabilities and employ scientists and staff with expertise across the entire translational space for small molecule, biologic, or device development. Areas of requisite capabilities and expertise include, but are not limited to: assay development, high-throughput screening technology, medicinal chemistry, analytical chemistry, advanced informatics, chemistry, manufacturing and controls (CMC), formulation, and toxicology needs assessments, risk assessment, benchtop models, in vitro models, in vivo models, cadaver testing, biocompatibility, shelf-life/stability, sterilization, leachables/extractables, electromagnetic compatibility, quality and data management systems, Phase I, II, III clinical trials, FDA regulatory requirements, human subjects protections, and data and safety monitoring.

This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is designed specifically for candidates proposing research that does not involve leading an independent clinical trial, a clinical trial feasibility study, or an ancillary study to a clinical trial. Applicants to this NOFO are permitted to propose research experience in a clinical trial led by a mentor or co-mentor. View the NOFO here.


Deadline: Monday, May 22, 2023
 
Call for Cancer Research Proposals
The UCI Cancer Research Institute is pleased to announce that funds are available through the American Cancer Society Institutional Research Grant. This institutional grant will fund several proposals for one year at a level up to $45,000 per award. All eligible faculty from each school at the University of California, Irvine are encouraged to apply, so long as the proposal has a clear link to some aspect of cancer research. The purpose of the seed grants is to provide 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. Questions regarding these criteria should be forwarded to Edward Nelson enelson@uci.edu and copy cri@uci.edu. Read more and apply here.

Deadline: Friday, May 26, 2023 by 5 p.m.
 
Harrington Scholar-Innovator Award
Program goal: Recognizes outstanding physician-scientists whose work has potential to advance the standard of care. Seek breakthrough discoveries defined by innovation, creativity, and potential for clinical impact, including: Discoveries deemed to address unmet medical needs; Modulators of novel targets; Potential to be developed into a commercial program; Strong intellectual property (IP) or protection strategy; May be a small molecule, biologic, or other therapeutic modality; Diagnostics or devices only acceptable as part of a therapeutic development project. Eligibility: MD or MD/PhD (or equivalent) faculty member. Award Amount: $100K over two years with opportunity to qualify for up to $1,100,000. If you are interested in this opportunity, please reach out to Marianne Smith (mrsmith1@uci.edu) in the Corporate and Foundation Relations Group for assistance with your application! Read more here.

​​​​​​​Letter of Intent Due Date: Monday, June 5, 2023
 
Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise in Biomedical Science and Design
The Vilcek Foundation will award three prizes of $50,000 each to young biomedical scientists born outside of the US to non-American parents and who demonstrate outstanding early achievement. Eligible work may be in basic, applied, and/or translational biomedical science. Criteria for selection include demonstrated exceptional independence and creativity, and an ability to communicate the significance of their research to a general scientifically literate audience. Eligibility:  Applicants must have been born outside the United States and be no more than 38 years old (born after January 1, 1985). All applicants must have earned a doctoral degree (M.D., Ph.D., or equivalent), intend to pursue a professional career in the United States, and hold a full-time position at an academic institution or other organization. Eligible positions include assistant or associate professor. Read more here.

Deadline: Monday, June 12, 2023
Upcoming Seminars & Events
 
Statistics Workshops, presented by Insight Research Services Associated
Insight Research Services Associated (an Australia-based company) is proud to be presenting workshops online in May-July 2023 at a time suitable for participants in North America.
  • May 2-5: Introduction to Survey Design A
  • May 30, June 2: Introduction to Survey Design B
  • June 5-8: Introduction to Linear and Logistic Regression
  • June 12-15: Introduction to Longitudinal Data Analysis
  • July 17-20: Introduction to Structural Equation Modelling
Please note that these workshops will be held between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. each day. There is a registration fee. These workshops are aimed at non-statisticians as well as statisticians new to these fields. For questions please contact Mark at m.griffin@insightrsa.com. Keep up to date with the training programs we deliver by joining our email list. Register and learn more about our workshops.
 
