| | | Updates from the UCI Office of Research |
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| Slide Deck from Recent Federal Agency Actions Town Hall |
| The UCI Office of Research hosted a town hall on May 21, 2025, on the Recent Federal Agency Actions: Impacts on Research at UC Irvine. View the slide deck.
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| Notice of Short-Term Extension to NIH Early-Stage Investigator (ESI) Eligibility Period |
| NOT-OD-25-114: The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has granted an automatic extension of Early-Stage Investigator (ESI) eligibility. This extension addresses delays impacting grant application submissions, peer review or award processing timelines between Jan. 1, 2025, and May 31, 2025, and seeks to mitigate their effects on the biomedical research community.
Investigators whose last submission date for a new/resubmission application, based on ESI eligibility, was October/November 2024, February/March 2025, or June/July 2025, will be granted an extension. The last submission as an ESI will be October 2025.
Questions regarding the notices should be directed to your Federal Contract and Grant Officer. | |
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| Sign up for the Office of Research Listserv |
| | To keep up with the latest updates from the Office of Research amid all the federal funding changes, be sure to subscribe to the CG-News listserv. Sign up by sending a blank email to cg-news+subscribe@uci.edu. | |
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| Due to shifts in the federal agency funding landscape, do not sign any certifications or acknowledgments, complete any surveys, or respond regarding grant compliance, change in abstract or scope of work, or project activities. Instead, forward such communications to Jeff Warner, Senior Director, Sponsored Projects Administration. Authorized Organizational Representatives (AORs) in the Office of Research will handle these matters. If you have trouble getting in touch with your Sponsored Programs offices/Contracts and Grants office, contact Nancy Lewis, Associate Vice Chancellor for Research Administration. Learn more about the impact of federal executive orders and directives on federal grants and contracts.
For other questions or concerns, contact Paul Lekutai, Director, Federal and Non-Federal Sponsored Projects, or Jeff Warner.
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| MS-BATS Program Now Open: Excel as an Effective Clinical Researcher with a Degree in Biomedical and Translational Science |
| The Master of Science in Biomedical and Translational Science (MS-BATS) program trains students to conduct high-quality multidisciplinary clinical research at the intersection of basic science and clinical medicine.
Deadline: May 30, 2025 | |
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| Physician Scientist Collective Network Hosts the PSTP Research Showcase |
| The Physician Scientist Collective Network supports physician scientists by offering networking, mentorship and career development resources to advance their professional journeys.
This forum provides an opportunity for Physician Scientist Training Program (PSTP) Scholars to showcase their research progress and share insights into their journey as physician-scientists.
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Patrick M. Chen, MD
Assistant Professor, Neurology
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Jeffrey Wong, MD
Associate Professor, Medicine
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| - Coffee & Refreshments – 3:30 to 4 p.m.
- Presentation – 4 to 5 p.m.
School of Medicine Research Development staff will be present to address any research-related questions.
Wednesday, June 4, 4 to 5 p.m.
Location: UCI Medical Center, Building 55, Conference Room 212, 101 The City Drive South, Orange, CA | | Back to top | | | |
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| Elaine Lai (Eguchi Lab, Physiology & Biophysics), received the Katherine and Robert Phalen Endowment Fellowship ($3k). The Katherine and Robert Phalen Endowment is intended to highlight and support doctoral students whose current laboratory research shows future promise for preventing, treating or understanding human disease. Elaine additionally received a 2025 NSF GRFP Honorable Mention. She was awarded a School of Medicine Academic Recognition Fellowship ($500) for this notable effort.
Do you or someone on your team have research-related good news to report (e.g., research funding/award, publication, other accolade)? We would like to know! Please fill out this short Good News submission form. | | Back to top | | | |
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| Find funding opportunities for trainees, postdocs and early career faculty, and all faculty. For more funding opportunities and resources to help in your funding search, visit the Funding Opportunities page.
For a curated, searchable and filterable list of funding opportunities announced by NIH in their weekly NIH guide listserv, check out the School of Medicine Funding Search Tool.
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, contact the RDU.
Considering applying for a Limited Funding Opportunity? Typically, you submit a pre-proposal to the Office of Research via UCI Review. If the opportunity is not listed, contact the RDU.
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| | Postdocs & Early Career Faculty Funding Opportunities | |
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Trainee Slots: Training in the Neurobiology of Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease
Deadline: May 29, 2025, Noon
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| Trainee Slots: MAXImizing Training in MUScle Research (MAXIMUS) T32 Training Program |
| The Muscle Biology and Disease Research Center is pleased to announce the call for applications for the MAXImizing Training in MUScle Research (MAXIMUS) T32 Training Program with funding beginning Oct. 1, 2025. They aim to support three PhD students and one postdoctoral scholar or clinical fellow. Learn more about MAXImizing Training in MUScle Research (MAXIMUS) and apply here.
