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Research Insider Schedule
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In observance of the holiday season and the Winter Administrative Recess (Dec. 24, 2025, to Jan. 1, 2026), Research Insider will pause until after the New Year. We will resume on Jan. 6, 2026. Happy Holidays!
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| Updates from the UCI Office of Research |
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NIH’s Implementation of Common Forms for Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support for Due Dates on or after Jan. 25, 2026
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A unified Common Biographical Sketch and Common Current & Pending (Other) Support format will be required using SciENcv. In SciENcv, you will need to create the NIH Biographical Sketch Common Form and the NIH Biographical Sketch Supplement.
These forms must be used for all NIH submissions with due dates in Cycle 1, beginning with any submission — applications, JIT, RPPRs and others — due on or after Jan. 25, 2026.
Instructions for the Biographical Sketch Common Form and NIH Biographical Sketch Supplement as well as an FAQ are available.
Instructions for the Current and Pending (Other) Support Common Form, as well as an FAQ, are available.
Additional resources, including training videos, will be posted on Common Forms for Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support as they become available. Review the notice.
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Database for UC Irvine School of Medicine Researcher Sharing - Cell Lines, Antibodies and Mouse Strains
NEW
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The database for laboratory resources, specifically antibodies, cell lines and mouse strains, is live at UC Irvine School of Medicine - Research Resources. You can submit resources that your lab has available to share. The website is UCInetID-protected.
If you need help with entering data, contact Mary Frances Ypma-Wong.
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Register for an Upcoming UC Irvine NIH Boot Camp Informational Session
THIS WEEK
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The Research Development Unit will host three virtual informational sessions about the UCI NIH Boot Camp, a comprehensive, multifaceted mentoring program designed to help faculty and career researchers apply for their first research grants from NIH. Attend one to learn more about this program and how to apply for the upcoming 2026 UCI NIH Boot Camp! Applications are due Feb. 10, 2026.
- Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025, Noon to 1 p.m. | Register
- Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, 9 to 10 a.m. | Register
- Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, 4 to 5 p.m. | Register
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UC Irvine's Health Data Research Resources | Physician Scientist Collective 2025-26 Distinguished Speaker Series
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Kai Zheng, PhD, FACMI, Professor of Informatics and Emergency Medicine, UC Irvine. Zheng directs the Center for Biomedical Informatics (CBMI), a key component of the Institute for Clinical and Translational Science (ICTS) and the Institute for Precision Health (IPH). In this seminar, he will present an overview of UC Irvine’s health data research resources managed by CBMI. The following topics will be covered:
- Types of health data available for research reuse
- Requesting procedures and best practices
- Tools for cohort discovery prior to submitting a data request
- Additional resources such as the UC Health Data Warehouse and the NIH All of Us Research Hub
Zheng will also present a brief overview of the Protected Virtual Computing Environment (PVCE), where datasets retrieved by the UCI Health Honest Brokers team are deposited. PVCE is an institutionally approved secure environment for storing and computing health data. It comprises multiple servers hosted at the UCI Health Data Center with common statistical and machine-learning tools such as SAS, SPSS, R and Python preinstalled. Learn more about the Physician Scientist Collective.
Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, Noon to 1 p.m.
Via Zoom
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Would you like feedback on your proposal?
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Remember that the School of Medicine Research Development Unit (RDU) provides grant support and manages the NIH Pre- & Resubmission Programs. The School of Medicine will provide funds to support pre- and resubmission applications, including the costs of subject matter expert reviews and other unique proposal needs.
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Enroll Now! PhD Students & Postdocs: NIH Fellowship Success
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Instructor: Dr. David Fruman (Academic Director, GPS-STEM)
We encourage students in their second or third year of PhD training to enroll, with the goal of submitting (or resubmitting) a fellowship application in 2026. Early-stage postdocs are also welcome. The course number is University Studies 231, and course code is 87890. Postdocs can join as auditors by emailing Dr. Fruman.
Thursdays, starting Jan. 8, 2026, 4 to 4:50 p.m.
Location: NatSci 2, Room 4201
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Join us for the School of Medicine’s 2026 Faculty Research Retreat
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You’re invited to attend the UC Irvine School of Medicine’s 2026 Faculty Research Retreat, “The Next Chapter: Future Directions for Biomedical Research.”
Thursday, March 5, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. | Check-in & Breakfast begins at 8:30 a.m.
