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| Keystone Next-Generation Nanomedicine Conference | Please join us for this esteemed 2023 Conference on Next Generation Nanomedicines, sponsored by Keystone Symposia, UCI Vaccine R&D Center, and UCI Center for Translational Vision Research!
Nanomedicines have revolutionized our ability to create medicines for previously untreatable diseases as well as novel therapies in a rapid and scalable manner. In the past five years, the approvals of novel nano-medicine-based drugs such as small interfering RNAs and messenger RNA vaccines have catalyzed the field; however, there are still many challenges in the field that preclude clinical translation of new technologies. These challenges include improving the delivery, efficiency and safety profile of nanoparticles and novel strategies to target specific cells and tissues, and these issues, among others, will be presented and discussed at this symposium.
We would like to invite you to attend the in-person symposia and interact with a diverse group of researchers, students and industry partners from the region.
The in-person portion of this hybrid conference will take place at the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center of the National Academies of Sciences and Engineering (100 Academy Way, Irvine, CA 92617) on the UCI campus.
UCI faculty and staff attendance and abstract submission are complimentary. To receive a complimentary registration and abstract submission, please use the code FY24UCIrvine when you register online. Feel free to attend any or all sessions!
Sept. 6–8, 2023
Location: The Beckman Center, 100 Academy Way, Irvine, Calif.
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| School of Medicine Office of Research Informational Webinar: UCI Foundation Relations – Support for Researchers Seeking Funding | Featured Speaker: Marianne Smith, PhD, Senior Director of Corporate & Foundation Relations, University AdvancementDr. Smith will provide an overview of the valuable support offered to researchers applying for foundation funding, including interpreting grant guidelines, reviewing proposals and letters of intent, and funding searches.Wednesday, Sept. 6, noon to 12:30 p.m.
Via Zoom |
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| Physician Scientist Pathways Certificate Course | The School of Medicine Office of Research is excited to announce the Physician Scientist Pathways Certificate Course! This course will prepare physician scientists by enabling them to combine their clinical knowledge with skills in scientific investigation.This course will commence in October 2023 and run for six weeks, two hours/week. It is a hybrid course, which includes three in-person sessions and three online sessions.Target applicant: Residents, fellows and junior faculty physicians interested in pursuing a career path that includes basic, translational, clinical and/or epidemiology research. This course is designed to not only provide a basic level of knowledge but for attendees to develop an individual development plan for further research training.
Deadline: Monday, Oct. 9, 2023 |
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| Human Research Protections (HRP): Important Recruitment Reminders for Researchers! | When recruiting human research subjects, keep in mind the following:
- Implementation of the Gender Recognition and Lived Name Policy will be in full effect Dec. 31, 2023.
- Per a directive from the Executive Office of the President (M-23-13, dated Feb. 23, 2023) TikTok is prohibited on federal devices.
- The UCI seal is an official logo. Use your department letterhead or department wordmark when creating recruitment materials. If you must use the UCI seal, you need official approval.
- The UCI IRB has a Recruitment Material Master Template (available here for immediate download). Use the form available on the HRP webpage, as appropriate for your exempt or expedited research study.
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| Call for Mentors — Medical Student Research Program (MSRP) | Join the Medical Student Research Program (MSRP) as a research mentor for UCI medical students. The MSRP is offered by the UCI Institute for Clinical & Translational Science (ICTS), provides UCI medical students the opportunity to participate in formalized mentored research while providing resources to support research like: IRB submission help, grant writing assistance, funding opportunities, statistical support and more!
Benefits of becoming a mentor for an MSRP student: - Bolster training portfolio by mentoring bright medical students interested in gaining research experience
- Advance your career by diversifying the pool of student mentees
- Participate in supporting diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives by mentoring students from PRIME-LC and PRIME LEAD-ABC programs (students who are underrepresented in medicine)
- Get involved with ICTS and access available resources and a wide network of researchers to advance your research
Check out the current list of MSRP mentors.
For more information about these programs, please contact the program manager, Brooke Piercy.
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| 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. |
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| Register for Fall Course on Modern Topics in Gene Editing and Gene Therapy | The Department of Biomedical Engineering and the UCI Center for Translational Vision Research (CTVR) at the School of Medicine, are proud to offer an exciting course this fall on modern topics in gene editing and gene therapy. Register now for this fall!