Deadline: May 30, 2025 | |
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| Limited: Edward Mallinckrodt, Jr. Foundation Grant Program |
| The mission of the Edward Mallinckrodt, Jr. Foundation (EMJF) is to support early-stage investigators engaged in basic biomedical research that has the potential to advance the understanding, diagnosis or treatment of disease. This grant provides $225,000 over 3 years for tenure-track faculty in their first to fourth years of their first faculty appointment. The grants are designed specifically to provide MD and/or PhD faculty members start-up support to move their project forward to the point where R01 or other independent funding can be obtained. EMJF does not support projects that are already underway or are receiving significant grant support. Applicants with R01 funding should not apply.
UCI may forward one nomination. Therefore, interested applicants are asked to submit a preliminary application via the UCI Review system.
Deadline: June 9, 2025 | |
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| | All Faculty Funding Opportunities | |
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NIAMS P30 Skin Biology Resource-based Center Seed Grants
These seed grants are for new and innovative projects in skin research — in any area of research that falls within the scope of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS). Projects should not have current funding from other sources, but rather represent new ideas and bring new investigative approaches to biology and diseases of the skin. Seed grants are intended to help develop projects to the stage where they are competitive for extramural funding, NIH funding in particular. The seed grants are not renewable. Learn more and apply for P30 Skin Center Seed Grants
Proposals Deadline: June 2, 2025
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| Limited: Burroughs Wellcome Fund Climate + Health Excellence (CHEX) Centers |
| The Burroughs Wellcome Fund has announced Climate + Health Excellence (CHEX) Centers awards of up to $10 million (5 years at $2M/year, maximum) to increase awardees’ capacity for innovation at the interface of climate and health by enhancing research collaborations, training professional students and valuing outward focus/communications. The centers will facilitate collaboration between fields and organizations that aim to understand and mitigate the impact of climate change on human health.
UCI can only submit one application, though individual faculty may also participate in a consortium with other institutions. Applications from institutions just starting to integrate Climate + Health into their planning will not be competitive. Learn more about internal application process via UCI Review.
Internal Deadline: June 3, 2025
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| MDs & MD/PhDs: 2026 Harrington Scholar-Innovator Award |
| This is a unique program for physician-scientists to advance promising discoveries into medicines. The award offers successful applicants multiple opportunities for funding in addition to expertise from pharma-experienced leaders with a track record of bringing drugs to market. Intellectual property rights are retained by the award recipient and/or their institution. Learn more and apply for the Harrington Scholar-Innovator Award.
Letter of Intent deadline: June 4, 2025
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| FY25 DOD CDMRP Funding Announcements |
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| | | Upcoming Seminars & Events |
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| FY25 CDMRP Funding Opportunities – Webinar |
| The Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) is releasing FY25 funding opportunities and hosting a webinar on the Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, Melanoma, Peer Reviewed Cancer, Peer Reviewed Medical, Prostate Cancer and Toxic Exposures Research Programs.
Wednesday, May 28, 9 to 10 a.m.
Via Webinar | |
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| Seminar & Chalk Talk by the UCI Institute for Clinical & Translational Science |
| Join the UC Irvine Institute for Clinical & Translational Science May 28–29 for this seminar and chalk talk by Ying Wang, MD, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard and Mass General
Seminar: Advance Precision Medicine for All: Polygenic Prediction Across Biobanks and Populations
Wednesday, May 28, 9 a.m.
Location: Sprague Hall, Room 105
Chalk Talk: Advance Precision Medicine for All: Integrating Genetics and Socio-Environmental Factors to Predict Disease Progression
Thursday, May 29, 11 a.m.
Location: Plumwood, Room 166 | |
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| Avantor | VWR UCI Vendor Show |
| You're invited to connect with your local Avantor | VWR team and top supplier representatives at our UCI Vendor Show on May 28. Come explore the latest lab products and technologies from leading suppliers including Eppendorf, Cytiva, Molecular Devices, Azenta, Quantum-Si, Ohaus and more. Enjoy a complimentary breakfast, coffee and treats! We look forward to seeing you there and supporting your research needs.
Wednesday, May 28, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Location: Courtyard between Gross Hall and Hewitt Hall | |
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| Department of Biological Chemistry BC Seminar Series |
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Reconstruct Cancer-Host Cell Networks with Assembled Organoids, by Jeroen Roose, PhD, Professor & Vice Chair, Department of Anatomy, Co-Founder UCSF Bakar ImmunoX initiative, UC San Francisco
Wednesday, May 28, 11 a.m.
