September 26, 2023
Announcements
 
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.
Register
 
Share Your Research Funding News!
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 and share about it in the Research Insider. Please fill out this short New Funding/Grant Survey form.
 
UC President’s Postdoctoral Fellowship & Informational Webinar
The Office of Inclusive Excellence invites doctoral and professional students planning academic careers and those who support them to learn more about the prestigious University of California President's Postdoctoral Fellowship Program (PPFP). The program was established in 1984 to encourage outstanding women and minoritized PhD recipients to pursue academic careers at the University of California and provides research opportunities and career development for scholars whose work will enhance the diversity of the academic community at the UC. Since 2003, over 100 former fellows have received faculty appointments at University of California campusesDeadline for the 2024–26 fellowships: Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023.

The informational webinar will be led by Associate Vice Chancellor for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Sharon Block. The webinar will explain the purpose of the fellowship, the application process, the award terms and the UC hiring incentive that accompanies it. There will be tips and strategies for application submission and time for questions.

Monday, Oct. 2, 2023, 2 to 3 p.m.
Registrants will receive a copy of the webinar slide deck. Register today for the Zoom link.
Register
 
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

Learn More
 
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.
 
Request for Information (RFI): Inviting Comments and Suggestions on Opportunities and Challenges for the Collection, Use, and Sharing of Real-World Data (RWD) including Electronic Health Records, for NIH Supported Biomedical and Behavioral Research (NOT-OD-23-180)
Researchers are increasingly using data collected in real-world settings to augment traditional research studies as well as develop more effective treatments and interventions for patients. These “real-world data (RWD)”, defined by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, are data relating to patient health status and/or the delivery of health care routinely collected from a variety of sources. Examples of RWD include data derived from electronic health records, medical claims data, data from product or disease registries, and data gathered from other sources (such as digital health technologies) that can inform on health status. While these data hold tremendous promise for biomedical and behavioral research, they can be collected from a variety of sources through multiple mechanisms, creating challenges for researchers and questions for those whose data are being shared.

Importantly, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is committed to ensuring participant privacy and autonomy are protected in all NIH supported research. Input requested on this RFI will be used to inform NIH’s continuing development of guidance on the use of RWD for research and assist in the planning for appropriate mechanisms and programs for research with RWD. 

All comments must be submitted electronically on the submission website. Responses must be received by 11:59:59 p.m. ET on Dec. 14, 2023. 
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.
  • Candice Taylor Lucas, MD, MPH, FAAP, Pediatrics, received a $4.8M 4-year DHHS grant from the Office of Minority Health, for the Healthy Families Community-Based Perinatal Health Initiative investigating “The Black PEARL (Promoting Equity Anti-Racism and Love) Model: Systemic Integration of Community Maternal Support Services to Achieve Birthing Justice, Equity, and Joy for BIPOC Families.”

    This funding will help realize birthing justice in the county as the team partners with HERStory, Inc., to grow the region's BIPOC doula providers and create a replicable system for integrating community maternal support services into clinical care. The work builds on foundational work and visionary efforts initiated by HERStory, Inc., the UCI Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology's DEI committee, PRIME LEAD-ABC, the UCI Health Your CARE Matters Campaign, and the UCI Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing's partnership with HERStory, Inc.'s Birth Initiative for Reproductive Rights, Transforming and Healing Womxn of Color (BIRRTH Womxn OC) program.
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
 
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. For questions about the application process, reach out to Dr. Leslie Thompson (lmthomps@hs.uci.edu).

Deadline: Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023, 3 p.m.
 
NIH Loan Repayment Programs (LRP) Application is Open
NIH is now accepting applications to the Extramural Loan Repayment Program (LRP)! Awardees can receive up to $100,000 of qualified educational debt repayment with a two-year award. Be sure to visit the LRP website and check out this video about the NIH LRP Program Overview! Learn more about how the UCI Institute for Clinical & Translational Science (ICTS) can assist you with your application to the NIH Loan Repayment Program. 

Deadline: Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023
 
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
 
CHOC Research Education
Qualitative Data Analysis with Rachel Carmen Ceasar, PhD - Part 2, by 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. 