BME 295/195: Modern Topics in Gene Editing and Gene Therapy. This 10-week, 4-unit course is geared toward PhD students and advanced undergraduates and will give students three hours of contact with the instructor during class each week. Students will also have one hour of group discussion without the instructor in preparation for class. In addition to these commitments, students will be responsible for preparing for class by completing reading and assignments before each class. The class will cover topics such as history of programmable nucleases, with an emphasis on CRISPR, editing and manipulating genomes using programmable nucleases and CRISPR technologies, and gene therapy applications, focusing on precision gene editing to correct disease mutations.
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| 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.
- Minji Byun, PhD (Microbiology and Molecular Genetics) and colleague Emily Miraldi, PhD, received an NIAID NIH R01 investigating the “Gene regulatory network modeling of disease-associated DNA methylation perturbations.” This proposal combines (1) genetically engineered human immune cells and (2) mathematical modeling of gene regulatory networks to unravel the complexity of gene mutations and increased risk of age-related comorbidities such as severe infections and cardiovascular disease.
- Anil Tiwari, MD (Anesthesiology), Gagan Mathur, MD (Pathology) and Jesse Qiao, MD (Pathology), have been awarded a Society of Advancement of Blood Management Research Starter Grant Award focused on patient care and blood conservation.
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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| Research Commercialization Funds Available – PoP Grants Request-for-Proposals | | UCI Beall Applied Innovation (BAI) has launched the Fall 2023 round of its Proof-of-Product (PoP) Grants program. Through this program, BAI competitively awards grants up to $100K for faculty researchers to advance their discoveries toward market to measurably improve lives. To date, nearly $4 million has been awarded to over 50 faculty researchers. For additional details, the RFP,and the FAQ, go to POP Grants for UCI Faculty - UCI Beall Applied Innovation.
Letters of Intent (LOI) Deadline: Friday, Sept. 15, 2023
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| Research Projects to Enhance Applicability of Mammalian Models for Translational Research (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) (PAR-23-281) | Through this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), the National Cancer Institute (NCI) invites applications for projects to expand, improve, or transform the utility of mammalian cancer and tumor models for translational research.
The NCI, through this NOFO, encourages submission of projects devoted to demonstrating that mammalian models, including organoids, tumoroids and cell models, used for translational research are robust representations of human biology, are appropriate to test questions of clinical importance, and provide reliable information for patient benefit. These practical goals contrast with the goals of many mechanistic, NCI-supported R01 projects that use mammals, or develop and use mammalian cancer models, transplantation tumor models, or models derived from mammalian or human tissues or cells for hypothesis-testing, non-clinical research.
Among many other possible endeavors, applicants in response to this NOFO could propose demonstrations of how to overcome translational deficiencies of mammalian oncology models, define new uses of mammalian models or their genetics for unexplored translational challenges, advance standard practices for use of translational models, test approaches to validate and credential models, or challenge current practices for how models are used translationally. Read the NOFO. First Available Deadline: Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023
Expiration Date: Sept. 8, 2026
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| Postdoctoral Funding Opportunity! A.P. Giannini Foundation Fellowship | The A.P. Giannini Foundation invites physician-scientists and junior researchers with 3 to 36 months of postdoctoral research experience (as of Dec. 31, 2023) to apply to the 2024 Postdoctoral Research Fellowship & Leadership Award. The Fellowship and Leadership Award supports innovative research in the basic sciences and applied fields and trains fellows to become established investigators and to pursue scientific leadership positions in academia, industry, public and non-traditional career pathways. Research projects should advance the translation of biomedical science into preventions, treatments and cures for human diseases. Applicants with tenure-track research positions or faculty appointments are ineligible.
Fellows receive a competitive stipend for their research training. Candidates may be eligible to obtain additional salary support from their sponsoring institution. Fellows cannot concurrently hold a full fellowship from another source or a federally funded career development award. Fellows receive leadership training and support to maximize their postdoctoral experience. Fellows participate in workshops and receive one-on-one coaching to foster their communication and leadership skills. The Foundation requires that fellows participate in the Leadership Program.
For questions about the application process, reach out to Dr. Leslie Thompson ( lmthomps@hs.uci.edu). Deadline: Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023, 3 p.m.