2023 Community Lecture Series: Cataracts
Join the Gavin Herbert Eye Institute’s free seminars where you will learn about the causes, symptoms and treatment of eye-related conditions. All seminars are one hour and begin at 7 p.m. Pacific Time.

When do you need cataract surgery? And what are the latest updates in cataract surgery technology? Join this free online seminar about cataracts, led by speakers Sanjay R. Kedhar, MD, and Matthew W. Wade, MD.

Tuesday, May 2, 2023, 7 p.m.
Register
 
Department of Biological Chemistry Seminar Series
Lecture: Decoding Mechanisms of Intercellular Gene Transfer in Mammalian Cells, by Xuedong Liu, PhD, Professor, Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado Boulder.

Wednesday, May 3, 11 a.m. to noon
Location: Plumwood House (Showa Denko Lecture Hall) at UCI
 
What Matters to Me and Why, Featuring Glenda Marisol Flores
This event will feature Glenda Marisol Flores, associate professor from the Department of Chicano/Latino Studies. Her book, Latina Teachers: Creating Careers and Guarding Culture, won the 2018 Outstanding Contribution to Scholarship Book Award from the Race, Gender and Class Section of the American Sociological Association. Her research on Latina professionals (particularly Latina teachers) has been published in several publications such as Qualitative Sociology; City and Community; Ethnography; and Gender, Work and Organization.

Her research agenda centers on the social mobility patterns of Latinas/os into the middle class, their workplace experiences in the white-collar world, especially teaching and medicine, and how Latinx cultures emerge in their fields. She is a co-principal investigator of a nearly $3 million National Science Foundation funded project that seeks to improve STEM success among underrepresented students. Her new book project is on Latina/o/x physicians and is tentatively titled, The Weight of the White Coat: Gender, Race and Culture in the Lives of Latina/o Physicians.

Wednesday, May 3, 2023, Noon
Location: In-Person at Humanities Gateway 1030
Virtual Option via Zoom

RSVP to attend in-person:
Register to Attend

RSVP to attend online:
Register for Zoom
 
Physiology & Biophysics Research in Progress Seminar 2022-23


Isam Adam
Graduate Student
Devon A Lawson, Ph.D., Lab
Department of Physiology and Biophysics
UCI School of Medicine

Emily Silzel
Graduate Student
Phil Felgner, Ph.D., Lab
Department of Physiology and Biophysics
UCI School of Medicine


Join the Department of Physiology & Biophysics for this Research in Progress seminar, featuring seminars by Isam Adam on Regulatory T cells in Breast Cancer brain metastasis and Emily Silzel on Lipid Nanoparticle Delivery of mRNA to the Murine Lymph Node.

Wednesday, May 3, 4 p.m.
Join via Zoom Meeting.
ID: 917 4607 8598
 
NIH: The Essentials
Join Research!America for a conversation with Dr. Ned Sharpless, who among his many distinctions served as the director of the National Cancer Center under the Trump and Biden administrations. Dr. Sharpless will join leading health policy expert and commentator Susan Dentzer in a conversation focused on the National Institutes of Health. What does NIH do, how does it do it, and why? And speaking of why, why doesn't medical progress move faster?

Thursday, May 4, 2023, 9 to 10 a.m.
Register
 
Register now! Networking Opportunity: Clinical Research for Health Sciences (HS) Faculty
Hosted by the School of Medicine Mentoring Committee, this event is a great opportunity for junior faculty who are interested in getting involved in clinical research. Join us for an informal gathering to hear from and network with peers who are conducting clinical research at UCI. Representatives from institutional committees will be available to answer your questions about research protocols and resources.

Thursday, May 4, 2023, 5 to 6:30 p.m.
Location: UCI Samueli College of Health Sciences, 2nd floor terrace.
Refreshments will be provided.
Register to attend
 
Ophthalmology Research Seminar: Distinguished Speaker Series
Join the Center for Translational Vision Research for this lecture on Coordinated sampling of visual space by retinal ganglion cells, by Greg D. Field, PhD, associate professor, Stein Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, Los Angeles.

Friday, May 5, 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. PT
Hybrid Event

In-person on third floor of GHEI building, Cavanaugh Room or via Zoom meeting.  