Location: Plumwood House / Showa Denko Lecture Hall
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| Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics Seminar |
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|  Catherine Diamond, MD, MPH
Professor, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine
|  Paul Gershon, PhD
Professor, Department of Molecular Biology & Biochemistry
UC Irvine Charlie Dunlop School of Biological Sciences
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Thursday, May 29, 9 a.m. PT
Location: Hybrid event at Plumwood House, Room 166, and via Zoom
Meeting ID: 977 8256 2417 | |
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| Department of Physiology & Biophysics Dissertation Defense |
| Host and Antigen Features as Drivers of Heterogeneity in Human Vaccine-Induced Immune Responses, by Zach Wagoner, Graduate Student, Lisa Wagar, PhD, Lab, Department of Physiology & Biophysics, UC Irvine School of Medicine
Thursday, May 29, 3 p.m.
Location: Thorp Conference Center 4001, Gross Hall 4th Floor | |
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| UCI SKIN: A Skin Biology Resource Center Distinguished Speaker Series |
| Probing the Single-Cell Spatial Landscape of Human Skin, by Andrew Ji, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Dermatology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Hosted by the UCI Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center.
Friday, May 30, 11 a.m. to Noon
Location: Thorp Conference Center, 4001 Gross Hall | |
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| Experimental Pathology Research Conferences |
| Research in Progress Sessions:
Investigating White Matter Degeneration in Down Syndrome with Alzheimer’s Disease, by Justine Silva, Graduate Student, Head Lab, Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, UC Irvine School of Medicine
Examining the Effects of Calcineurin & NFAT Inhibition on Alzheimer's Disease Pathology in Beagles, by Zoe Treadwell, Graduate Student, Head Lab, Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, UC Irvine School of Medicine
Monday, June 2, 11 a.m. to noon PT
Location: Hybrid event at Plumwood House / Showa Denko Lecture Hall and via Zoom | |
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| Experimental Pathology Dissertation Defense |
| Mitochondrial Protein MAGMAS as a Target for GBM Therapy, by Javi Lepe, Graduate Student, Bota Lab, Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine
Monday, June 2, 1 p.m. PT
Location: Hybrid event at Gross Hall, Thorp Conference Center Room 4001, and via Zoom
Meeting ID: 981 2118 0195
Passcode: 329579 | |
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| Department of Physiology & Biophysics Dissertation Defense |
| Neutrophil Inflammasome and Bacterial Virulence Factor Regulation of Blinding Corneal Infections Caused by Pseudomonas Aeruginosa and Staphylococcus Aureus, by Karl Liboro, Graduate Student, Eric Pearlman, PhD, Lab, Department of Physiology & Biophysics, UC Irvine School of Medicine
Wednesday, June 4, 11 a.m.
Location: Sue Gross Auditorium and via Zoom
Meeting ID: 874 233 0885 | |
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| Latent Class Analysis Using Stata (90 minutes), presented by Chuck Huber, PhD, StataCorp. The UCI Center for Statistical Consulting and ICTS Biostatistics, Epidemiology, Research and Design units are pleased to announce our series of FREE virtual courses on Stata! Stata is a popular statistical analysis software that many researchers find useful.
To learn more about our services, visit the UCI Center for Statistical Consulting and the ICTS Biostatistics, Epidemiology, Research and Design websites.
Wednesday, June 4, Noon
Via Zoom
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| Department of Physiology & Biophysics Research in Progress Seminar |
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|  Mari Soto
Graduate Student
Shivashankar Othy, PhD, Lab
|  Eleonora Risaliti
Graduate Student
Krzysztof Palczewski, PhD, Lab
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A Humanized C1qtnf5 L-ORD Mouse Model for Reliable Phenotyping and Development of Genetic Editing Therapeutics, by Eleonora Risaliti
Wednesday, June 4, 4 to 5 p.m.