Location: Beall Applied Innovation
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Tibor Juhasz, PhD, (Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences and Biomedical Engineering), and Marios Papaefthymiou, PhD, have been named Fellows of the National Academy of Inventors. Juhasz is internationally recognized for his contributions to the development of the LASIK procedure and more recently a laser treatment for glaucoma, a condition that affects nearly 80 million people worldwide. These efforts led to the launch of ViaLase, a groundbreaking system that enables a minimally invasive glaucoma procedure that is often described as "eye surgery without surgery."
Juhasz holds 46 U.S. and international patents and is an honorary member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. He has received numerous accolades, including UC Irvine's Entrepreneurial Leader of the Year and the Golden Goose Award from the American Association for the Advancement of Science, an honor given to researchers whose federally funded work has had unexpected, transformative societal impact. The National Academy of Inventors Fellows Program is the organization's highest professional distinction awarded solely to academic inventors to recognize innovation that has made a tangible impact on the quality of life, economic development and welfare of society. UC Irvine now has 23 National Academy of Inventors fellows and more than 650 active U.S. patents.
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.
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| | Postdocs & Early Career Faculty Funding Opportunities | |
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Limited: V Scholar Cancer Research Grant
This V Scholar grant supports tenure-track faculty in the early stages of their cancer research careers by funding laboratory-based fundamental research or translational projects in any area of adult cancer research. This grant mechanism is designed to advance exceptional early-career investigators at the Assistant Professor level, positioning them to successfully compete for larger, sustaining grants such as R01s. Research areas not included within this scope are epidemiology, behavioral science and health services research.
4 years | Up to $800,000 ($200,000 per year). Apply here via UCI Review.
Deadline: Dec. 29, 2025
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Arthritis National Research Foundation (ANRF) Grant Opportunities
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The Arthritis National Research Foundation (ANRF) has announced several grant opportunities. These grants provide vital support to early-career researchers and postdoctoral fellows eager to make a difference in arthritis and related autoimmune research. Their offerings include the Arthritis and Related Autoimmune Disease Research Grant, Psoriatic Arthritis Research Grant, Rheum for Kids: Pediatric Skin and Joint Grant in collaboration with PeDRA, and Postdoctoral Physician Scientist Fellowship.
Awards range from $50,000 to $250,000, supporting projects from one to two years. They encourage researchers from diverse fields to explore these opportunities and apply.
Deadline: Jan. 9, 2026
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Courageous Postdocs Aiming to Go Further - Branco Weiss Fellowship
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The ideal applicant for a Branco Weiss Fellowship leverages the freedom offered by the fellowship to design a surprisingly novel and scientifically rigorous research project. The fellowship addresses junior researchers with a record of outstanding scientific achievement and a passion for venturing into new territory. To give you an impression of what kind of qualifications a typical Branco Weiss Fellow should have, please check the current fellow profiles, as well as selected alumni portraits.
A Branco Weiss Fellowship amounts to max. CHF 600,000 for up to five years. It may be used to cover all legitimate costs of research (i.e., salary and/or equipment, travel expenses, consumables, personnel, etc.). Apply here for the Branco Weiss Fellowship.
Deadline: Jan. 15, 2026, at 3 p.m.
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UC Cancer Research Coordinating Committee (CRCC) Fellowships
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CRCC Fellowships support meritorious mentored research spanning all areas from basic research to applied clinical and community-based research in any field relevant to cancer.
Eligible PIs must be trainees conducting mentored research at one of the 10 UC campuses:
- Predoctoral students with an anticipated graduation date of 12–18 months from award start date;
- Scholars with doctoral degrees who are within the first 3 years of their appointment at award start date.
Learn more about how to apply for CRCC Fellowships.
Deadline: Jan. 22, 2026, by Noon
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| | All Faculty Funding Opportunities | |
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UC Noyce Initiative RFP for Computational HealthThe UC Noyce Computational Health request for proposals (RFP) is now open and accepting applications from UC researchers and faculty from participating UC campuses: Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, San Francisco, Santa Barbara – multi-campus teams required. The focus is on computational health, specifically multi-scale integration for the use of data, models and methods that bridge four key areas: - Genomic ↔ Transcriptomic ↔ Proteomic layers
- Single-cell ↔ Tissue-level ↔ Organism-wide observations
- Biological ↔ Behavioral ↔ Environmental influences
- Mechanistic data ↔ Clinical phenotypes ↔ Real-world outcomes
Eligibility: PI status at one of the UC Noyce Initiative campuses Contact Mike Gallo with questions. Deadline: Dec. 19, 2025
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Limited: V Foundation Translational Grant
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The Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center is seeking to nominate ONE candidate per mechanism for the 2026 V Foundation Breaking Barriers in Cancer Research Grant.