Meeting ID: 944 8366 9170
Passcode: 745306
 
UCI Campus-wide Symposium on Basic Cancer Research
Save the date for the UCI Cancer Research Institute’s annual Campus-wide Symposium on Basic Cancer Research on Friday, May 5. We have a wonderful lineup of UCI speakers and a distinguished keynote lecturer, Hua Eleanor Yu, PhD, from the City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center. All trainees are welcome to present posters for the lunch poster session; three prizes will be awarded. To ensure we have enough seating and food, please RSVP.

Friday, May 5, 2023, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Location: 105 Sprague Hall (Building 839)
Register to attend
 
Diversity-Focused Funding Opportunities at NCI, presented by the UC Cancer Centers
Belem G. López, PhD, Program Director of NCI’s Diversity Training Branch and Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities (CRCHD), will explain how the diversity supplements offers additional funding to an existing NIH grant enabling investigators to recruit and retain diverse candidates to fill crucial roles on research teams.

Followed by the presentation, a panel discussion will be hosted with PIs/PI dyads from the UC-Cancer Centers who will share their success stories and will be available to answer questions from the audience. Amy Cummings, MD, PhD, Director of Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center will co-moderate the session with Fred Meyers, MD ,MACP, Associate Director of Education, Training and Career Development at UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Monday, May 8, 2023, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Register
 
SoCal CyTOF User Group Meeting

Join us for an opportunity to learn from your fellow experts and researchers in the CyTOF® and Imaging Mass Cytometry™ communities. Explore new ways high-parameter CyTOF and IMC™ are being used to make novel discoveries and shape the future of clinical research, advancing human health. Workshops for both mass cytometry and imaging mass cytometry will be offered.

  • Juliet Emamaullee, MD, PhD, FRCSC FACS - Keck Medicine USC
  • Wendy Fantl, PhD - Novartis
  • Flavia Pichiorri, PhD, MS - City of Hope
  • Alexander Xu, PhD - Cedars-Sinai
  • Kevin Kelly, MD, PhD - Keck Medicine USC
  • Patrick Reeves, PhD - Harvard
Tuesday, May 9, 9 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.
Location: UCI, Sue and Bill Gross Hall, 845 Health Sciences Road, Irvine, CA 92697-1705
Register to Attend
 
Life Beyond PhD - Scientist in Medical Devices: "Brews and Brains" Material Science Scientist Ted Yoo, PhD

The Life Beyond PhD Series, hosted by UCI GPS-STEM, showcases various STEM workforce careers and “N of 1” journeys. These fireside-style chats are intended to be informal and casual such that current graduate students (PhDs and postdoctoral trainees) can explore various careers, identify key skills required to be successful, and get connected in the industries of their interest.

This week's speaker is Ted Yoo, PhD, scientist at Metronom Health, and one of the original Brews and Brains coordinators (coming back in June as Brain Public). He will be talking about his life as an unwitting purple squirrel. How do you go from a thesis in nuclear fuel reprocessing to working at a glucose monitoring start-up? Mostly by accident. The overlap between these two subjects is basically zero. But, sometimes, success is less about specific subject knowledge and more about leveraging your toolkit. That and managing your imposter's syndrome. Come and hear a harrowing tale of fluorescence microscopy and post-grad life anxiety.

Tuesday, May 9, noon to 1 p.m.
Location: Natural Science | 1114

Food provided to attendees! Please kindly RSVP.
Register to Attend
 
Structural and Social Drivers of Health and Cancer Health Disparities Research, presented by the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
We are increasingly aware of the impact of structural and social determinants as fundamental drivers of health inequities, but how do we design and implement population-level studies to investigate the role of these factors? This presentation will present a framework and example of "cells to society" studies utilizing this framework.

Speaker: Scarlett Lin Gomez, MD, PhD, is Professor and Vice Chair for Faculty Development in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics and Co-Leader of the Cancer Control Program of the Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, at the University of California, San Francisco. She is Director of the Greater Bay Area Cancer Registry, a participant in the NCI SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology, End Results) program and the California Cancer Registry. Her research focuses primarily on cancer health disparities and aims to understand the multilevel drivers, particularly the structural and social determinants of health, of those disparities.