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| Funding Opportunity to Use NIH All of Us Data to Advance Health Research | The National Institutes of Health (NIH) All of Us Research Program is building one of the largest biomedical data resources of its kind by collecting health data and biospecimens from a diverse cohort of one million or more participants nationwide. The objective is to accelerate health research and medical breakthroughs, enabling individualized prevention, and health care for all of us. The UCI Genetic Epidemiology Research Institute (GERI) along with the Office of Data and Information Technology, are sponsoring a research funding opportunity for UCI researchers to utilize the NIH All of Us Research Program data to pursue health-related research topics of interest. All of Us dataset is one of the richest and most diverse biomedical datasets ever built with over 413,450+ participants, 75% are from communities underrepresented in biomedical research and 45% are from racial and ethnic minority groups. It can be accessed and analyzed through the All of Us Researcher Workbench, a cloud-based research platform as part of the Program’s Research Hub. The Researcher Workbench contains a suite of custom tools for cohort building, data extraction, and statistical or machine-learning analysis. Under this announcement, we intend to fund projects at a maximum level of $2,500 each. Proposals will be evaluated based on their scientific merit. Successful applications are those considered to have a high potential for publications and for future extramural funding. Applicants for this funding opportunity must be full-time UCI faculty including those in the Clinical and Adjunct Research series who have an established account with the NIH All of Us Researcher Workbench. The scope of the proposed research must be planned to be completed within one year. Applications must be submitted to Jenny Fang at jennyf3@hs.uci.edu. Each applicant is only allowed to submit one application. Please see our PDF for more detailed information on application submission. Deadline: Ongoing |
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| 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. |
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| Upcoming Seminars & Events |
| CHOC Research Education: NIH Grant Writing & Funding Success Part 2 - with Jessica Lerch, PhD | Speaker: Jessica Lerch, PhD, co-founder of CareerVolt
Discussion topics:
- Tips for writing an impactful Aims page
- Write for your reviewers
CareerVolt provides one-on-one coaching and bootcamps to accelerate science careers. They support faculty in pursuing goals to publish, get funding and better manage your time and resources.
Wednesday, Aug. 30, noon to 1:15 p.m. PT
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| CIRM Alpha Clinic Network 2023 Annual Symposium | UCI’s Alpha Clinic will be hosting the CIRM Alpha Clinic Network 2023 Annual Symposium. Food will be provided and parking is free at this all-day event. More information to come. We hope to see you there!
Friday, Sept. 8, all day
Location: UCI Beall Applied Innovation – 5270 California Ave., Irvine, Calif. |
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| Explore the Future Of Research & Innovation. Register for the 2023 Forum! | Join Research!America for a Fireside Chat led by Research!America Board Member, Elias Zerhouni, MD, and featuring Dietmar Berger, MD, PhD, Chief Medical Officer, Global Head of Development at Sanofi. Speakers will discuss priorities in artificial intelligence, strengthening clinical trials, and how innovations across the drug development process can improve treatments and care for patients. Register now for Research!America’s annual health research forum to hear more! - Day 1 (Tuesday, Sept. 19) will be fully virtual, from 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. PT.
- Day 2 (Wednesday, Sept. 20) will be in-person only at the George Washington University in Washington, DC, from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m., followed by a networking reception from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
If you plan to attend both days, you must register separately for each day.
Sept. 19–20
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| Upcoming Informational Session on the UC President's Postdoctoral Fellowship Program | Register Today! | The Institute for Clinical & Translational Science (ICTS) invites doctoral and professional students, and the members who support them, to learn more about the prestigious University of California President’s Postdoctoral Fellowship Program. This workshop will help guide individuals through the application process, providing important tips and opportunities to hear directly from program participants about their strategies for application submission and fast-tracking career success.
This session will be led by Dr. Donovan Argueta, a postdoctoral scholar in Hematology/Oncology and a past recipient of the UC President’s Postdoctoral Fellowship Program (PPFP). Dr. Argueta will give a brief overview of the PPFP followed by a panel discussion with current and past recipients.Tuesday, Sept. 19, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. |
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| UCI Conte Center Seminar Series | The Nature and Neurobiology of Anxiety by Alexander Shackman, PhD, associate professor, Department of Psychology, University of Maryland.
Tuesday, Sept. 19, 4 to 5 p.m. PT
Location: Hybrid event at Plumwood House lecture hall at UCI and via Zoom (Passcode: 764583)
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| Making a Difference in Human Subjects Research: Empowering Participants, Engaging Communities, and Protecting Data | Interested in spending two informative days with the HHS Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP) and your fellow colleagues in the human research protection world? If so, make plans to attend this in-person event, highlighting the ethical challenges and opportunities presented by AI technologies and innovations in academic-community partnerships.
Be sure to check out the line-up of speakers which includes experts from the NIH Office of Science Policy (OSP). Don’t miss this valuable and engaging opportunity to share challenges and learn best practices on how to manage, share and protect research data from HHS experts and your institutional colleagues.