Wednesday, Sept. 27, noon to 1:15 p.m. PT  
Register
 
Spatial Transcriptomic Data Analysis with an Emphasis on 10x Genomics Visium
The Genomics Research and Technology Hub (GRT Hub) will be hosting a workshop on the pipeline and computational strategies for Spatial Transcriptomic data derived from 10x Visium. The topics will include an overview of wet lab workflow, data quality control, preprocessing and visualization. Advanced topics such as integration with single cell data and cell-cell communication network identification will be covered as time permits. There will be a hands-on session with an illustrative data set provided. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own project data for analysis and discussion.

Thursday, Sept. 28, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.   
Location: Sprague Hall, Room 105

Light continental breakfast and lunch provided. 

Register
 
NIH Loan Repayment Programs Info Session with Dr. Connie Rhee
The NIH Loan Repayment Programs (LRPs) are a set of programs established by Congress that are designed to assist health professionals who have doctoral-level degrees and are conducting biomedical or behavioral research with repaying their educational debt. Learn more in this information session with Dr. Connie Rhee. 

Friday, Sept. 29, 8 to 9 a.m. 
Via Zoom

Register
 
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. 

Friday, Sept. 29, 11 a.m. to noon 
Location: Sprague Hall, Conference Room 105
  
Register
 
UCI Center for Aging Research in Down Syndrome Seminar Series (CFAR-DS)
Cerebrovascular Aspects of Alzheimer's Disease in Down Syndrome, by André Strydom, MRCPsych, MSc, PhD, Professor in Intellectual Disabilities at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London. Find more details at the UCI Center for Aging Research in Down Syndrome’s website

Friday, Sept. 29, 11 a.m. PT
Via Zoom 
Register
 
Experiential Pathology Research Conferences
AI Pathology and Beyond, by Jana Lipkova, PhD, Assistant Professor of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, UCI School of Medicine. 

Monday, Oct. 2, 11 a.m. to noon PT
Location: Plumwood House (Showa Denko) Lecture Hall and Telecast via Zoom 
Join Zoom
 
Genetics, Biomedical Computing and Genomics Monthly Meeting
Scalable computing and Storage at UCI? What's available. What's new.

Philip Papadopoulos, PhD, director of the Research Cyberinfrastructure Center (RCIC), UCI, will provide an overview of HPC3 (UCI's shared, batch-oriented, cluster computing environment), large-scale and high-performance storage available to researchers for HPC3, and the Campus Research Storage Pool (CRSP). RCIC has a mission to serve the research community at UCI by providing high-quality, reliable and scalable cluster computing and storage infrastructure.     

Tuesday, Oct. 3, 10 to 11 a.m.
Meeting ID: 914 4461 2971
Passcode: 811302
Join Zoom
 
NIH Career Development Grant Writing Workshop: K-Club
The UCI Institute for Clinical and Translational Science (ICTS) has coordinated a K-Club grant writing series intended for junior faculty and postdoctoral scholars preparing to submit applications for NIH Mentored Career Development awards. Visit their website for more information. 

To attend the K-Club Grant Writing Workshop, please submit an application to Yzabella Nardo (nardoy@hs.uci.edu) by Friday, Oct. 6, with the following: Signed MOU, current NIH Biosketch, and a draft of your Specific Aims. 

Mondays, Oct. 9, 16, 23 and 30, 9 to 10:30 a.m. 
Location: UCI, 1022-1082 Health Sciences Rd, Hewitt Hall, Large Conference Room, Room 1042
 
NIH Webinar: Join NIH Policy Experts for a Guided Tour of Subaward Agreements — Sections, Requirements, & Key Policies
Whether you are a principal investigator considering a subaward arrangement with either a domestic or foreign institution, or a research administrator eager to deepen your understanding of the prerequisites and regulations governing compliant subaward agreements, join NIH for invaluable insights during an engaging event.

Tuesday, Oct. 17, 10 to 11 a.m. PT
Register
 
ICTS Brown Bag Lunch Series Workshop: Transgenerational Epigenetics and Environmental Justice
The UCI Institute for Clinical & Translational Science (ICTS) invites all researchers and research team members to learn more about Transgenerational Epigenetics and Environmental Justice. His presentation will focus on:
  • Understanding the recent research on multigenerational and transgenerational epigenetic effects in humans.
  • Recognizing the concepts of environmental justice and intergenerational equity.
  • Appreciating the ethical responsibilities of scientists to consider the societal implications of their research
Speaker: Mark Rothstein, JD, Director of Translational Bioethics at the Institute for Clinical and Translational Science. Professor Rothstein has concentrated his recent research on genetics, health privacy, international health research, public health and translational bioethics. He is a past president of the American Society of Law, Medicine and Ethics, an elected member of the American Law Institute, and an elected fellow of the Hastings Center.