Wednesday, May 10, 2023, 10 to 11 a.m.
Location: Thorp Conference Center, Gross Hall, 4th Floor
Register to attend
 
MSTP Distinguished Lecture Series
Lecture: From lab to clinic to lab and creating novel small molecule approaches for Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases, by Frank M. Longo, MD, PhD, George E. and Lucy Becker Professor, Chair, Department of Neurology and Neurological Science, Stanford University.

Wednesday, May 10, 2023, 4 to 5 p.m.
Location: Irvine Hall, Bldg. 835, Nelson Auditorium (G2) at UCI (Accessible from the north side across the MRI 3T Trailer, Bldg. 841) and via Zoom (register for details)
Register
 
UCI Gavin Herbert Eye Institute's 9th Annual Bench to Bedside Symposium
The Gavin Herbert Eye Institute’s 9th Annual Bench to Bedside Symposium is a free one-day symposium focusing on exciting advances in translational vision research. All who are interested in applying innovative methodologies to ocular and vision disorders — including everyone from undergraduate students to full-time professors, and experts in private industry — are welcome.

Posters will be presented throughout the day to encourage interactions between post-doctoral fellows, scientists and industry experts. The top three outstanding post-doctoral posters, selected by a panel of judges, will be awarded $500, $300 and $200 prizes.

Topics:
   • Keeping Up with Artificial Intelligence
   • Nanotechnology and Novel Therapies
   • Common Features of Eye and Brain Diseases
   • Advances in Imaging
  
Breakfast and lunch will be provided. Registration fees have been waived.

Saturday, May 13, 2023, at 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Location: The Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center, 100 Academy Way, Irvine, CA 92617
Virtual Option: Link to Zoom Webinar will be sent to those who register to attend online.
Register to attend
 
Undergraduate Research Symposium: Register to Attend!
The Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) invites all UCI students, faculty and staff to join us for our 30th anniversary of recognizing UCI undergraduate students’ research achievements. To honor this year’s theme, “Celebrating 30 Years: Tradition and Vision,” we’ve made some big changes from previous years. Come celebrate with us!

Register to attend by Sunday, May 14, at 11:59 p.m. at 2023 UROP Symposium General Registration. Visit the Undergraduate Research Opportunties Program for more information.

Tuesday to Thursday, May 16–18, at 5:30 to 7 p.m. – Presentation Showcases
Friday, May 19, at 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. – Symposium Day
 
Career Development Opportunity: Planning and Writing Successful NIH Proposals
The School of Medicine Office of Research invites School of Medicine faculty, postdoctoral scholars, and career researchers to attend a full-day workshop, “Planning and Writing Successful NIH Proposals,” presented by the AtKisson Training Group (ATG). Registration is required.

Wednesday, May 17, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Location: Sue Gross Auditorium, 854 Health Sciences Quad, Rm 1800, UCI main campus
Lunch will be provided.
Registration Deadline: Monday, May 1.
See here for more details and to register.
 
CHOC Research Education: Cerner Real-World Data for Multicenter Research and Related Infrastructures with Louis Ehwerhemuepha, PhD
Cerner Real-World Data™ (CRWD) is designed to help users answer deep and complex research questions using data from multiple health systems and heterogenous patient groups. It reduces bias in research that may be inherent in single center studies, and it provides larger sample sizes for rare diseases/conditions. It also ensures that most conditions can be modeled using machine learning on structured EHR data. With this longitudinal database, researchers can analyze detailed sets of de-identified clinical data at the patient and encounter levels, and develop statistical and machine learning models that may be implementable in various healthcare settings.

Wednesday, May 17, noon to 1:15 p.m.
Register
 
UCI Center for Aging Research in Down Syndrome (CFAR-DS) Seminar Series with Dr. Beau Ances
Please join us for the UCI Center for Aging Research in Down Syndrome (CFAR-DS) Seminar Series on May 26 at 11 a.m. PT. We are thankful to have Beau Ances, MSc, MD, PhD, professor of neurology at Washington University in St. Louis, as our visiting speaker at UCI.