Sept. 26–27, 2023
Location: The Michigan League, 911 N. University Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48109
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| CHOC Research Education: Qualitative Data Analysis with Rachel Carmen Ceasar, PhD - Part 2 | Speaker: Rachel Carmen Ceasar, PhD, assistant professor of clinical population and public health sciences, USC's Southern California Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Keck School of Medicine of USC.
Dr. Ceasar is a qualitative research consultant with the Biostatistics Epidemiology and Research Design (BERD) team at The USC SC CTSI. In this role, Dr. Ceasar supports faculty and junior investigators with studies and grants involving qualitative research, including focus groups, one-on-one interviews, quality-of-life work and mixed methods. Dr. Ceasar also has experience with IRB applications, conducting interviews and coding.
Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023, noon to 1:15 p.m. PT
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| Physician Scientist Collective: Distinguished Speaker Series | Creating the Next Generation Physician Scientists: Lessons from the UCLA Star Program, by Linda L. Demer, MD, PhD, Professor, Departments of Medicine and Physiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. The Physician Scientist Collective Distinguished Speaker Series features speakers from diverse medical fields across national academic institutions who share their experiences and insights on physician scientist careers.
Friday, Sept. 29, 2023, 11 a.m. to noon
Location: Sprague Hall, Conference Room 105
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| 2023 Inaugural Symposium for the UCI Center for Neurotherapeutics | “Exploring the Future of Neurotherapeutics” Join the new UCI Center for Neurotherapeutics for its first symposium, hosted by Albert La Spada, MD, PhD, Director, and Robert Spitale, PhD, Associate Director. Learn more about the 2023 Inaugural Symposium for the UCI Center for Neurotherapeutics. Friday, Oct. 6, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.Location: The Beckman Center, 100 Academy Way, Irvine, Calif. |
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| The Dean’s Distinguished Lecture Series Returns for 2023-24! |  The School of Medicine Office of the Dean is delighted to announce that 2021 Nobel Laureate in Medicine Ardem Patapoutian, PhD, will present the first lecture of the year: “How Do You Feel? Molecules That Sense Touch.”
Tuesday, Oct. 17, 6:30 p.m.
Location: The Beckman Center, 100 Academy Way, Irvine, Calif.
Refreshments will be provided. |
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| Ion Channel Modulation Symposium Featuring Keynote Address by 2021 Nobel Laureate Ardem Patapoutian | The School of Medicine Office of Research, in conjunction with Sophion Bioscience, invites you to attend the 2023 Ion Channel Modulation Symposium. The Ion Channel Modulation Symposium (ICMS) brings together researchers, scientists and industry professionals from around the world to exchange ideas, share the latest advancements and explore new frontiers in the field. The event will feature talks, poster presentations and excellent networking opportunities. Keynote speaker Ardem Patapoutian, PhD, and a slate of over 20 speakers from labs around the world including UCI faculty Geoff Abbott, PhD, Michael Cahalan, PhD, Steve Goldstein, MD, PhD and Medha Pathak, PhD will be among the presenters. The ICMS will coincide with the UCI School of Medicine’s Dean’s Distinguished Lecture Series (DDLS), which will feature Dr. Patapoutian as the main speaker. The DDLS community lecture will be Oct. 17 at 6:30 p.m. and the scientific lecture is Oct. 18 at 9 a.m. All events will be at The Beckman Center in Irvine. Registration for the ICMS is free of charge though there is a cap at 130 participants. If you have any questions, please contact Emily Dawidoff. Oct. 18–19, 2023Location: The Beckman Center, 100 Academy Way, Irvine, Calif. |
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| Save the Date! ICTS Workshop: Responsible Conduct of Research | Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) is increasingly viewed as an essential component of training, regardless of a researcher's source of funding. NIH requires RCR training that involves at least 8 contact hours between participants and faculty. Instruction must be undertaken at least once during each career stage, and at a frequency of no less than once every four years. To meet the NIH requirement, the Institute of Clinical and Translational Science in partnership with the Office of Research will be hosting a full in-person workshop in October: - Friday, Oct. 20, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Saturday, Oct. 21, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
More information to come by the end of August. If interested, email Marguerite Klumb and she’ll send information once available.
Oct. 20–21, 2023
Location TBA
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| Open Research Positions in UCI School of Medicine |
| 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!
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| Do you have an open laboratory position currently posted on UCI Recruit that you would like announced in Research Insider? Please fill out this form to have your position listed in our new section, which we will be dedicating to open research opportunities in the School of Medicine. |
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| What kind of grant support does the Research Development Unit (RDU) provide? | |
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| 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. |
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