Tuesday, Oct. 17, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. 
Location: UCI College of Health Sciences, Room 3130 
Register
 
The Dean’s Distinguished Lecture Series Returns for 2023-24!
Ardem Patapoutian, PhDThe 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 Dean’s Distinguished Lectures Series for this 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.

RSVP
 
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.

Keynote speaker: Ardem Patapoutian, PhD. UCI faculty speakers include Geoff Abbott, PhD, Michael Cahalan, PhD, Steve Goldstein, MD, PhD and Medha Pathak, PhD

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. For questions, contact Emily Dawidoff

Oct. 18–19, 2023
Location: The Beckman Center, 100 Academy Way, Irvine, Calif.  
Register
 
Physician Scientist Collective: Distinguished Speaker Series
Conducting Inpatient Clinical Research Overcoming Challenges Step-by-Step by Yama Akbari, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Division of Neurocritical Care, Departments of Neurology, Neurological Surgery, Anatomy & Neurobiology, Beckman Laser Institute & Medical Clinic, UCI. 

Thursday, Oct. 19, 4 to 5 p.m. 
Location: UCI Medical Center, Building 53, Room 53-001, Orange, Calif. 

Register
 
Inaugural Paolo Sassone-Corsi Lectureship
Nuclear Receptors — Innovations in Diabetes and Cancerby Ronald M. Evans, PhD, professor and director of the Gene Expression Laboratory, March of Dimes Chair in Developmental and Molecular Biology, Salk Institute for Biological Studies. 

Thursday, Oct. 19, 6 p.m. 
Location: Arnold & Mabel Beckman Center of the National Academies of Sciences & Engineering

Register
 
Conspiracy Thinking in American Politics



The increasing prominence of conspiracy thinking in the American political landscape has generated reactions ranging from puzzlement to alarm. This symposium will take an in-depth look at the phenomenon from the perspectives of political science, neuroscience, law, psychology, and philosophy. Please register for this unique opportunity to obtain novel insights on a critical issue facing the country.

Keynote speaker: George Marcus, PhD, professor emeritus of political science at Williams College. 

Friday, Oct. 20, 8 a.m. to noon PT 
Virtual Event 

Register
 
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.
Questions? Contact Yzabella Nardo at nardoy@hs.uci.edu

Oct. 20–21, 2023
Location: College of Health Sciences (COHS), Classroom 3130

Register
 
CHOC Research Day 2023 — Save the Date!
Transforming Challenges into Opportunities: Pediatric Mental Health Services Research
Join CHOC’s annual Research Day! This 2023 event will shine a spotlight on the latest breakthroughs and research prospects aimed at advancing child and adolescent mental healthcare. We’re bringing together a diverse community of mental health services researchers, dedicated clinicians, passionate mental health advocates and valuable community partners. Together, we will delve into the pressing pediatric mental health issues of today and explore the promising horizons of tomorrow.

If you’d like to submit an abstract to be presented at the Research Day Poster Session, you can do so at this form by Friday, Oct. 13. Event program to follow soon.

Part 1: Virtual keynote address & plenary sessions: 8 a.m. to noon 
Part 2: Live Poster Session, Podium Presentations, Science Activities, Research Fair & Award Ceremony: 12:30 to 4 p.m.

Wednesday, Nov. 15, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. 
Location: In-person events in 2nd Floor lobby, Bill Holmes Tower

 
Grand Rounds and CME Symposia
For Continuing Medical Education (CME) opportunities, view the weekly Grand Rounds & CME Symposia email.
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!

PI: Tallie Z. Baram, MD, PhD
View the posting in AP Recruit
 
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. 
Submit Form

Research Resources
 
NIH Final Updated Policy Guidance for Subaward/Consortium Written Agreements (NOT-OD-23-182)
In response to audits conducted by the HHS Office of the Inspector General (OIG) and by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), NIH published a Notice in the Federal Register (88 FR 36603) on June 5, 2023, outlining its plans to update the NIH Grants Policy Statement, section 15.2, to require that foreign subrecipients provide copies of all lab notebooks, all data, and all documentation that supports the research outcomes as described in the progress report, to the primary recipient no less than once every six months.

NIH has received extensive feedback and is issuing this Notice to respond and to issue a final revised Notice.
 
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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