Over the past 15 years, the Ances Bioimaging Laboratory (ABL) has focused on developing novel biomarkers for neurodegenerative diseases including HIV associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND), Alzheimer’s disease (AD), autoimmune encephalitis, and Down syndrome. Dr. Ances will give a talk titled Alzheimer Disease in Down Syndrome: One extra chromosome, two extra hugs.

Friday, May 26, 11 a.m. PT
Hybrid Event
Location: Herklotz Conference Room at UCI and via Zoom
Register
 
MSTP Distinguished Lecture Series
Lecture: Deciphering and Targeting Clonal Evolution to Leukemia, by Ross L. Levine, MD, Laurence Joseph Dineen Chair in Leukemia Research; Deputy Physician-in-Chief, Translational Research, Memorial Hospital, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

Wednesday, May 31, 4 to 5 p.m.
Telecast via Zoom (register for details)
Register
 
Research!America's Science and Technology Career Summit
This summit for early career researchers will feature a series of events designed to engage and equip them with tools for success. The sessions will provide early career researchers with the opportunity to explore an array of career paths, network with fellow researchers, participate in professional development workshops, and engage in meaningful discussions around issues critical to the success of the R&D ecosystem.
  • Session 1: Career Tour – 2 Panel Discussions with Early Career Professionals
    Date: Wednesday, June 7, 2023, 9:30 a.m. to noon
  • Session 2: Mastering the Elevator Pitch
    Date: Tuesday, June 13, 2023, 9:30 to 10:45 a.m.
  • Session 3: Communicating Science to Inspire and Foster Public Engagement
    Date: Wednesday, June 14, 2023, 9:30 to 10:45 a.m.
  • Session 4: Building a Strong Resume: A Hiring Manager’s Perspective
    Date: Wednesday, June 21, 2023, 9:30 to 11 a.m.
  • Session 5: Science and Startups: Taking your Research to the Next Level
    Date: Wednesday, June 28, 2023, 9:30 to 10:45 a.m.
Register
 
CHOC Research Education: NIH Grant Writing: Funding Success Part 1
Speakers: Sheila Cherry, PhD, and Jessica Lerch, PhD
Topics:
  • The Scientific Story
  • Collaborative Research Teams
Wednesday, June 7, noon to 1:15 p.m.
Register to Join
 
NCI Drug Development Workshop II: Specialized Topics in Preclinical Development of Small Molecule Cancer Drugs
This workshop will encompass a series of six webinar-based lectures. They will address specialized topics that are important for the preclinical development of small molecule cancer drugs. The intention is to help investigators mitigate the translational risk of selected candidates during their later stages of product development and increase the chances of entering clinical evaluation. The intended audience is translational scientists who are interested in preclinical development of cancer drugs. Junior faculty, staff and trainees are encouraged to attend this workshop. Sessions start at 10 a.m. PT, and includes 60–90 minutes of lectures and 15 minutes of facilitated discussion. View the agenda for more information about this workshop.

June 22 to July 28, 2023, on selected Thursdays and Fridays, at 10 a.m. PT
Register
 
CHOC Research Education: NIH Grant Writing: Funding Success Part 2
Speakers: Sheila Cherry, PhD, and Jessica Lerch, PhD
Topics:
  • How to tailor your proposals to grant reviewers
  • How to position your research and yourself to make reviewers your research advocates
Wednesday, July 19, noon to 1:15 p.m.
Register
 
Grand Rounds and CME Symposia
For Continuing Medical Education (CME) opportunities, view the weekly Grand Rounds & CME Symposia email.
Research Resources
 
NIH Updates to Funding Opportunity Terminology
NIH is transitioning to updated terminology regarding funding opportunities to better align with the Uniform Administrative Requirements as outlined in 2 CFR Part 200.

Effective immediately, NIH will use the term notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) to refer to formal announcements of the availability of Federal funding through a financial assistance program. Previously, such announcements were referred to as funding opportunity announcements (FOAs). See the NIH Grants & Funding Glossary for the full definition.