Location: Plumwood House Lecture Hall | |
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| Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics Seminar |
| Identifying Pathways to HIV Latency Reversal for Improved Kick and Kill Cure Approaches, by Tessa Chou, Graduate Student, Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics, UC Irvine School of Medicine
Thursday, June 5, 9 a.m. PT
Location: Hybrid event at Plumwood House, Room 166, and via Zoom
Meeting ID: 995 7356 8114 | |
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| Experimental Pathology Research Conferences |
| Research in Progress Sessions:
Tandem Repeat Expansion in PLEKHA1 is a Novel Genetic Risk Factor for Alzheimer’s Disease, by Michael Colwin, Graduate Student, La Spada Lab, Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, UC Irvine School of Medicine
A Novel Proteomics Approach to Interrogating the Galectin-3 Interactome, by Blake Krisko, Graduate Student, Mkhikian Lab, Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, UC Irvine School of Medicine
Monday, June 9, 11 a.m. to noon PT
Location: Hybrid event at Plumwood House / Showa Denko Lecture Hall and via Zoom | |
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| Noel Drury, M.D. Institute for Translational Depression Discoveries Speaker Series |
| Reward Processes as Risk Factors and Treatment Targets for Depression and Anxiety, by Michelle G. Craske, PhD, AO, Distinguished Professor, Departments of Psychology and Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, UCLA. Hosted by the UC Irvine Noel Drury, M.D. Institute for Translational Depression Discoveries.
Wednesday, June 11, 10 to 11 a.m. PT
Location: Thorp Conference Center, 4001 Gross Hall, and via Zoom | |
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| Physiology & Biophysics Seminar Series |
| Immune Microenvironment in Breast Cancer Brain Metastasis, by Devon A. Lawson, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Physiology & Biophysics, UC Irvine School of Medicine Wednesday, June 11, 4 to 5 p.m. PT
Location: Hybrid event at Plumwood House Lecture Hall and via Zoom
Contact Claire Chen to join via Zoom.
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| UCI SKIN: A Skin Biology Resource Center Distinguished Speaker Series |
| Appendage Regeneration, by Haley Naik, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Dermatology, UCSF. Hosted by the UCI Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center.
Friday, June 20, 11 a.m. to Noon
Location: Thorp Conference Center, 4001 Gross Hall, and via Zoom
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| UCI Center for Aging Research in Down Syndrome Research Seminar Series |
| Research from the MGH Down Syndrome Program, by Brian Skotko, MD, MPP, Professor, Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School; Director and Emma Campbell Endowed Chair on Down Syndrome, Massachusetts General Hospital. Hosted by the UCI Center for Aging Research in Down Syndrome (CFAR-DS).
Friday, June 27, 10 a.m. PT
Via Zoom
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| UCI Center for Neural Circuit Mapping (CNCM) 2025 Conference — Register by June 1 |
| The Changing Brain. Co-sponsored by the UCI Center for Neural Circuit Mapping (CNCM), Cajal Club and the Allen Institute for Brain Science. We aim to host a leading-edge conference in 2025, bringing together thought leaders in neuroscience who will offer unique perspectives on integrating the different facets of neural circuits — structure, function, development and disease. Learn more about the speaker lineup and conference details at 2025 CNCM Conference. Register by June 1.
Aug. 18–21
Location: Irvine Marriott, 18000 Von Karman Ave., Irvine, CA 92612 | |
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| Grand Rounds and CME Symposia |
| | For Continuing Medical Education (CME) opportunities, view the weekly Grand Rounds & CME Symposia email. | | Back to top | | | |
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| Postdoctoral Fellow in Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease |
| Ali Ezzati’s clinical neurology and neuroinformatics research group is seeking a Postdoctoral Fellow within the Department of Neurology. The candidate will collaborate with a multidisciplinary team of expert faculty in neurology, epidemiology, data science and biostatistics.
Dr. Ezzati’s lab specializes in Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and other dementias, with additional focus areas in migraine and other headache disorders, neuroepidemiology, and other neurodegenerative disorders. The lab uses advanced biostatistical modeling, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and neuroinformatics methods to address pressing questions in clinical neurology. This position offers opportunities to work on large biomedical datasets, including cohort studies and clinical trials, and contributes to impactful projects in digital health and translational neuroscience. This is an excellent opportunity for candidates interested in pursuing a career in clinical and translational neuroscience, data science or digital health.
PI: Ali Ezzati, MD
View the posting in UCI Recruit.
Closing Date: July 15, 2025
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| 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.
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| What kind of grant support does the School of Medicine Research Development Unit provide? |
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| What kind of grant support does the RDU provide to Physician Scientists? |
| Along with the general grant support the RDU provides (outlined above), there are multiple programs available outlined on the Physician Scientist Resources page. - Physician Scientist Collective: Monthly seminar series with visiting speakers
- Physician Scientist Pathways Certificate Course: Six-week, 12-hour hybrid course that introduces clinicians to research pathways
- Physician Scientist Training Program (PSTP): Helps physician scientists apply for their first K award
- Dean’s K Scholar: Provides awardees the protected time and mentorship needed to obtain NIH K/ equivalent funding
- Clinical Trialist Training Program (CTTP): Supports junior faculty on externally funded clinical trials through a 2-year partnership program with senior investigators already running clinical trials
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