This grant supports adult cancer research in the preclinical or translational space, with a focus on bench-to-bedside strategies. Research on any adult cancer type is eligible. Applicants may propose projects that:
- Move a novel strategy from the laboratory into a human clinical trial, or
- Use specimens from a clinical trial to test hypotheses, develop biomarkers, or establish mechanisms.
The research must apply in a direct way to human beings within 3 years of the grant’s completion. If biomarker research is undertaken, a validation set or independent clinical trial is essential. Proposals must include a plan for biomarker validation, if applicable. The endpoint of the project should be the planning or initiation of a new clinical trial or conducting an investigator-initiated trial with laboratory correlates that test hypotheses. Research areas not included in this scope are epidemiology, behavioral science and health services research.
4 years | Up to $800,000 ($200,000 per year). Apply here via UCI Review.
Deadline: Dec. 29, 2025
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Limited: The G. Harold and Leila Y. Mathers Foundation awards program
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The mission of The G. Harold and Leila Y. Mathers Foundation is to advance knowledge in the life sciences by sponsoring scientific research that will benefit mankind. Basic scientific research with potential translational application is central to this goal and fundamental to their operating principles. The Mathers Foundation welcomes research in immunology, structural biology, cancer biology, microbiome, genetics, genomics, structural biology, cellular physiology, neuroscience, and microbiology & infectious diseases.
The total funding for this award is $600,000–$700,000 over three years, including 10% indirect costs.
UC Irvine may submit only three applications for this award opportunity. Apply here via UCI Review.
Deadline: Jan. 5, 2026
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Limited: Ono Pharma Foundation Breakthrough Science
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The Ono Pharma Foundation’s goal is to accelerate high-risk and high-reward basic science research projects that have the potential to lead to scientific discoveries and solutions towards breakthrough treatments for patients. The Ono Pharma Foundation will only consider proposals for new scientific research projects addressing Chemical Biology Research, defined as research at the interface between chemistry and biology. They are especially looking for unique chemistry tools that can be used to answer biological questions related to human health and disease. Chemical Biology includes all scientific disciplines that aim to understand and control cellular and human biology at the chemical level.
UC Irvine may submit only two applications for this award opportunity. Interested applicants are asked to submit a preliminary application to the Office of Research via UCI Review.
Deadline: Jan. 5, 2026
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UC Cancer Research Coordinating Committee (CRCC) Faculty Seed Grants
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The CRCC is a systemwide, faculty-directed cancer research program that provides grants for topics in any discipline that address any aspect of cancer, including its origins, prevention and cure. CRCC funds support meritorious research spanning all areas from basic research to applied clinical and community-based research in any field relevant to cancer.
Faculty Seed Grants are offered via two award categories: New Assistant Professor applications (NAP) and Regular applications (REG).
Recommended applicant webinars will be held on Monday, Dec. 15, 2025, and Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026.
Learn more about how to apply for CRCC Faculty Seed Grants.
Deadline: Jan. 22, 2026, by Noon
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| Upcoming Seminars & Events |
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Noel Drury, M.D. Institute for Translational Depression Discoveries Monthly Speaker Series
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Adolescent Depression in the Digital Age: Evidence from Cohort, Embedded-Burst and Two-Generation Studies, by Candice Odgers, PhD, Associate Dean and Chancellor’s Professor of Psychology and Informatics, UC Irvine School of Social Ecology. Hosted by the UC Irvine Noel Drury, M.D. Institute for Translational Depression Discoveries.
Wednesday, Dec. 17, 10 to 11 a.m. PT
Location: Hybrid event at Thorp Conference Center, 4001 Gross Hall and Via Zoom
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Department of Biological Chemistry BC Seminar Series
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How One-Carbon Metabolism and Environmental Cues Shape Cell-Cycle Control and Cancer, by Peter Kaiser, PhD, Professor and Chair, Department of Biological Chemistry, UC Irvine School of Medicine
Wednesday, Jan. 7, 11 a.m. to Noon
Location: Plumwood House / Showa Denko Lecture Hall
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The LFD/AIM Workshop on "FLuorescence Advanced Imaging Research" (FLAIR)
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Join the UC Irvine Laboratory for Fluorescence Dynamics (LFD) and UC Berkeley’s Advanced Imaging Methods (AIM) for a four-day comprehensive workshop that combines cutting-edge fluorescence imaging expertise from both institutions and coverage on essential topics. Learn more about the course and featured speakers (PDF). Questions? Email Adeela at adeelas@uci.edu.