NIH is currently updating websites, documents, and other resources to reflect the new terminology.
 
Navigating the NIH
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Center for Scientific Review developed this resource on “Navigating the NIH” to help clarify the application process, highlighting institution- and investigator-specific information, including key actions that must be taken well in advance of application submission.
 
Submitting for a UCOP funding opportunity?
UCOP is not an internal sponsor because the funding originates from off-campus, so all UCOP projects need to be routed via the standard KR process.  For questions, please direct to your Contract & Grants Analyst.
 
Are you considering applying for a 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 (somrd@hs.uci.edu). 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.
 
NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy Resources
NIH has released a new Data Management and Sharing Policy, effective Jan. 25, 2023, which requires the submission of a Data Management and Sharing Plan as part of all proposals for research that will generate scientific data. The NIH expects that the data generated will be shared broadly at the conclusion of the research. Researchers should plan now for the rollout of these requirements and develop Data Management and Sharing Plans that meet NIH expectations.

The following resources are available now for developing your plan:
  • The UCI School of Medicine Office of Research held an informational webinar on Tuesday, Nov. 8.  View the recording and slides.
  • The UCI Office of Research recently held an informational webinar on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023. View the recording here. The OR also released human subjects research consent language for the DMS policy.
  • The NIH held a two-part webinar series. View the recordings and slide decks here
  • Learn more about this new NIH policy here and in their recent posts here, here, and here. NIH also recently released sample DMS plans and information on how to budget for this new requirement.
  • NIH released a number of blog posts-
    • Post about how to comply with the Policy through eRA System Validation.
    • Post about how to budget for personnel effort whose duties are part of the DMS plan.
    • Post with information and resources on how to protect participant privacy.
  • UCI Libraries has a wealth of resources on their page including the DMPTool and is available for 1:1 consultations.
 
NIH P & U Mechanism Info Session recording
The School of Medicine Office of Research recently held a panel on the NIH P & U award mechanisms. Please see here for the panel recording. Please note that the School of Medicine Office of Research has an Incentive Program for NIH Multi-Component Grant (P or U) Submissions. Contact the Research Development Unit (somrd@hs.uci.edu) if you have any questions.
 
Updated Grants Preparation Material Request Form
This Grants Preparation Material Request Form (previously the Boilerplate Request Form) has been updated to include numerous NIH templates and checklists (e.g., diversity supplements, RCR, K applications, and the PEDP). Save yourself time by taking advantage of these documents. Please view the form here, spread the word amongst your colleagues about this resource, and contact the Research Development Unit (somrd@hs.uci.edu) if you have any questions or suggestions.
 
What is Research Development?
Research Development encompasses strategic, proactive, and capacity-building activities designed to support individual faculty and teams of faculty in obtaining extramural research funding and also increase institutional competitiveness. The UCI School of Medicine Research Development Unit (RDU) meets individual faculty to provide information regarding research resources and assistance with grant proposals.

Do you want funding opportunities matching your research program automatically emailed to you? The RDU can also help you set up a Pivot account in minutes via Zoom and answer any questions you may have. Read more about Pivot and other funding search tools here. Reserve a slot here!
 
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
 
COVID-19 Reminders
With California’s COVID-19 state of emergency having ended on February 28, 2023, employees and students are reminded to continue to report their COVID-19 cases to Contact Tracing and Vaccine Navigation Services, which continues to investigate and contact trace cases. Free face coverings and antigen tests continue to be available on campus.

Please note that the end of the emergency does not mean the end of COVID-19, so individuals should continue to gauge their risk and take steps to protect themselves and their communities by staying up to date with vaccinations and boosters, staying home if sick, testing, washing hands and wearing masks when appropriate.

For the latest COVID-19 information, please visit the UCI Forward Website.
For UCI Health updates, please visit UCI HEALTH COVID-19 Updates.
Contribute to Research Insider!
 
Submit your funding opportunities and events to next week's email here: Seminar/Event or Funding Opportunity.

For a complete list of submitted events and funding opportunities, please see the School of Medicine’s Office of Research Events Calendar and Funding Opportunities Calendar.
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