Jan. 12-15, 2026
Location: Hybrid event at UC Irvine and Online
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Monthly on Mondays | Faculty Development Series
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Merits and Promotions for HS Clinical and Senate Faculty , presented by Brian Cummings, PhD, and Nimisha Parekh, MD. Monthly on Mondays, presented by Drs. Parekh and Cummings, Senior Associate Deans of Faculty Development, is a monthly seminar series covering a wide range of topics on faculty development.
Monday, Jan. 12, 5:15 to 6:15 p.m.
Via Zoom
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Master of Science in Biomedical and Translational Science (MS-BATS) Informational Session
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Jumpstart your career in clinical and translational research! The MS-BATS is a 1-year master’s program (Capstone Project or Thesis Option) designed to train students to conduct high-quality multidisciplinary clinical research at the intersection of basic science and clinical medicine. Students from various training backgrounds, including medical students, residents, fellows, physicians, nurses and others interested in excelling as an effective clinical and translational researcher will benefit from this program. This informational session will provide attendees with an overview of the MS-BATS program and answer any questions.
Tuesday, Jan. 13, 5 to 6 p.m.
Via Zoom
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Rady Children's Health and UC Irvine Distinguished Lecture Series
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Advancing Research in Immunology and Neurology, by Michael Demetriou, MD, PhD, Professor, Department of Neurology, UC Irvine School of Medicine
Wednesday, Jan. 21, Noon to 1 p.m. PT
Via Zoom
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Charlie Dunlop School of Biological Sciences Dean's Distinguished Lecture — Winter 2026
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How Early-Life Experiences Shape Our Adult Behaviors, by Tallie Z. Baram, MD, PhD, D. Shepard & Bren Distinguished Professor, Departments of Pediatrics, Anatomy & Neurobiology and Neurology, UC Irvine School of Medicine
Tuesday, Jan. 27, 4 to 6 p.m.
Location: Crystal Cove Auditorium — UC Irvine Student Center
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Second International Conference on “Unconventional Animal Models of Alzheimer’s Disease and Aging” (UAMAA 2026): Call for Abstracts!
CALL FOR ABSTRACTS
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The Second International Conference on “Unconventional Animal Models of Alzheimer’s Disease and Aging” (UAMAA 2026) is a multidisciplinary forum will bring together researchers, scientists and professionals advancing the frontiers of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) research. This conference will offer a unique platform to discuss and explore unconventional mammalian and non-murine models of AD that may provide enhanced translational potential for therapeutic development. Abstract submissions for selected talks and poster presentations are due Jan. 9, 2026. Feb. 9–11, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. PT
Location: Sue Gross Auditorium, Susan & Henry Samueli College of Health Sciences, Irvine, CA |
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9th Annual Skin Symposium
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Skin in Motion: Forces, Signals & Renewal. Explore the latest advancements in skin research at the 9th Annual UC Irvine Skin Symposium, hosted by UC Irvine Skin, A Skin Biology Resource Center. Connect with renowned experts from across the globe as they unveil cutting-edge research findings, breakthroughs in skin health and innovative treatment approaches. Delve into the forefront of skin science with the distinguished speaker lineup. Register by Feb. 4.
Friday, Feb. 13, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Location: Hybrid event at UC Irvine Sue & Bill Gross Hall, Thorp Conference Center, 845 Health Sciences Road, Irvine, CA 92617 and Via Zoom
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Fifth Annual Rady Children's Health and UC Irvine Rare Disease Symposium & Family Conference: Call for Abstract Submissions!
CALL FOR ABSTRACTS
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The Fifth Annual Rady Children’s Health and UC Irvine Rare Disease Symposium & Family Conference will focus on the latest innovations in the diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases across various specialties. Attendees will experience dynamic presentations by leading experts, as well as personal stories from families affected by rare conditions, promoting a stronger sense of community and understanding.The abstract submission deadline is Monday, Jan. 12, 2025 at 11:50 p.m. PT. Friday, Feb. 27, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT
Location: The Beckman Center, 100 Academy Way, Irvine, CA 92617
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Postdoctoral Fellowship in Epidemiology, Aging, Alzheimer's & Dementia
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The Ezzati Lab is seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Fellow. This position offers a unique opportunity to work at the intersection of epidemiology, cognitive neuroscience, and data-driven aging research, with a focus on Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. The fellow will contribute to large-scale, multi-institutional studies exploring how demographic, biological, and digital behavioral factors shape cognitive aging trajectories and dementia risk. The group combines advanced analytic methods with deep clinical and epidemiologic insight, providing an exceptional environment for interdisciplinary training and career development. Candidates with backgrounds in epidemiology, neuroscience, or psychology who are passionate about understanding and preventing cognitive decline are especially encouraged to apply. Apply via UCI Recruit.
Closing Date: Dec. 20, 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?
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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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